Kiara
Feliciano has an office at the end of a narrow, inconspicuous hallway in the Florida
Gulf Coast University Arts Complex. This is in stark contrast to her specialty
in theater. Ms. Feliciano is extremely passionate about her trade, like most
others, but it did not start out that way.
“Back in
the 8th grade, I had to do the eighth grade play, which was
mandatory. It was ‘Peter Pan: The Musical’ and I was not looking forward to it
at all.”
Feliciano’s
teacher insisted she audition for the lead, despite her objections. After eventually
landing the role of Wendy, it was meeting fans after her performance that
motivated her to continue pursuing theater.
“These
little kindergarteners were just so thrilled, they were happy to be in a
separate world outside of whatever they knew, and it kind of inspired me to go
down that route. So, I studied it all throughout high school; all throughout my
undergrad and I got my master’s in it, so it is very much a part of my life.”
Feliciano
attended FGCU prior to obtaining her MFA in acting from the University of
Houston. Currently, she teaches several theater courses at the university,
including one that focuses on stage combat.
“It’s my
favorite! We are mainly focused on unarmed fighting, so anything you see in
movies or plays, all of that has to be choreographed. I can’t literally hit my
actor in the face nightly; I think his agent would kill me if I were ruining
the 8x10. We learn to do these fights safely, but still make it dramatically
effective for the audience.”
There are
many distinct disciplines to learn, but since this is the first semester the
class is taught, for now it only focuses on unarmed combat.
When
asked about her involvement in play writing, Feliciano says that while she has
not had much experience, she would relish a chance to be a part of that process.
“I used
to write back in high school; it’s just not something I’m practiced in as much
anymore, but if someone gave me the opportunity, I would love to collaborate.”
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