actor. writer. teacher. dog mommy.
What happens when the only Puerto Rican girl at a Jewish sleep-away camp gets cast as Aunt Eller in Oklahoma? She grows up to be an actor, of course! Not really one for musicals (they rightfully took away my songs in Oklahoma) I didn't do theater in high school. Oh, I was a nun in The Sound of Music, but I don't think it counts since everyone else in my all-girls Catholic high school was one too.
I did, however, discover Speech and Debate. It was a slightly skewed way to feed my performing jones. I wound up doing well enough to receive a full scholarship to St. John’s University to compete on their Speech and Debate team, at the time one of the top-ranked teams on the east coast. Sadly again, SJU only had a minor in theater so, used to the slightly skewed way, I took every theater class they offered and snuck in doing plays while competing at the national level of Speech and Debate.
After graduation, I found myself at HB Studio studying for many years with esteemed teachers like Edward Morehouse, Jess Osuna, Michael Beckett, John Monteith, Rochelle Oliver, Carol Rosenfeld and of course, the incomparable Uta Hagen. Not long after, I started writing and performing sketch comedy with longtime collaborator Ted Baus. Baus and Troché performed at theaters, performance-art venues, clubs and cabarets throughout NYC and the country. We were awarded a Backstage Bistro award, as well as two consecutive Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC) awards for Best Comedy Group. We also had the singular honor of being thrown out and banned from performing in not one, but two New Jersey towns! The townsfolk in both Bayhead and Maplewood, New Jersey decided that our “Safe Sex” sketch was too obscene for their conservative towns (decide for yourself here). Throughout the years, I have been in plays and performance pieces in nearly every off-off Broadway theater the city has to offer. Most notably, from 2003 I was in the cast of the award-winning (Drama Desk for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Experience, NY Fringe Festival Overall Excellence, and others) docudrama, Charlie Victor Romeo. I have continued learning from amazing people like Mark Zeller, Howard Meyer, John Strasberg and E. Katherine Kerr; improv with John Monteith (Monteith and Rand) and at Upright Citizens Brigade with Doug Moe and Kate Spencer; and film and TV with every major NY casting director at The Actor’s Green Room.
Recent years have included film and TV roles that have brought me to Sundance and other film festivals as well as put me on primetime network and cable TV. Not one to forget my skewed past, I still write and perform my own work, alone and in collaboration, and this millennia brings a new one-woman show, a couple of screenplays and a TV series into the mix. I also teach. Pilates to help people get stronger and connect with their bodies (come take class with me at Core Pilates NYC); and acting by incorporating the Four Principles of E. Katherine Kerr to help people get and stay present in their bodies.
I did, however, discover Speech and Debate. It was a slightly skewed way to feed my performing jones. I wound up doing well enough to receive a full scholarship to St. John’s University to compete on their Speech and Debate team, at the time one of the top-ranked teams on the east coast. Sadly again, SJU only had a minor in theater so, used to the slightly skewed way, I took every theater class they offered and snuck in doing plays while competing at the national level of Speech and Debate.
After graduation, I found myself at HB Studio studying for many years with esteemed teachers like Edward Morehouse, Jess Osuna, Michael Beckett, John Monteith, Rochelle Oliver, Carol Rosenfeld and of course, the incomparable Uta Hagen. Not long after, I started writing and performing sketch comedy with longtime collaborator Ted Baus. Baus and Troché performed at theaters, performance-art venues, clubs and cabarets throughout NYC and the country. We were awarded a Backstage Bistro award, as well as two consecutive Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC) awards for Best Comedy Group. We also had the singular honor of being thrown out and banned from performing in not one, but two New Jersey towns! The townsfolk in both Bayhead and Maplewood, New Jersey decided that our “Safe Sex” sketch was too obscene for their conservative towns (decide for yourself here). Throughout the years, I have been in plays and performance pieces in nearly every off-off Broadway theater the city has to offer. Most notably, from 2003 I was in the cast of the award-winning (Drama Desk for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Experience, NY Fringe Festival Overall Excellence, and others) docudrama, Charlie Victor Romeo. I have continued learning from amazing people like Mark Zeller, Howard Meyer, John Strasberg and E. Katherine Kerr; improv with John Monteith (Monteith and Rand) and at Upright Citizens Brigade with Doug Moe and Kate Spencer; and film and TV with every major NY casting director at The Actor’s Green Room.
Recent years have included film and TV roles that have brought me to Sundance and other film festivals as well as put me on primetime network and cable TV. Not one to forget my skewed past, I still write and perform my own work, alone and in collaboration, and this millennia brings a new one-woman show, a couple of screenplays and a TV series into the mix. I also teach. Pilates to help people get stronger and connect with their bodies (come take class with me at Core Pilates NYC); and acting by incorporating the Four Principles of E. Katherine Kerr to help people get and stay present in their bodies.
Best of all, I have the cutest dog in the world: Herschel.
He has the body of a dachshund, the face of a black lab
and the muscles of a pit bull. He turns heads wherever he goes.
Check out his Instagram: Herschel_the_doxador.
what's new
Started working with Emerging Talent Agency! I am so excited to start this new chapter in my career.
A cool feature I am in, Patti Cake$ is in theaters NOW!!! Get tickets here. It was an Official Selection at Sundance this year. The New York Times said it was one "four films to know". Variety said writer/director Geremy Jasper is "one of the 10 directors to watch".
Shot an amazing short film called What If? with director Francisco Fuertes. It is a trans rom-com starring legendary trans activist, Buck Angel. I can't wait for this one to hit the festival circuit! There's already talk of making it into a feature-length film.
Catch me on Showtime's Homeland as U.S. Attorney Ortiz on Showtime On Demand. I have been a fan since day one! It's an honor to be a part of it.
A cool feature I am in, Patti Cake$ is in theaters NOW!!! Get tickets here. It was an Official Selection at Sundance this year. The New York Times said it was one "four films to know". Variety said writer/director Geremy Jasper is "one of the 10 directors to watch".
Shot an amazing short film called What If? with director Francisco Fuertes. It is a trans rom-com starring legendary trans activist, Buck Angel. I can't wait for this one to hit the festival circuit! There's already talk of making it into a feature-length film.
Catch me on Showtime's Homeland as U.S. Attorney Ortiz on Showtime On Demand. I have been a fan since day one! It's an honor to be a part of it.
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