Mexican Actress: Gilda Mercado- Talks About Her Career & Her Film- Ella Y Yo.

Edition Six- Week Six:

By: Jacob West / Photography By: Esteban Calderon

For years, Gilda Mercado has been gracing the stage and screen, performing not only in Mexico, her home country but in the United States and the United Kingdom. I recently watched her perform in her solo piece, Ella Y Yo, with United Solo Screens, a platform on which artists can stream their content from around the world. Needless to say, I was stunned by the beauty of what I saw; Mercado’s presence on screen is nothing short of magical. Her performance was unique, a combination of tragedy and honesty that I knew could only come from an exceedingly gifted performer. I knew that I wanted to meet this artist as soon as I’d seen this piece. Luckily for me, my wish was granted!

Gilda, tell us about yourself, where you’re from, your dreams, aspirations, and your story.

“Hello, my name is Gilda Mercado. I’m a Mexican artist, theatre-maker, Shakespeare lover, classically trained performer, and creator. I grew up in Mexico City but have been abroad for most of my adult life, working as an actress. I lived in NYC for a few years, where I studied at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting and then worked in Off- off-Broadway productions. I then moved to the United Kingdom, where I gained a Masters’s in Contemporary and Classical Text at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. I’ve performed at Shakespeare’s Globe and the Tron Theatre and collaborated with companies such as Rattlestick Playwright’s Theatre and the Blind Cupid Shakespeare Company. In addition, I’ve worked with actors such as Tenoch Huerta and Cassandra Ciangherotti, fellow actors in my home country. I’ve always been obsessed with performing arts. I loved movies and storytelling as a child, and I remain obsessed today! I live, breathe, dream, and worry about it constantly! It’s not just what I do, but it’s who I am and how I express myself.

Primarily, my experience is in Classical and Contemporary theatre, but I’ve also written and directed my own work. I’ve done two solos – one was called Blue, which was performed in Glasgow. Most recently, I directed, wrote, and performed a digital piece called Ella Y Yo, which was presented for the first time at Rattlestick Playwright’s Theatre’s Global Forms Theatre Festival. I’m really proud of that work. Right now, it’s also being shown at United Solo Screen. As I’ve said, I’ve always only been an actor or a performer, but this is something I created purely by myself. It was a tough challenge but a great one!”

What is the story behind Ella Y Yo? Why did you decide to make this piece?

“The story is about a woman questioning herself, her identity, and who she is. It’s a kind of fight between her persona and the things that she is ashamed of, so it’s not a realistic piece but one that is incredibly surreal and dream-like. It’s kinda like a door into the psyche of this woman. I was inspired by Frida Kahlo’s work, her paintings. She portrays her thoughts and feelings wonderfully in her work. Just her ideas and the way she sees life are so raw. That’s something I wanted to do in my work. I respect and admire her. I was also inspired by Terrence Malick’s work and his films. Especially the slow pace and the inner thoughts of his characters. Another source of inspiration was the old 40s, black and white movies. I love those pictures because I think they portray a human’s soul or character moment more authentically. It also made it easier to manage the light! I also looked at Music videos, which I love because they are a great mixture between storytelling and music and dance. All these things contributed to the design, flow, and storytelling of the movie.”

Do you enjoy this sort of edgy, gory, gothic art, or do you have preferences?

“Absolutely, I love edgy and gothic art. I don’t love gory! I know that the film shows little pieces of gore, but it was more important that the work was beautiful. I think that helps to connect with people better. I love the forties and gothic art so much, though. And I love putting things that look old into something new, which you can often see when you watch the film!”

What is your dream acting role, and why?

“Oh my god, I have so many! Juliet, Miss Julie, a Harley Quinn kind of character (someone who is complex, funny, and chaotic!). But more than a character role, I dream more about just working with the best. Best actors, directors, scripts, films, theatre, television – as long as it is meaningful and of excellent quality! Just having the chance to play is always wonderful. I’m reminded of when Benedict Cumberbatch played Smaug in The Hobbit and how much fun he was clearly having playing around with his voice, his body, his mannerisms, etc. I want to do that kind of work! I want to pursue more transformative character work.”

What’s coming up for you in the future?

“I have quite a few projects coming up! I’m ecstatic to be collaborating with the Blind Cupid Shakespeare Company again next year. I love working with them. They do a lot of classical productions. I’m also planning to work more with Rattlestick Playwright’s Theatre on a new project that I’m thinking of writing. I’m also going to be working with a Spanish/Latin theatre company called Corezon in New York City. So lots of things to be excited about!”

Audiences can view Ella Y Yo at:

https://screen.unitedsolo.org/?fbclid=IwAR2ziGsDWs_SOWpqBCQ5nMv5O5h784QXU439j1Ger-837Lw-VdoQ1DzPH3Y

For more information on Gilda and her career, check out her website https://www.gildamercado.me/

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