Singer. Dancer. Actress. Artist. Humanitarian.
Monica was born and raised in Bay City, Michigan. From an early age she developed an interest in both the fine arts and performing arts. After graduating high school, Monica attended the California Pacific College of the Performing Arts as a member of the Young Americans. She later received her Associates in Art and Design from Delta College and continued her studies at the New York Film Academy focusing on musical theatre performance and Eastern Michigan University to receive degrees in media broadcast journalism and art.
Monica has an array of talents. To generalize her, she is an artist, one who excels in acrylics, musical theatre and transforming the mundane into art. Her artwork has been displayed in several venues and publications. Monica currently works for several professional theatre companies in Southeast Michigan designing and building theatre sets. She was also the woman behind Bella Fortuna North's dinner theatre in Lake Leelanau, Michigan.
Monica believes everyone has a story worth hearing and that there are endless ways to tell them. As a visual artist, she learned to tell stories on canvas, preserving a moment in time. In the performing arts, she learned to use hyperbolic situations and soaring melodies to bring even the most mundane moments to life.
Monica’s overall goal is to use her experiences as a multi-faceted artist to creatively collaborate and find innovative and entertaining ways to present human interest stories. Specifically, she seeks work that will create more opportunities for marginalized voices, and to inspire knowledge, compassion, and empathy (something we all could use a little more of these days).
For the past few years, Monica has been working for a company with a similar mission – bringing the world together one story at a time. Her work with Spinning Dot Theatre Company in Ann Arbor, Michigan revolved around finding playwrights across the globe and premiering their work in the USA.
More recently, she began recording and producing Mirror Up – A Reflection on Identity in Theatre. Her podcast is an exploration of intersectionality and theatre. She interviewed artists as they discussed their successes and struggles navigating their own identity within the confines of theatre, particularly with conversations about race, gender, sexuality, and ability.
Outside of her passions for storytelling through the performing arts and fine arts, Monica also enjoys working with children, volunteering, and traveling.
Monica’s love for helping others and traveling has taken her around the world. From San Francisco, California where she ran a United Way Alternative Spring Break program to Guatemala and Uganda to work with children and teach self-sustainability practices. Most recently, she completed a six-month contract with Carnival Cruise Lines entertaining and working with people from across the globe.
This website will offer insights into Monica’s past and upcoming work within the performing arts, fine arts, humanitarian work, and journalism.