Hello! I'm Rachael–your resident gently chaotic recovering mom friend! 

I was born in a tiny northern New Jersey town to city folk who moved to the suburbs. My dad immigrated from Hong Kong to Manhattan as a kid, where he eventually met my mom, who was born in NYC. They both grew up in families of four with hardworking parents and not a lot of money. I believe the stories they've told me about their childhoods throughout my own adolescence have greatly shaped who I am today. 

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Though I began my music journey singing as a 2 year-old and learning piano at 5, my exposure to acting didn't truly begin until I went to Bergen County Academies–a public magnet high school for smart kids–as a theatre major. During those years I learned how to act, continued singing and furthered my love of music, and even grew my confidence in and passion for dance. This burst of art and purpose led me to pursue acting in college as well. I graduated from NYU Tisch with a BFA in Drama (though I avoid drama in daily life), having studied at the Stella Adler Studio primarily, and Stonestreet Studios my senior year, and I also got a minor in the Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology. I was part of the first college class to graduate in the pandemic. Fun !!!

Nowadays, I’m still living in NYC, which I believe will always be home for me. I’ve been secularly blessed with wonderful friends that I get to learn and grow with, a newfound green thumb and multiple plants growing from seed on my windowsill, and–after about 2 years of actively kissing a frog and far too many toads–my sweet partner, who’s been giving me quite an education in all things gaming & anime. Currently, I’m collaborating with artists/friends on my own original music, and I am beyond thrilled for it to start coming out for you to listen to this year! That’s the dream anyway. Other dreams include playing a classic literary heroine (@ Jane Austen 👀), a femme Indiana Jones, the lead in a romcom, anyone in the next great Asian American piece, and continuing my journey with Dillon & Caps’ beloved queer folk Emily Dickinson musical Show Me Eternity as Love, but on a much bigger stage for more people to see! 

In the meantime, allow me to leave you with some of my absolute favorite roles (and some accompanying lore) that I’ve played in the past. May this list grow every year: 

• Mrs. Gibbs in Our Town (Montclair State University Theatre Night Awards Winner for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama and Outstanding Live Music–I was the Music Director too!)

• Éponine in Les Misérables (I cried when I got the call–hello, dream role)

• Sally Bowles in Cabaret (my first time really leading a show, which was crazy because I never even thought of Sally as a role I could/would play) 

• Ruby Gillis in Anne of Green Gables (for my friends’ theatre company’s COVID-safe audio production. I also scored the entire series on my old guitar that I got from my high school choir director, which I played & recorded in the upstairs bathroom of my family home)

• Viola in Magical Thinking (my first and only summerstock gig to date–a world premiere and the lead, no less! I left the stage all of twice and was only absent from one scene. And bats joined us onstage for one scene, too!)

• Empress Bing in Gan De and the Stardust Amulet (I love my heroes, but being a villain is so very fun–especially when kids are in the audience 😈)

• Charley in let's talk about anything else (a funny and thriller-y exploration of grief and what happens when it doesn't have a proper outlet, I LOVE playing this character! Grief and I have been walking through this life together for quite some time, and getting the chance to channel that into a role & show is an honor I am ever grateful for)