Finding Solace in the Spotlight

Creative Connections Intern Lux Samantha Mendez and her passion for teaching

By Gamy Cortes

At UC Irvine’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts (UCI Arts), the office of Access & Engagement connects students and local artists in ways that open doors into the professional world, promoting the creative sector of Orange County.

Two programs are at the core of this endeavor. Arts Launch pairs UCI Arts students with Orange County arts organizations, offering paid, year-long internships that build hands-on management skills and career pathways. Creative Connections sends teaching artist interns into K-12 classrooms, where they collaborate with educators to bring art, dance, drama and music to students who may not have had those resources otherwise.

Together, these programs are cultivating the next generation of creative leaders while making the arts more accessible, inclusive and alive.

Building for Future Artists

Perceived as a “dramatic kid,” Department of Drama major, Lux Samantha Mendez ’29 found solace on stage. There, she could channel her high expressions into explosive, dynamic, even unconventional character roles, such as Romeo in her middle school’s production of Romeo and Juliet.

“Performing in my middle school’s production of Romeo and Juliet really solidified my desire to act,” said Mendez.

Now Mendez is a teaching artist in the Creative Connections program at Estancia High School, hoping to build the world she wishes had existed for her.

“In a theatrical world so in need of representation,” said Mendez, “I strive to make it more accessible for actors and actresses who look like me. Especially ones that I help teach!”

Besides representation and accessibility, Mendez also looks to translate the workable knowledge she learned in her own drama classes. One approach she learned, giving credit to Heriberto Cruz Jr., an M.F.A. candidate in acting, is that acting is interior work before it is anything else. She meditates not in the abstract, but with specific intention, sitting with a character in her mind and asking, “How did they come to the conclusions that they do?”

Mendez wants to understand motivation from within, to trace the logic of a character’s choices until she can feel, not just demonstrate, why they make sense.

A memory where this came to fruition was during a rehearsal for The Girl Who Cannot Be Hurt by Adam Szymkowicz. Co-directing the one-act play alongside Estancia High School’s drama teacher and director, Amber Reyes, Mendez could instinctively feel a scene was not landing. She gave her students a note, then asked them to readjust. She joyfully watched as the scene opened up and clicked into place.

“I think moments like that are incredibly rewarding to watch, not only as a teaching artist but as a fellow actor!” said Mendez.

As an Actor and a Teacher

Being able to see the scene both as someone who directs and someone who performs is another one of Mendez’s particular gifts. She knows what it feels like to receive a note that changes everything. Therefore, she also knows, in her bones, what she is actually offering when she gives one.

Mendez speaks warmly about fellow Creative Connections teaching artist Lala Ukita ’27, a double major in drama and educational sciences, and a minor in Japanese language and literature. Ukita, as an intern mentor, guided Mendez through the early stages of the internship with a welcoming presence that made the unfamiliar feel navigable.

“I was always very happy to see her during our first quarter training meetings,” said Mendez.

What’s Next?

Right now, Mendez’s attention is fixed on the students in front of her. The one-act play they are working on together is nearly ready, and she finds joy in watching her young performers grow in real time.

“I’ve seen them evolve so much and break so many barriers,” said Mendez. “I’m extremely excited to see the finished product.”

Mendez came in as a performer, but thanks to Creative Connections, she is leaving with something new: a serious consideration of teaching artistry as a long-term path.

To learn more about Creative Connections, visit here. To learn more about the Department of Art, visit arts.uci.edu/arts.