ABOUT
M.A.
Michael-Anthony Souza wears many hats, both literally and figuratively. He is a performer, director and writer from Albany, NY who moved to New York City at the age of 18 and now proudly resides in Harlem with his fiancée, Ruben. Michael-Anthony studied acting at The Atlantic Theatre Acting School and musical theatre at CAP21. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama from New York University/Tisch School of the Arts, he went on to act abroad at the Old Vic in London and perform around the world as a lead vocalist with Royal Caribbean. Along with touring the country with TheatreWorksUSA, Michael-Anthony has performed works with FringeNYC (Standby: The Musical), The Movement Theatre Company (And She Would Stand Like This), The Atlantic Theatre Company (Books Cook) and Westchester Broadway Theatre (Sister Act). He’s had the honor of working with and learning from the likes of Liz Swados, Kent Gash, and Stafford Arima to note a few.
Along with performing, Michael-Anthony became a teaching artist with the NiteStar Program in 2012 and then went on to direct full musicals at CK Kids American Dance and Drama Camp for eight years. In 2017, he joined Toes for Dance in Canada as a teaching artist, showcasing and guiding works in process. In 2019, he was the associate director for T. Adamson’s The Straights at JACK Theatre in Brooklyn, NY and during the pandemic he joined the writing team at The After Image Theatre Company. In Spring 2021, Michael-Anthony signed on as 1st AD for Not Looking: The Series and that fall he assistant directed Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors with The Boomerang Theatre Company.
“Creativity is the tool we use to make a better world.”
Most recently, Michael-Anthony directed a new Disney musical revue by Sandy Rustin and is gearing up to direct and choreograph his fourth production at Brooklyn Children’s Theatre. This fall, he will be leading a class in photography with the Imogen Foundation as well as directing a production of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown at The Gateway School.
Michael-Anthony continues to write and problem solve through all his endeavors. He will always continue to nurture the creativity of the youth and prioritizes telling stories that explore the full human experience. His willingness to question the mold and find newer effective ways of storytelling is a quality that leads him to the most inspiring projects.
“Life is not only lived, it is also made.”
Michael-Anthony believes art should be specific but inclusive and is dedicated to expanding our world view of love, acceptance, and belief, while trying to organize the chaos that surrounds us.
Photographed by Lauren Steury