Amazing Asians in the Arts: Cinderella Mayo

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Irishrose Cinderella P. Mayo is a performer based in Quezon City with an impressive resume – most notably as a performer for Disney Cruise Line, Mondays in the Club, the National Asian Artist Project - Broadway Chorus, Philippine Education Theatre Association’s Mobile Tour, and Dear Asian Girls: Just Be You! With a BA in Theatre Arts from the University of the Philippines and a Musical Theatre Certificate Course at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York, Mayo loves storytelling through art across all disciplines, and hopes to share the magic of performance with those around her. Mayo also supports the The National Asian Artist Project, a community for Asian-American Artists founded by Baayork Lee, where she performed in the Broadway chorus. Her advice to young artists? “Embrace what comes your way! Take risks!” Read on to learn more about Irishrose Cinderella P. Mayo and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts! 

Name:   Irishrose Cinderella P. Mayo

Heritage:   Filipino

Hometown:   Manila, Philippines

Current City:   Quezon City, Philippines

Current project:   Dear Asian Girls: Just Be You!

 

What are some of your favorite credits/projects:   Performer for Disney Cruise Line, National Asian Artist Project - Broadway Chorus, NAAP Discovery Series, Mondays in the Club, Singapore Arts Fest 2012, Philippine Education Theatre Association’s Mobile Tour.

 

Any advice for young people getting into the arts? 

Embrace what comes your way! Take risks!

 

How did you get your start? 

The urge to keep learning and experiencing new things, and never giving up.

 

Do you have any favorite moments in your career that you'd like to share?

When I quit my job in Singapore to audition for a school in NY. I was feeling so lost and wanting something challenging and something that would spark my fire again. When I got my Artist Visa App rejected I thought it was the end for me, not knowing that in a couple of months of soul searching, I’ll get to where I am now. Crazy!

 

What have you found is the biggest challenge in your career?

One of the biggest challenges I have encountered financially, emotionally, and mentally was getting my Artist Visa application rejected almost twice. I have been trying to come home to the US to perform again, but the odds are not yet in my favor. I’m staying resilient though, things happen for a reason!

 

Do you have any organizations or non profits you work with you’d like to highlight?

The National Asian Artist Project founded by Baayork Lee. It is a great community for Asian-American Artists. I was part of the Broadway chorus when I was in NY and online. I am looking forward to singing with them again.

 

Do you have any mentors?

One of my earliest mentors was my professor at the University of the Philippines. Josefina Estrella. She is an amazing director and I admire her artistry! I aspire to be a director one day, and seeing her works and working with her up-close made me want to direct someday. Some of the AAPI artists I look up to are Ms. Baayork Lee and J. Elaine Marcos. They have built spaces and communities for us to grow, learn, and meet a lot of Asian/ Asian American artists who also are yearning to represent and further extend these communities. They are truly admirable in every sense of the word.

 

Did you always want to be in the arts or did you have another path before you got here? When did you know you wanted to have a career in the arts?

I leaned to the arts all my life. My mom, and my uncle who helped raise me were my biggest arts influencers and supporters. I think they always saw potential in me, they sent me to workshops and voice classes.

 

Is where you are now where you thought you’d be?

It’s been a rollercoaster ride, and I am still on it. New York was just a dream for me, never thought I’d be able to come and study there, and found home instead. Did I see myself working on a ship? No, but I had such a wonderful time working for Disney. I have been auditioning for the company since 2005. I gave up on it until I saw a posting for an audition while I was in another audition in NY.

 

Did you have any interesting “odd jobs” you worked at between gigs to pay the bills?

So, during the pandemic, I became an online matchmaker.

 

Do you have any side projects you’d like to highlight?

I am currently part of Untold Storyteller’s Documentary - Dear Asian Girls: Just Be you.

 

If you come from parents who aren’t in the arts, what parts of them do you see in yourself that have helped you succeed in the business?

My mom’s resilience. She is a strong woman who fought and is still fighting for a better life.

 

If you could go back in time, what would you tell your younger self?

Cinderella, keep going!

 

Where did you study at?

I had my BA in Theatre Arts at the University of the Philippines – Diliman, and Musical Theatre Certificate Course at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NY.

 

What is your greatest accomplishment? What are some goals you hope to achieve?

I still look forward to coming home to NY and working as an artist in the US.

 

What do you love most about what you do?

Being able to tell stories through art, whether it be theatre, music, film, canvas, etc., brings such a spark and magic that I cannot explain. Like when I am feeling like giving up, listening to music or singing a song, heals me. I love what I do because it heals me. I love what I do because of the magical sensation of being vulnerable and expressing it through song, story, or dance, makes me happy. I feel that somehow I radiate. There’s a very tingling sensation that flows through me, and it makes me smile. It makes me happy! I would love to spread that joy, that energy! Every time I do what I love to do, I feel whole.

 

How do you think your creative process has changed over time?

It changed massively. Especially when I moved to different cities/countries, and studied (both in school and in life). Growing up I felt that I was so closed and sheltered. I only associated with things I knew around me. The moment I left my home country, that was when I started figuring my process. Change is the only constant, and my process keeps evolving. I can say, the more I branch out outside, the more I become grounded with my creative process.

 

As a storyteller, how do you pick the stories you want to work on and what goes into putting a story together, whether on stage, page, or film?

I pick ones that are closer to my journey, to my experiences. It is very challenging to tell these stories because it makes me vulnerable. Going through these experiences, I believe, makes me discover new things about me. It is like propagating seeds and transferring them to new pots and growing more experiences and knowledge. That’s what makes the stories I tell new and even more exciting!

 

What inspires you?

The air that I breathe, the sun.

 

If you could name one point in time when everything changed for you, what was it?

The journey of falling in love. I was 28 when I fell in love, and the experience was beautiful. I got to discover parts of me I didn’t know existed. When I fell in love, the stories I told grew, flourished It felt like I was more grounded and my roots dug in deeper, I got to seep through new paths, and I matured and was able to expand my life’s vocabulary.

 

To find out more about Irishrose Cinderella P. Mayo, please visit her at: 

Website:   CinderellaMayo.com 

YouTube:   Irishrose Cinderella Mayo 

Instagram:   @CinderellaMayo