Theater Wheel transforms everyday spaces into live performance venues.
What if theater traveled to the audience again?
Our visionaries
"I believe in building community in a world that often feels divided. I dream of children growing up seeing the humanity in everyone. I hope to plant seeds of compassion and self-awareness that blossom into a brighter, kinder, and more united future." Marycarmen Portillo.
Marycarmen Portillo
Marycarmen is a Mexican-born, Los Angeles–based multidisciplinary artist, actress, dancer, and producer, and co-founder of Colibri Dreams Productions. She has worked in multiple production roles and performed with theater and dance companies and festivals, both in Mexico and the United States. She has created and performed theater plays, dance solos, and short films, including Mictlan (toured Ventura, Los Angeles, and New York Off-Broadway), Superarit (toured Mexico City), Sin Mi Hogar, and the short film AUDER. Her work has received multiple award nominations, including recognition from the SPLASH Awards, Hollywood Fringe, Broadway World Awards, LABRFF, and LA Holly Films Festival. Her practice centers on bilingual, movement-driven storytelling that amplifies meaningful human experiences, sparks emotional resonance, and inspires reflection and change. Marycarmen continues to thrive across every aspect of the creative process as performer, writer, producer, and choreographer.
Azuay Esteban
Azuay is a bilingual Mexican actress, teaching artist, and producer based in Los Angeles. With formal conservatory training and a Bachelor’s degree in Acting from Escuela Nacional de Arte Teatral (INBA), Mexico City. She brings a strong theatrical foundation and an intercultural perspective to her work on stage.
Her recent credits include Mictlán (Hollywood Fringe Festival, 2024), Todas Somos Luz and Valentina y la sombra del Diablo with TBAC, as well as Los Empeños de la Casa and Too Many Tamales with the BFA. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 2025 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards for her role as the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, directed by Adrián Barrón. In 2025, she directed La Comedia, a clown-based piece selected as a finalist at the Brisk Festival, and A Ciegas, a movement-based work presented at the Short+Sweet Festival.
She is also an advisor to the BFA and co-founder of Colibrí Dreams Productions, where she develops bilingual theater projects that expand access to the performing arts in schools and communities across Southern California.
"As an artist, I've felt I have the responsibility to return a voice to the children and the child that lives within each of us. Because now more than ever, Theater Wheel is urgent." Azuay Esteban
"Instead of waiting for communities to find the theater, we need to bring the stage to them. Let's turn meaningful stories and creative ideas into reality."
Colibri Dreams Productions
Our Community Partners
Leadership. Support. Collaboration.
These institutions are the guardians of our heritage, and thanks to them, we made this program a reality.
.png)
Our creative team
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
Theater Wheel is developed by artists and educators dedicated to expanding access to the performing arts.
Vannia Cardenas
Set & Prop Designer
Vannia is a scenic and costume designer with a strong background in theater, opera, and performance, as well as university-level teaching in the performing arts. She had a Degree in Scenography with honors from Escuela Nacional de Arte Teatral del Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes, and a Master Degree in Scenic Design at the Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Spain.
Alexandro Carbajal
Music Designer
Alexandro is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter from Mexico City who studied piano and transverse flute at INBA schools. He has taken classes with renowned jazz musicians: the American composer Tony Glausi; the Cuban pianist and founder of “The Cuban Jazz Academy”, Dayramir González. He has played on various stages in and outside the city, such as the Indie Rocks Forum, Pepsi Center, and Biblioteca Vasconcelos, among others
Jose Emanuel
Custome Designer
Jose Emanuel holds an Associate of Arts in Fashion Design from Los Angeles Trade Technical College. Costume designer and wardrobe stylist with over seven years of experience in theater, film, and television. A frequent collaborator with the BFA. Their work extends to film and TV, including They Call Us Sedicios, the music video Adiós al COVID, and the series Lente Católico. They also contributed as a design assistant on Dancing with the Stars (Disney Week).
_edited.jpg)
Julieta Ortiz
Mask Designer
Julieta graduated from drama school at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico CUT-UNAM. She is an experienced teacher in theatrical mask usage, and body training for actors. She has participated in many theatre festivals in Mexico, United States, Canada, Central, South America and Europe.
She received the “Best Actress” award in the La Cinema Fe Film Festival of NY, for her lead role in “Dirt” by Nancy Savoca. Some of her film credits include: “Price of the American Dream II,” “The perfect Game,” among others. She has also worked in TV shows such as: “Prime Suspect,” Law & Order,” “Criminal Minds,” among others.
Theater Wheel
Our team brings together professional actors, teaching artists, writers, and cultural producers committed to creating meaningful artistic experiences for young audiences.
Together, we believe that theater belongs everywhere.