In 2020, I celebrated ten years of building a career in acting and comedy, while being a mother on the side (on the side?! Lol!). Pursuing a career in the performing arts requires a lot of determination, but let me tell you, things definitely get 1000 times harder when you add parenting to the mix. Nevertheless, I managed to raise an awesome human being without having economic stability or family nearby, while making a name for myself in showbiz.
I’m a Dominican-Puerto Rican bilingual actress/comedian, who started her journey in the performing arts as a dancer.
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and moved to NYC with nothing but a dream, a lot of determination, and the work ethic my early mentors taught me. When I made the transition to pursuing acting, the journey was filled with a lot of ups and downs, many doors were knocked, and the rejections were plenty. I was navigating uncharted ground, with English as my second language, and without the prestige of having a BFA or MFA, at a time where the concept of “representation” had not even been born. But I continued to reinvent myself, to study and develop new skills to strengthen my creative arsenal.
Right before the pandemic hit, I had just started to see the “light” at the end of the showbiz tunnel. Casting Directors were calling me in for Series Regular roles, I was getting a lot of callbacks (including one for the In The Heights movie!), and I had booked my first National commercial…but then, the Universal timeout happened, aka the Covid pandemic…sigh.
The phone stopped ringing, all productions were shut down, my commercial was taken off the air within a month of airing, the comedy theatres closed, and the community and career I had built throughout a whole decade suddenly vanished. Did I cry or sneak into the kitchen in the middle of the night to eat non-dairy Ben and Jerry’s?! You bet! But I also took that opportunity to focus on my mental, spiritual and physical health, as well as spending quality time with my family.
I was finally home, fully present with my son, my husband, and my dog without having to run to an audition, tape an audition, take a class, go to work, and then run to do a comedy show…That special “one on one” time with my family helped me realize that there’s no need to run ourselves into the ground. That sometimes we are so focused on “making it” that we lose track of the blessings we already have, and how far we’ve come. That the myth of “you only have a certain window to make it”, or “time is running out”, especially when you are a woman of color of a certain age, is just that, a MYTH! Creativity has no limits! There’s no deadline on storytelling!
After surviving Covid (and long Covid, ugh!), the union strikes, and several stressful national and international events, my calling, dream, and passion for theatre and acting was still very much alive.
So in 2024, I decided to give myself another chance to take my skills to the highest potential, and applied for the Atlantic Summer Intensive program. I was looking forward to putting myself back in the student seat and unlocking the next level. As someone who had not had access to the kind of prestigious, in-depth, and well-rounded training that the Atlantic Acting School offers, I was so happy and grateful for this opportunity. I got to go back to school in my mid 40s!!
Practical Aesthetics was THE perfect technique to get my creative juices back and flowing. It validated the storyteller in me, and provided a new way for me to connect with my instrument, and the plays and characters I’ve always dreamed of studying in a deeper way. The level of artistry and excellence of every teacher at the Atlantic Acting School was so inspiring!
This six week Summer Intensive Program is absolutely the perfect way for a seasoned actor looking to upgrade their toolbox, as well as for the young and aspiring actors alike. I was not only able to brush up my skills AND learn new skills but I also got to build a new community, connecting with like minded people, and feeling young and inspired again! It is indeed a VERY demanding program as we had to read many plays, pick our own scenes and scene partners, and rehearse after taking classes all day! Honestly, I still can’t believe my “elderly” body and brain were able to handle such INTENSIVE work, lol. But we did it!!! The teachers pushed me to dig deeper than I’ve ever had, and most importantly, they helped me gain the confidence I needed to step into larger than life characters that I would’ve not even been considered to play twenty years ago.
I’m forever grateful to the Atlantic Acting School and the Summer Intensive 2025! THANK YOU to all the amazing teachers, the hard working staff, and my beautiful classmates for helping me LEVEL UP. The little Caribbean girl inside me is very proud! Keep going, y’all!!
“Dreams can be delayed but not denied!”
Suni Reyes
Suni Reyes (She/Her) is a bilingual, award winning artist who has made guest appearances on HBO Max’s “Gordita Chronicles”, Comedy Central’s “Nora From Queens”, Billions, and Seven Seconds, among others. She is featured in the new Kevin James movie “Guns Up” written and directed by Edward Drake, and in the award winning short film “Don’t Wait Up for Me” by Alain Alfaro. Suni was also part of the stellar cast of the satirical horror movie “American Carnage”, starring Jorge Lendeborg Jr. and Jenna Ortega. She is also a gifted comedian with over a decade of experience performing improv, sketch, and stand up comedy throughout New York City while raising a child with no money or family near! Suni started her career in the performing arts as a dancer in Puerto Rico, and has been pursuing her multifaceted artistic dreams in the states for the past two decades. She is really looking forward to giving her son, husband, and entire family in the Caribbean a shout out during an award acceptance speech while the music plays her off!
She was part of Atlantic’s Summer Intensive.
Instagram: @suni_rayos_
Summer Intensive
Our Summer programs present students with the opportunity to gain a working and rigorous understanding of the Atlantic Technique, Practical Aesthetics, and to immerse themselves in a life-long community of dedicated actors.
Summer alumni have gone on to robust and prolific careers in theater, TV, and film. They include Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids), Charmaine Bingwa (“The Good Fight”), Anna Chlumsky (“Veep”), Zach Woods (“Silicon Valley”), and more!