I’m Laiya Parker! I’m a North Carolina native, performer, educator, and makeup artist with a love for storytelling, creativity, and making people feel seen. I graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), where I studied Musical Theatre, and I’ve had the joy of bringing characters like Effie White (Dreamgirls), Sofia (The Color Purple), and Deloris Van Cartier (Sister Act) to life on stage.

 

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved music and performing. Funny enough, my theatre journey actually started by accident when I was placed in an Intro to Acting class my freshman year of high school—and I hated every minute of it! That all changed when I saw my school’s production of Legally Blonde. Watching that show completely transformed the way I saw theatre, and from that moment on, I knew I wanted to be part of creating experiences that made people feel the way I felt that day.

 

When I’m not on stage, you can usually find me teaching, doing makeup, taking pictures of everything and everyone, cooking something with a little Southern flair, rapping Drake lyrics, or spending time with the people I love most. No matter what I’m doing, I strive to bring warmth, joy, and a little bit of Southern charm everywhere I go ;)