Dr. Melisa Pereyra

Biography

Melisa Pereyra is an Argentinian actress, theatre director, writer, and educator. She serves as an Assistant Professor at Northwestern University in the School of Communication, where her expertise lies in Acting, Directing, and the Entertainment Industry. Melisa has a rich background as a regional theatre actor and director, with over fifteen years of experience, and is a core company actor and director with the American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin, having been involved in twenty productions over the past ten years. She made her Broadway debut in 2023, understudying Jessica Chastain in Amy Herzog’s adaptation of A Doll's House, directed by Jamie Lloyd and performed at the Hudson Theatre. In addition to her theatre work, Melisa is a voice-over actor and served as the official voice likeness of Gabriela Castaneda for Halo: Outpost Discovery while working for 343 Industries and Microsoft. She has worked with numerous prestigious theatre companies, including the Illinois Shakespeare Festival and the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. Melisa is committed to embodying the stories of BIPOC artists through diverse languages, imaginations, and communities, and her writings have been published in HowlRound Theatre Commons. Her collaborative works include commissions from Theatre LILA, where she worked on the play LINES.

Research Interests