Ayssette Muñoz (she/ella) is a Mexican-American actress, director, and educator from the Rio Grande Valley based in Chicago, IL. Co-Director of Youth and Outreach at Teatro Vista. Passionate Teaching Artist at Steppenwolf Theatre.
Muñoz is an established ensemble member at Teatro Vista, Chicago’s leading Equity Latine theatre company. Named one of Chicago Tribune’s “Top 10 Hot New Faces of Chicago Theatre” in 2015, Muñoz has garnered praise and recognition from critics and artists alike for her acting and directorial work. She was nominated for “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play” at the ALTA (The Alliance of Latinx Theatre Artists) Awards in 2019 and was Associate Director for Teatro Vista’s Somewhere Over the Border — winner of Best Ensemble, Best Director, and Best Production of a Musical (Midsize) at the Jeff Awards in 2022.
Theatre
(Select)
Chicago
Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Teatro Vista, A Red Orchid Theatre, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Definition Theatre, Teatro Luna
Regional
Children’s Theatre Company, Literature to Life NYC, Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival
Training, Skills,
& Honors
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CHICAGO
The Casting Process — Adam Belcore, Goodman Theatre
Black Box Acting: Nailing the Digital Submission — Bailey Hayman, DDO Agency
Stage Combat (Rapier) — Matt Hawkins, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Folio I — Larry Yando, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
EDUCATION
BFA Acting — Oklahoma City University
Stage Combat (Rapier & Unarmed) — Kevin Asselin, OCU
Voice & Dialects — Sarah D'Angelo, OCU
Linklater technique — Ben Corbett, OCU
AFA Musical Theatre — Lon Morris College -
Spanish, Tennis, HIIT, Yoga, Mezzo Soprano (C#4 to G5), Guitar, Stage Combat, Passport, Drivers License
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Ensemble Member (2017-Present) — Teatro Vista
Associate Director for Teatro Vista’s Somewhere Over The Border, winner of Best Ensemble, Best Director, and Best Production of a Musical (Midsize) — Jeff Awards, 2022
“Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play” Nominee — ALTA Awards, 2019
“Top 10 Hot New Faces of Chicago Theatre” — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 2015
¡BERNADA! | TEATRO VISTA
"I also found highly compelling the performance of Ayssette Muñoz as Martirio. In Muñoz’s Martirio we see a swirl of confusing emotions, making her the most relatable of the lot."
— Steven Oxman, Chicago Sun Times
HOPE: PART II OF A MEXICAN TRILOGY | TEATRO VISTA
“A standout performance by Ayssette Muñoz as the cantankerous youngest daughter, Gina. She carried the bulk of the vocal performance and showcased the most dramatic character growth.”
— Sophie Vitello, Chicago Theatre Review
Ah, Wilderness!
Goodman Theatre
“Excellent performances are turned in by the superb actors in supporting roles, leaving a memorably strong impression through often just a single appearance. Ayssette Muñoz is excellent as Richard’s beloved Muriel.”
— Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
I COME FROM ARIZONA | CHILDREN’S THEATRE COMPANY
“It falls upon Ayssette Muñoz to carry the show as Gabi, and she’s terrific, deftly capturing not only her emotionally overwhelmed side, but also the maturity she must call upon to confront her difficulties.”
— Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities
A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE | TEATRO VISTA
“Ayssette Munoz, makes for a very warm-centered Catherine, a young and needy woman who ( . . . ) shows some teeth where she must. This is the first time Munoz’s name has appeared in this newspaper; it won’t, I think, be the last.”
— Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
Film/Tv
SAG-AFTRA
Film
North of the 10, BET+ Original Movie; En Algún Lugar (Best Foreign Film, London Independent Film Awards; Best LGBTQ Feature, Oniros Film Awards®; Best Narrative Feature, Geneva Film Festival), Iconoclast Films;
TV
The Bear (ep. 401), FX; Chicago PD (ep. 303), NBC;
FILM/TV REEL
Clips from BET+ Original Movie North of the 10, NBC’s Chicago PD (ep.303), Edelson Creative’s The Real World: Chicago (a parody), and television pitch Anchor Baby.
CULVER’S COMMERCIAL
Commercial created for Culver’s Restaurant, an American fast-casual restaurant chain located in 26 states across the Midwest.
IL LOTTERY COMMERCIAL
Christmas commercial created for Illinois Lottery’s holiday marketing campaign. Aired for Spanish-language broadcasts.
ACE HARDWARE INDUSTRIAL
Industrial created for Ace Hardware’s Careers webpage. Ace Hardware’s website pulls in roughly 21.3 M views per month on average.
*ADDITIONAL CONFLICTS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
MEDIA
Web | Social Media | Podcast
The Fifth World (Narrative Podcast), DETECTIVE Q (Animated Graphic Novel), Teatro Vista; Corazones, Definition Theatre; Dog Night, Rabid Dog Theatre
THE FIFTH WORLD | TEATRO VISTA
Excerpt from The Fifth World, a story-driven podcast about a writer’s daring attempt to produce a true crime story about a missing child in the small desert town of Palomas, Arizona.
DETECTIVE Q | TEATRO VISTA
Episode 9 of DETECTIVE Q, a fast-action, funny, genre-defying, animated graphic novel about the misadventures of an urban, animated private eye. Produced by Teatro Vista.
Corazones
Definition Theatre
Rooted in the heart of Chicago, Corazones follows a group of six young women navigating the beautiful, wild, colorful, painful world that envelops them. This story brings to life the narratives of community members of the Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods of Chicago and is an intersectional piece that examines the relationship between Latinidad, class issues, girlhood, queerness, and mental health with compassion, warmth, and humor.
