Malgorzata Jasiniak: Mastering Every Corner of the Theater
Coming to New York City as an international artist is a "leap of faith" that requires a relentless drive to learn and adapt. In this interview, we sit down with Małgorzata Jasiniak, also known as Gosia, an actor, writer and producer originally from Poland who came to New York, as so many do, to pursue their dream of becoming an artist. They share their experiences navigating a second language. We dive into the complexities of producing and starring in their own debut play, the heartwarming tradition of creating art back home in Poland, and the beautiful, experimental future they are building in New York.
Did you always know you wanted to become an artist?
Yes! I’ve been in music school since I was six years old, originally wanting to be a musician. I play both violin and piano, but I eventually pivoted to theatre and musical theatre. By the time I was a teenager, it became clear that this was what I wanted to do.
Taking a leap of faith, I moved to New York—a huge risk since I didn't know anyone in the theatre scene, only a few musicians. I didn’t know if it was possible to become an actor while still learning the language, but I got accepted to two colleges, chose AMDA, and started working as an actor right after.
Beyond your work in dancing, singing, and acting, do you pursue any other creative careers?
I’ve learned so much from working as an actor in New York. Making theatre doesn’t only include acting. I’ve learned so many theatrical trades working with sound, lights, videography, stage managing and much more. Now I have a lot of tech related gigs. It’s all about being creative and diligent and doing your work the best that you can.
Not long ago I was in a staged developmental reading of a new comedy play that is supposed to be a TV show, but we did a theatrical performance of it. It’s called “Beets” written by Klaudia Karp, the daughter of Polish immigrants. She’s writing about the life of Polish and Ukrainian immigrants in New York. It 's very funny.
How was it like to produce your own play AND perform as a lead?
It all began while I was still in school. I started writing and took it on as a personal challenge; it took a few months to finish, but I did it. The story is loosely based on my own experience with a friend—a coming-of-age tale about two friends drifting apart due to poor communication skills. I did a development table reading with a couple people still in The New School and the following year I decided to produce it. I wanted to see if it had any potential and I ended up doing staged readings in front of an audience and a full production in the New York Theatre Festival. At first I wasn’t going to perform in it, I was just working as a producer/assistant director, but then I decided I wanted to act in it too. I learned so much through that process.
Do you also have any projects back at home?
Every time I go home I produce and direct concerts with a couple of collaborators I have. We usually put them on around Christmas time. It’s more music orientated, but with a little bit of acting and singing. We have some very well known musicians working with us. Thankfully we've had a lot of success with it.
Do you have any dream projects that you would like to bring to life?
I would love to stay in New York and work as a full time performer. I’m hoping to work with The Super Geographics, an international ensemble of artists making theatre in New York. I love their way of producing shows, very collaborative and authentic. They do beautiful work. I would also love to keep working and performing with Chasing Dreams, I’ve been with them since the beginning.
Speaking about Chasing Dreams, what do you like about being a part of it?
New York offers so much versatility and is home to so many incredible international performers from all over the world. It is such an enriching experience to work among them. This community serves as a platform for visibility, especially since we have to work so hard just to be here. It’s a space where we can truly show ourselves, connect with one another, and focus on making valuable art.
What dreams are you chasing next?
Lately I’ve been going over all my trajectory and everything I did here and in Poland and it’s very heartwarming to know I’ve been doing this since I was a teenager nonstop. I want to be a full-time actor, and make a living out of it. I have been taking a lot of classes and I love connecting with other artists from other techniques and levels. I love learning from them. I would love to be in an experimental musical theatre production. I want to move audiences with my work.
