Soul in Motion: Artist Spotlight

With an easy smile the Dreamer found me in the crowd and handed me his three-word prophecy. I am FEARLESS. I watched him flirt through the crowd, palming his little paper prophecies to his fellow sojourners with an impish wink. Throughout EN BUSCA/IN PURSUIT, the Dreamer, played by Fernando Moya Delgado, asks audiences what our dream is, while at once inviting us on his journey in pursuit of his own dream. Through poetic monologues and intricately articulated movement, the Dreamer paints a stunning picture that fills an audience of artists with renewed determination to chase their dreams.

The unmistakable thumbprint of collaborative theatre is its mingling of visions — so many minds, bodies and perspectives coming together to create something bigger than any of them. In theory. Executed well, each voice is a unique layer in a cornucopia that all serves its story. Done poorly, visions clash, overlap, break apart and ultimately pull you out of the story that they’re trying to invite you into.

The mark of a truly accomplished collaborator and immersive artist is one whose work always bears that unique mark of the performer, but serves each story in a way that enhances the story being told rather than distracting from the telling.

Few places has this reviewer seen an artist who dances along that creative tightrope with such excellence and ease as Fernando Moya Delgado. Completely immersing himself in his role — any role, whether it’s the crazed laboratory assistant or the middle school gym teacher or a faceless dancer clad in green spandex — Moya nevertheless leaves his signature style, charisma and expert physical vocabulary woven into every part and project.

Moya has starred in immersive projects in numerous venues ranging from top-secret Brooklyn bunkers to Lincoln Center, always bringing in his characteristic blend of honesty, talent, movement fluency and joy. Whether he’s embodying Mister X, the eccentric assistant to the elusive Doctor in Nuage Productions’ dreamlike production of NOCTURNES, or guiding celebs through Hermès’ house-party-slash-fashion-show to cap off New York’s Fashion Week, Moya always finds the best niche to tell the story while allowing his unmistakable style to shine through.

He’s been featured prominently in marketing activations for companies like Facebook and Amaro Montenegro, worked alongside choreographers Jeff and Rick Kuperman in their stunning short film RHAPSODY IN GREEN, as well as starring as Mat in Bluelaces Theatre Company’s SUDS at Lincoln Center, a performance directed toward kids with autism and other developmental disabilities.

During the pandemic, as in-person theatre ground to a standstill across the globe, Moya and his collaborators hit the digital ground running under the name ‘You&I’, where Moya has developed and starred in projects such as EN BUSCA/IN PURSUIT and RETURN at The Cell Theatre. When Bluelaces went online, partnering with Lincoln Center for their Passport at Home series, Moya stole hearts as the larger-than-life Coach Fuerza in THE SENSATIONAL SCHOOL. In November 2020, Moya took to the streets in Bated Breath Theatre Company’s VOYEUR: THE WINDOWS OF TOULOUSE-LAUTREC, stopping theatregoers and passersby alike with a gripping speech under the gabled roof of Judson Memorial Church in Washington Square Park.

Since graduating Pace University in 2017, Moya’s work has continued to push him to the front of New York’s crowded immersive theatre scene. With his signature grace, heart and raw talent, his work presses audiences to examine themselves, their stories and the world around them on a deeper and more intimate level. Moya will be starring in People of the Chaotic Period’s HAUS OF DUST at the Losaida Center, an immersive multimedia experience directed by Gabriel Torres. fernandomoyadelgado.com