Parodia Penha discovers passion for directing

"I've learned so much more about what I want in my career because I've been able to explore so many facets of theatre," she said.

Zechariah Pierce, GTA artistic director, was grateful to see Parodia Penha find her passion.

"She very quickly learned that her interest and her skillset allowed her to have a much wider range than she realized," Pierce said.

The senior served as assistant director for GTA's fall 2025 production of "Junie B. Jones is Not a Crook." She has worked as front-of-house manager on "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" and had acting roles in "Macbeth" and "Into the Woods."

Parodia Penha has also gained experience at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, serving as an intern the summer after her sophomore year, in a full-time role after her junior year and part-time positions during the past two academic years.

She will work this summer as a camp director for Atlanta-based Destination Theatre, a position she learned about from Cory Phelps, who guest-directed "Junie B. Jones" with GTA.

Parodia Penha appreciated the advice she received her first semester at UNG from a professor who said "success is not a finite resource."

"Art is so much more fulfilling when you want the people around you to succeed," she said. "It can be so competitive. It's good to remind yourself that you want to be in a room with the best people, and you want the people around you to succeed. That's how you create art worth making."