“West Side Story”s Ilda Mason On Upcoming Movie, Meeting Steven Spielberg, And Latin Culture

This incredible theater actress is about to hit the big screen!

Ilda Mason is one of the most loved theatre performers in New York City. She has been in performances of everything from Cinderella to Legally Blonde. And now, she’s starring as “Luz” in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming film “West Side Story”!

We had the wonderful opportunity of talking with Ilda on her theatre journey, the audition process, and how she’s celebrating her release.

Q: You initially grew up in Panama, what made you want to get into acting, singing, dancing?

I: “Grease was my first ever musical theatre experience while I was in Highschool, and I absolutely fell in love with performing. Since then, I knew I was going to go abroad to pursue this career. Even if I didn’t know exactly how, I just knew It was what my heart longed for. I even studied (and graduated from) Structural Architecture, which I studied as a “Plan B” so I had a job while I was between acting gigs. Now I know there’s no plan B. This is IT.”

Q: Which one did you start first, acting, dancing, or singing?

I: “I started dancing first! It was until I moved to the US that I got to study Musical Theatre and Acting for Film and started working on my singing, which was a whole discovery.

Q: What was your first performance on stage, on what was it like?

I: “A friend of my mom’s how was a seasoned actress in Panamá needed a teenage girl for a play she was in, and I got cast in it. I had a very small part as the rebellious daughter, but it was absolutely thrilling. I got to share the stage with seasoned Panamanian actors, and I loved absorbing every moment of it. I slept through many classes in school because I had no time off, but the joy of being on stage made it all worth it. I love that I still have the same feeling. No matter how tired I may be from working, it is so gratifying, because you know you are doing what you love.”

Q: You’ve starred in many productions of West Side Story, what was your reaction when you got the call that you book the remake of the film? 

I: “I had waited SIX months since the final callback happened, and it felt as If my heart couldn’t take it any longer, and then I got the call. I so desperately wanted to be able to tell this story as someone who is Latinx and to be a part of this. Honestly there weren’t enough words, tears or jumps to celebrate just how much it meant that I was chosen to do it. I called my parents, my friends and everyone who had been anxiously waiting to hear back and it was the best gift to be able to share it with them.”

Q: What was the audition process like for the film? Did you get to personally meet Mr. Spielberg? Was the audition like how you auditioned for stage plays?

I: “This was the longest audition process I had ever experienced. I first sent a self-tape in February 2018 (!) to their open casting call. I was in Panamá visiting my parents and it was pretty cool to have had them see how it all began. From there I got a call back, then an in-person callback and then months later it was time for their dance calls. By then I was working on the Broadway national tour of On Your Feet (the Emilio and Gloria Estefan show) so it was a whole ordeal to get permission to travel and miss a show to go audition. It is crazy the number of hoops artists sometimes must go through just for the chance to audition! (don’t even get me started on the journey that was getting my green card). I’ll never forget that final callback email: “Steven Spielberg loved your audition and would like to bring you back in to work directly with him…”. My heart STOPPED.

I even thought the email must have been a scam or something. At that callback, we were greeted by the whole team while a man filmed us coming in. After we got settled in, I realized that was him. I got to sing and read a scene for him and the team and he complimented my singing (of all the things! WHAT IS LIFE?!). That final callback was an absolute dream. Just being in that room felt like I had won the lottery. It took a year and two months from the moment I sent my first self-tape until I got the call. The whole process felt very much like auditioning for stage musicals, except for the part where I got to shake Steven Spielberg’s hand and I actually pointed out how this never happened at auditions in musical theatre.”

Q: How was the whole filming process? How long did you guys rehearse before you actually started filming? 

I: “The whole process was the most perfect experience ever. We were spoiled with just how wonderful it all was. It was a literal dream come true to go to rehearsals, dance the whole day, learn Justin Peck’s stunning choreography, sing with Janine Tesori and get musical notes from maestro Gustavo Dudamel; work on our Puerto Rican accents for Tony Kushner’s script and block scenes with Steven Spielberg with his iphone as we practiced scened and angles. We rehearsed for two months approximately before we started shooting that whole summer.”

Q: What was your favorite scene to film? 

I: “I think America was my favorite scene to film because it involved a bit of everything. We had sections in which it was just Anita, Rosalia and I, sections in which we confront the shark men and incredible dance sequences through the streets of New York. It was so unbelievably thrilling to finally be dancing what we had rehearsed so much and at the same time, the pressure was on, because not only did we not know how many takes we would shoot (or which one would end up being chosen), whatever we did on that day, would be on film forever. That is something I had never experienced in theatre. It was wild.”

Q: What was it like working with such a diverse cast?

I: “It was such a gift to work with so many people from all over. West Side Story has been like home for me in the US, because Ive gotten to meet so many people from Latin America (or with a Latinx background) and having that shared culture with someone who may not have grown up in the same place as you, but has lived, eaten, and learned pretty much the same things as you, is very special. All the while, you are meeting and learning from people with completely different backgrounds. It was a true gift.”

Q: This film really celebrates the latino culture, and as a performer born in Panama, what has this film meant to you? 

I: “This film means so much to me. It has showed me that dreams really do come true. I daydreamed about working with Steven Spielberg and here I am! It also serves as example to people in Panamá who want to pursue this, that is it possible. It is a huge deal not just for me, but for the people of where I come from. This film, as a Latina, has given us a voice. I’m so thankful for Tony Kushner and for his inclusive and expansive script, which brings more depth and heart to characters that didn’t have much of a voice in the original version. I’m very excited (understatement) to see the film and I hope that all the love so many of us have put into making it, will resonate with people everywhere in the world. At the end of the day, West Side Story is a love story that speaks about the consequences of hatred and discrimination. We need a more inclusive and empathetic world.”

Q: How will you be celebrating seeing yourself on the big screen?

I: “My parents will be flying from Panamá to New York to come see the movie with me in the movie theatre. I’m sure we’ll watch it many times. Having them here to share this moment is a celebration on itself because of everything they’ve done and sacrificed for me to be here today. It has taken many people to believe in me for me to be here. It has been quite the journey and I’m so hungry for more. Like I said, it is a gift to be able to do what you love.”

Catch Ilda in “West Side Story”, in theatres on December 10th!