Parodia Penha discovers passion for directing

When Luiza Parodia Penha transferred to the University of North Georgia (UNG), she was fairly certain she wanted to have a career in acting. Her experience in the Gainesville Theatre Alliance (GTA) and UNG's School of Communication, Film & Theatre has opened unexpected doors for Parodia Penha.

Four years after enrolling at UNG, Parodia Penha is taking aim at a career in directing and producing. She is earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre arts this month.

"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."

Pierce said Parodia Penha's approach makes her an easy collaborator for other students and faculty members.

"She's a joy to be around. She exudes light, levity and joy," Pierce said. "She makes the ensemble she's a part of that much better. You couldn't ask much more from a collaborator than that."

Amber McGinnis, assistant professor of film and digital media, taught Parodia Penha in an introductory production class required for all students degrees in pursuing theatre arts or film and digital media. She noticed at that early stage the student's curiosity and willingness to ask questions. Parodia Penha served as first assistant director on the midterm short film project in that course.

"She was so organized and stood out as a remarkable leader," McGinnis said. "She went above and beyond the requirements of the class."

Parodia Penha also took pre-production and directing for the camera courses with McGinnis. In fall 2025, the senior wrote and directed her first film in the directing course. McGinnis is grateful her courses helped Parodia Penha see some of the possibilities in directing.

"Life is long. It's good to expose ourselves to a lot of things," McGinnis said. "That's part of their education here as students."