About
Most widely known for her impactful presence in the Broadway documentary, EVERY LITTLE STEP, this award winning triple threat performer has worked professionally since the age of nine. Born to the theatre family of Italian prima ballerina Anna Aragno and 2021 Kennedy Center Honoree Puerto Rican Opera singer Justino Diaz, Natascia grew up in New York City, beginning her training at The School Of American Ballet, going on to receive a BFA with Honors from Carnegie Mellon University. After dancing the role of Anita with the New York City Ballet for their ‘West Side Story Suites’ helmed by Jerome Robbins, she became the last Anita ever to have been hand picked by both Jerome Robbins himself and librettist Aurthur Laurents to perform the role in the subsequent National tour of WEST SIDE STORY. Her breakout performance as Anita garnered Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Award and St. Louis's Kevin Klein Award, and was met with critical acclaim across the country and internationally with headline reviews; "Diaz Shines In Soaring 'Story'" (Denver Post), "Show-Stealer Keeps Things Fresh in old 'Story' (Boston Tab), and ''Anita Makes A Star Out Of Diaz" (Boston Globe). Her Broadway credits include the original Broadway companies and cast albums of Paul Simon’s THE CAPEMAN (Yolanda), SEUSSICAL (Bird Girl), and the 2004 revival of MAN OF LA MANCHA (Antonia), in which she also understudied the role of Aldonza, performing the role opposite Brian Stokes Mitchell. Off-Broadway credits include the role of Susan in the original run of tick, tick...BOOM! opposite New Kid On The Block Joey McIntyre, the original cast of Sondheim’s SATURDAY NIGHT, Esmeralda Agron the the Public Theatre's remount of THE CAPEMAN directed by Diane Paulus, JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS (Helen Hayes Award, 2014), and Rafaela in the NY City Center Encores! production of GRAND HOTEL. Her path in Washington DC theatre first began in the storied Sondheim Festival playing Petra in Sondheim's A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, and was later offered the titular role in KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN at Signature Theatre. At the 2009 Helen Hayes Awards, for her transformation into Scottish punk-rocker Monica P. Miller in the two-hander musical ROOMS at MetroStage, she cemented her presence in the D.C. theater community by winning her first Helen Hayes Award for Best Actress in A Musical in a tie with theatre legend, Chita Rivera. Her second Helen Hayes Award for Best Actress in A Musical came for her performance in MetroStage's production of JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS, and in 2018, performing in Signature Theatre's production of Sondheim's PASSION, she took home her third Helen Hayes Award for her "obsessively watchable and gorgeously sung" (Washington Post) in a "career-defining performance" (BroadwayWorld) as Fosca. Other favorite roles include Jenny in THE THREEPENNY OPERA , which captured the headline of The Washington Post review; “At Signature, 'Threepenny Opera' s heart beats strongest with Natascia Diaz’s Jenny on stage”, Mariana in MEASURE FOR MEASURE, Savage in SAVAGE IN LIMBO, and originating the role of Betty #3 in the world premiere of COLLECTIVE RAGE by Jen Silverman at Woolly Mammoth Theatre. Her television credits include Oz, Law & Order, SVU, The Jury, Nurse Jackie, Damages. She can be seen in her recurring role on FBI (CBS) as Detective Cantrell.
Photos by Justin Patterson
Awards & Nominations
2022 St. Louis Theatre Circle Award WINNER, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL for Gloria Fajardo in ON YOUR FEET (The Muny, St. Louis)
2019 Helen Hayes Award WINNER, OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL for Fosca in PASSION
2017 Helen Hayes Award Nomination, OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL for Anita in WEST SIDE STORY
2013 Helen Hayes Award WINNER, OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL for Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well and Living In Paris
2015 Helen Hayes Nomination, OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL for Jenny in THREEPENNY OPERA
2009 Helen Hayes Award WINNER, OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL, (in a tie with Chita Rivera) as Monica P. Miller in ROOMS
2013 Suzie Bass Award Nomination, for Inez in ZORRO (Alliance Theatre, Atlanta)
2012 St. Louis Theatre Critics Nomination, for Velma in CHICAGO (The Muny, St. Louis)
2006 St. Louis Kevin Klein Award WINNER, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL, for Anita in WEST SIDE STORY (The Muny, St. Louis)
2006 Ovation Award Nomination BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL, for Susan in TICK TICK BOOM! (Los Angeles)
1996 Joseph Jefferson Award WINNER, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL, for Anita in WEST SIDE STORY, International Tour (Chicago)
Teaching
Natascia is a seasoned teacher, offering acting training through scene and song as well as dance. She has experience working one-on-one and in class settings. Her students and mentees are represented on Broadway, on tour, on TV, in films, and every space in between. She welcomes you to get in touch with her below to begin exploring your training with her.
Student Testimonials
JONATHAN “JOJO” FLEITES, PRIVATE STUDENT, “THE WINCHESTERS” SERIES REGULAR “Working with Natascia has been one of the most transformative experiences of my artistic life. As both a mentor and acting teacher, she has a rare gift…not just for guiding performance, but for helping you rediscover your truth as an artist and human being. Her approach is equal parts rigorous and nurturing. She doesn’t just teach technique; she teaches courage, honesty, and presence. Every note, every exercise, every conversation is laced with care and clarity. Natascia sees you , not just who you are, but who you could be and she challenges you to rise to that potential with integrity and heart. I’ve grown more under her guidance than I ever imagined possible. I carry her lessons with me in every room I walk into. If you’re lucky enough to work with her, take it. Your craft will thank you for it.” RILEY CRUICKSHANK, STUDENT AT ACTOR CENTER, DC "My monologue session with Natascia was a workout! Natascia helped me strip down the monologue to its core elements and then layer the complexities back in. With an emphasis on the psyche of the character, the tools she gave me helped me with my problem of overthinking while acting. I've been able to carry over her strategy to another monologue I'm working on, and it's already making a world of difference. And she is a passionate teacher. I highly recommend working with Natascia!" MEL, STUDENT AT ACTOR CENTER, DC "As it is something she directed us on how to get as much out of class by watching others work as when it's our turn to present, I ended up learning sooo much just watching others work! I actually arranged for a private coaching lesson with Natascia the following day and I found it every bit worth the money. Honestly, of various classes and teachers, she is brilliant and has so much to offer others won’t in training. I would make certain she continues to be on the Center’s line up of coaches. She was just wonderful, both in technique and in spirit. She was a gem to find!!" SEAN BALICK, STUDENT AT YOUTH FILM ACADEMY "I had the privilege of working with Natascia for six years, and I could not be more grateful. I first started working with her at The Youth FIlm Academy. I had two other teachers in the program, but they were incomparable to Natascia’s skill, attention and dedication. She worked us children tirelessly on short monologues until we were able to reach our fullest potential. Natascia opened up my mind to a new world in theatre that I had never known. After the program was over, Natascia made sure to maintain contact with me, even attending some shows that I didn't even ask her to attend. All the while she would send me links to auditions for professional theatres, other programs and even a job opportunity. Then the time came that I was looking at colleges, and Natascia took the time out of her busy schedule to discuss with my Mother and me going into great detail about what colleges she thought may fit me well. I was overwhelmed by the amount of information and attention she gave me and I am so grateful she was there to help me through such a confusing time. Both as a teacher and performer, I do not know of anyone better than Natascia Diaz. I am eternally grateful to have been blessed with such an amazingly caring and passionate mentor." MARK A STUTZ, DIRECTOR OF VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS, ALLENTOWN, PA "I have had the privilege to know Natascia Diaz for almost 10 years and have seen first hand what it meant to my students to have her run a Master Class for musical theater. For the students who were lucky enough to work with her, it was a truly special moment in their education and growth as young performers. Many of them are currently pursuing their artistic dreams and when I speak with them they almost always mention the time they spent with Natascia. Her talents are undeniable. What really sets her apart from some of the other instructors we have had is the way she connects with the students. No matter how large the group, each student felt like they had just been given a private lesson with Natascia. Her ability to work with an individual while still remaining connected to the group as a whole is an incomparable talent she brings to the process. Each year I bring in new professionals and there are ones that, if they are available, we repeat as much as possible. Natascia is on the top of our list. Each new group of students who have heard about her Master Classes are anxious to meet her and learn from her. As an administrator, it is no secret that having any experienced professional teach for you is not the same as having a professional who can connect and communicate with students at the level she does. You will be more than pleased with your decision to bring Natascia on board." ANONYMOUS MASTERCLASS STUDENT "Hi! I just wanted to say thank you. Seriously. I’ve been acting for like 8 years and it’s been my favorite thing in the world for so long and I’ve never felt so impacted in my life. I’ve had amazing teachers but I feel like I see things so much differently now. I was working on a monologue and I was listening to songs and the way my mind was processing was so much different. Thank you for pushing me, thank you for your time, and for really genuinely caring about us and about our ability, and for creating a space for us to just let go and really just go for it. It would be easy for someone to just look down because we’re younger or in college and just say eh that’s good enough for them. But you pushed us and made us think outside of what we’re all used too, and I can’t tell you how much the means to me and how much it’s affected me. So thank you again, you really have changed everything." BRIAN SELCIK, STUDENT AT METROPOLITAN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS “Natascia is the perfect teacher. She is able to communicate her thoughts and ideas in an understandable, yet efficient way. Her passion for the arts and helping students is undeniable, as she is one of the most present teachers I have ever worked with. Natascia was able to help me strip away any confidence issues I had with my performance so that I could work on the material effectively. She rebuilt my confidence because I was able to look at my material from a new perspective that felt natural to me. It’s clear that she wants the next generation of performers to be as strong as the legends that came before us, as her commitment to each student is undeniable.”
