LISA HORI-GARCIA

“The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible.” - Toni Cade Bambara

 

Lisa Hori-Garcia is a biracial actor, director, and theater-maker who brings her Japanese American heritage and early childhood in Santiago, Chile, to the stage. Raised with a deep understanding of injustice- her grandparents were incarcerated in U.S. internment camps during WWII- Lisa’s work is rooted in exploring identity, resilience, and social change. Spending her formative early years under the Pinochet dictatorship, she witnessed the effects of political oppression, which sparked her lifelong commitment to activism and storytelling.

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For Lisa, theater isn’t just performance; it’s an act of truth-telling. It’s about holding space for complexity, challenging narratives, and amplifying voices that are often sidelined. She sees theater as a way to speak to people’s hearts and minds at once- with humor, with honesty, and always with the belief that joy can be revolutionary.

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Lisa’s path in theater started long before she even knew it was possible. As a child, she went to a San Francisco Mime Troupe show with her mom and was ready to groan at the idea of silent mimes. But what she witnessed instead was political satire, music, and bold characters which left her wide-eyed, thinking, “I want to be one of them.” That moment stayed with her, and in 2004, it came full circle when she joined the Tony and Obie Award-winning Mime Troupe as a collective member, principal actor, director, and theater maker. Since then, she’s been performing, directing, and creating satirical musical comedies that tackle urgent issues like immigration, inequality, and civil rights, always in the summer and at a park near you (if you live in the Bay Area)!

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Along the way, Lisa’s had the privilege of working with amazing companies like ACT, Magic Theatre, Berkeley Rep’s Ground Floor, TheatreWorks, and Word for Word. But beyond the stage, her heart lies in community-based work. From her first days at New WORLD Theater, where she worked under Roberta Uno to create socially relevant stories, she’s been dedicated to giving voice to those who need it most.

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Offstage, Lisa loves helping young people and non-traditional learners find their own voices through theater. Whether through summer residencies or workshops, she’s passionate about using theater as a tool for empowerment and transformation. She truly believes everyone has a story worth telling, and that when we listen, magic happens.

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When she’s not performing, you’ll find Lisa exploring new corners of the world. Her travels have taken her from the Galápagos Islands to Cuba to Siem Reap. And yes, she’s probably plotting her next trip to somewhere far flung, but only after finishing that latest script or workshop.

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Lisa is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA. She holds an MFA in Acting from the University of Southern California and a BA in Latin American Studies and Latin American Literature from Smith College. She is a Core Company Member, Actor, and Director with Word for Word Performing Arts Company at Z Space (2018–Present), and a Collective Member of the San Francisco Mime Troupe (2004–Present).

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Awards and Recognition: 

• Nomination for Best Production by Bay Area Theater Critics Circle, The Strange Library (Murakami), Word for Word/ZSpace (2025)• Winner for Outstanding Performance by the Ensemble of a Musical by Theatre Bay Area, Freedomland, San Francisco Mime Troupe (2015)• Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Principal Role in a Musical by Theatre Bay Area, Freedomland, San Francisco Mime Troupe (2015)• Nomination for Outstanding World Premiere Musical by Theatre Bay Area, Freedomland, San Francisco Mime Troupe (2015)• Nomination for Best Ensemble by Bay Area Theater Critics Circle, Posibilidad, San Francisco Mime Troupe (2010)• Nomination for Best Ensemble by Bay Area Theater Critics Circle, Too Big To Fail, San Francisco Mime Troupe (2009)