“pag ghunghroo bandh mira nachi re”
“tying anklets to her feet, in abandon mira dances”
― mira bai
Miranda Rachel (Mira) is an unconventional Indo-Guyanese writer, performer and storyteller who combines art and activism in the hopes of uplifting her community. Born in Guyana, descending from the indentured laborers who left India and never went back, she is proud of her roots and heritage from both the Caribbean and the South Asian continent.
An advocate for underrepresented voices not yet heard and the stories not yet told, she is passionate about the arts and their ability to create change in the world, and hopes to make her own contributions to increase representation and visibility for her community through her work and interests. Her art is for her people, first and foremost, and anyone else with whom it resonates.
Mira made her stage debut in May 2017 in Yoni ki Raat – an annual showcase inspired by Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues which centers the stories and experiences of South Asian and Indo-Caribbean peoples – performing a 10-minute monologue she wrote and self-directed. In 2018, she starred in the leading role in the original production Jahajees Rising, written and directed by Taij Moteelall, alongside members of Jahajee Sisters. She recently appeared in the documentary film Double Diaspora: Indo-Caribbeans in New York, directed by filmmaker Lissa Deonarain, and previously served as the Editorial Assistant for the Indo-Caribbean team at Brown Girl Magazine. Mira will be making her directorial debut this summer, co-directing the 5th annual production of YKR (formerly Yoni ki Raat) in June 2019.
Her interests include smashing glass ceilings, dyeing her hair fun and unnatural colours (it is currently purple!), spending evenings at the theatre, reenacting choreography from Lady Gaga’s music videos, pursuing her circus career dreams as a flying trapeze artist, and making all kinds of magic happen.
Miranda Rachel 