Meet Mandy Rubeli | Writer & Theater Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mandy Rubeli and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mandy, we’d love to hear more about your end-goal, professionally.
My ultimate goal is to make writing my full-time career. I aspire to be part of a dynamic writer’s room for a TV series, or to see my plays come to life on an Off-Broadway stage. I want my work to not only be recognized but to resonate with people, leaving a lasting impact on them. Ultimately, I want my writing to inspire, connect, and spark something meaningful in others.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Hi, my name is Mandy Rubeli, and I guess I’m a writer now? For most of my life, I was laser-focused on acting, but completely on a whim, I decided to write a play. To my surprise, that show ended up gaining significant recognition at Hollywood Fringe ‘23, and suddenly everyone was asking, What else have you written? What’s next? I’d look over my shoulder, expecting them to be talking to someone else, only to freeze when I realized they were, in fact, talking to me. How could I tell them I only put on the show because I was a mess after a break up and wanted to feel like I was doing something productive with my life? Not because I was an aspiring writer? But with everyone wondering what was next, I wrote my second full-length for HFF ‘24. Met with the same love, I started to think maybe I should give this writing thing a shot.

So let me try that again: My name is Mandy Rubeli. I am a multifaceted queer artist who strives to create work that is absurd, existential, and somehow, still sort of funny. After earning my BFA in Acting and Education from Emerson College, I moved to Los Angeles, where I wrote and directed my debut play, Arizona Rain, in 2023. The show received the “Hollywood Encore Producer Award,” the “Theater Theatre Playwright Award,” and was a finalist for “Best Drama” and the “Loud Karma Emerging Female and Nonbinary Playwright Award” at Hollywood Fringe. Certified reviewers called it “A beautifully written show with an incredible and deserved arc” and “A really well-done play I’ll think about for a while.” Arizona Rain went on to receive press mentions in Broadway World, Fanbase Press, and The StageCrafts, and was featured on the podcasts Theater Theatre and Media Industry Guru.

In 2024, I produced a workshop of my sophomore play, Dinosaurs, which received the “StageCrafts Official Selection” Award and another finalist spot for “Best Drama” and the “Loud Karma Award.” One reviewer noted, “I felt like I was watching a show Off-Broadway or a Netflix series,” and another said it was, “A very human piece and a creative way to discuss a sensitive and important topic.” Most recently, I’ve been working on an original radio play for Zanni Theatrics, titled The Fucking Ozzy Osbourne Bat Thing, set to release on Spotify in the coming months.

Because I never envisioned myself on this path, I often feel myself floating: unsure what to do with this momentum. I believe what sets me apart from others in this industry is my honesty about having no idea how I got here. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I’m here, and I’m ready to learn. I believe my willingness to admit that uncertainty, and my desire to grow through collaboration, are the qualities that set me apart and make working with me desirable.

Looking ahead, I have several goals for my career. I want to surround myself with people who have a stronger background in writing than I do, people who can offer guidance on technique and share insights about what lies ahead in a playwriting career. Simultaneously, I want to be in rooms full of talented writers and feel like I belong there. My goal is to gain that confidence and technical skill through moral support and constructive feedback. In the next year, I want to find my voice as a writer and truly commit to pursuing writing as my primary craft. I’d love to achieve this by joining a writer’s room, collaborating with other writers, and continuing to self-produce my work in Los Angeles, New York City, and beyond. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who’s helped me along this journey so far, and am excited for what’s next.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’d start the day with breakfast at Basecamp in Burbank, then take them to Point Dume in Malibu, where we could unwind at the beach. In the afternoon, we’d swing by El Tejano for a drink or grab a bite at Don Cuco. As the sun began to set, I’d head to Griffith Observatory for an amazing view of the city. Afterward, we’d grab some ice cream at Salt & Straw before cruising down Mulholland, making a stop at one of the stunning overlooks.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Every single member of the cast of my most recent production of “All Cats go to Hell” deserves a shout out, but particularly those who have done multiple shows with me now, including- Silas Vaughn, Faith Saporito, Allie Rothfield, Devin Stone, and Hailey Hudson. They are all phenomenal artists and friends, and I would not be where I am now without them.

Instagram: @mandyrubeli

Other: TikTok: @mandyrubeli
Production Company Instagram: @nightmarelizardproductions
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nightmarelizardz

Image Credits
Picture credits: Peyton Pilgrim and Alex Hahn