Oliver Rayon

About Oliver Rayon

Oliver Rayón was born just east of Mexico City, in the colonial city of Puebla, the historic, cultural, and economic capital of the state of Puebla, México. He was four years old when his single mother brought him to Southern California. He grew up first in Bellflower, and later Santa Ana, California. Oliver loved sports and played Pop Warner Football and National Junior Basketball. But music was unquestionably his first love. He sang in the choir throughout elementary school and junior high school, and won recognition as a soloist. In high school show choir, he learned about musical theater productions and ventured to audition. His first acting roles were in "Guys and Dolls" and "Babes in Arms". He went beyond school productions to perform in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", and played Vittorio Vidal in "Sweet Charity". All indicators seemed to point to a future in the performing arts. By the end of high school, Oliver decided on a different course. He had a talent for math and science. His inquisitive side was captivated by avionics and the promise of flight. He logically joined the Air Force ROTC to become an electrical engineer and pilot.Performing to engage an audience proved to be Oliver's clear calling. He inevitably left the Air Force ROTC. While attending Orange Coast College (OCC), he rekindled his love of performing and ultimately set his goals firmly on acting. Being quickly cast in several college theater productions affirmed his decision. He was first cast as Estaban in the one-act play "Lynette at 3 a.m.", partly by virtue of his reputation as an actor in high school, and also because he was bilingual in Spanish and English. He was invited to audition and was simultaneously cast in two additional one-act plays. He went on to play Montano in an OCC production of William Shakespeare's "Othello", and reveled in his favorite role as Herb in an OCC production of the musical "Godspell".A new era of acting began for Oliver at California State University, Long Beach. 'Hugh OGorman introduced him to the Michael Chekhov Technique, and helped him begin to act with specificity and focus. The high point of his training at CSULB, and indeed his entire early career, was working under the direction of Anne D'Zmura in a production of Mary Zimmerman's "Metamorphoses" (Fall 2006). Each cast member played multiple parts. Oliver played Zeus, Erysichthon, Cinyras, and others. Coaching from William Francis McGuire in voice, diction, and text exploration was invaluable to his performance in the play and beyond. Working with D'Zmura gave him insight into the art of directing, and vision for a career beyond acting. Oliver added the role of Shalva, the Adjutant in Bertolt Brecht's "The Caucasian Chalk Circle" to his list of CSULB theater credits (Fall 2007). Rounding out his college training, Philip Charles MacKenzie helped him to strengthen his grasp of technique and craft and translate it to an on-camera environment. His college career ended with a BA in Theater Arts from CSULB (June 2007).Oliver's artistic and professional standards were largely shaped by his training at The Actors Center in New York City (Summer 2006). The intensive schedule and rigorous work cemented his commitment to the craft of acting. The instructors were all masters in their fields of specialization. Oliver studied Fitzmaurice Voicework with Grace Zandarski, Balinese mask work with Per Brahe, movement with Felix Ivanov, and scene study with Scott Freeman,...

Movies Appeared in

Video

▶

ShockYa's Exclusive Room for Rent Clip

Booking Information