Full Biography
Maritza Vives is an Argentinian-American actress and comedian, born and raised in the city of Santa Fe, Argentina. She is of Italian, Spanish and German descent. She was raised in a family with a taste for the arts. It was her father, the Santa Fe author and writer Carlos Alberto Vives ("La Gioconda en la Patagonia") who transmitted to Maritza a passion for cinema and acting. Maritza's mother suffered from severe depression and so along with her siblings they improvised comic skits to amuse her.
She was educated at the Nuestra Señora del Huerto Catholic School and from a very young age she learned English at the Instituto de Lenguas Vivas and the Asociación Cultural Inglesa, both institutions located in Santa Fe. She is bilingual in English and Spanish.
Since a little girl, Maritza began putting on theater shows in the neighborhood with her sister Verónica and childhood friends. Later as a teenager, she never missed the opportunity to perform at events available at school and she began taking acting classes with Carlos Magnone at the Rosa Galisteo Museum in the city of Santa Fe.
CAREER
BUENOS AIRES
At age 20 she moved from her native Santa Fe to Buenos Aires to go to college. She attended the University of Buenos Aires where she graduated with a Master's degree in Political Science. In addition, she carried out extensive acting training with Osmar Núñez, María Onetto, James Murray, Carlos Evaristo, Irem Becker and Carlos Mangone.
She has participated in numerous plays: “El Gesto de Gala”, written and directed by the award-winning actor and director Osmar Núñez, “El Des-Órden de las Cosas”, written, produced, performed and directed by Maritza, “Between Daylight and Boonville", "The Routine" and "Venetian Carnival". She was also a radio host for “El Barrio Escondido”, FM La Tribu and a guest reporter for a cable TV I-SAT Television show.
In Buenos Aires she got married and her first daughter was born. In 2003 she moved to the United States with her family.
U.S.A
In the United States, Maritza was a founding member of the Relapse Theater in the city of Atlanta, Georgia and a founding member of the John Paul II Cultural Center of the Immaculate Conception Church in Somerville, New Jersey.
She continued her acting training in NYC at HB Studio and Improv at The Peoples Improv Theater. She also graduated in the Acting Program of the New Jersey School of Dramatic Arts.
Her theater credits in the US include: "Hay Un País en el Mundo" (NYC and Montreal), "Secretos de Mujeres" (Latin ATI Award), "No Hay Ladrón que por Bien No Venga", "The Seagull”, “Old Times”, “Controlling Interest”, “Jump”, “Your Mother’s Butt”, “It Had To be You”, “Three Ways Home”, ”International Tour” and “Lasting Impressions”.
She has been a member of the Improv Troupes “The JaCKPie Theater Workshop”, “The Relapse Theater” and “Let’s Try This!” with whom she put on improv shows in Atlanta.
In 2016, she won the Latin ATI (Independent Theater Artists, NYC) Award for best supporting actress for her role “Pura” in the play “Secretos de Mujeres” directed by Edison Carrera.
Her film credits include "Around the Corner", “El Pelotudo”, “Mr. Bucky”, “Peel”, Two Years”, “The Problem of Happiness”, “The Sorority” and “Pic- Nic and a Stroll”. She played Admiral Adina for "Cause Unknown" and "The Sisterhood Legacy" and the Queen Mother for "The End of the Gun" (Amazon Prime Video); the Science Fiction Series created, directed and produced by Jay Pickens who promotes ethnic diversity in casting.
Maritza also played "Inez" a lead role for the film "The Magician Wife" nominated for best Mystical/Spiritual short at the Cannes World Film Festival 2022. Likewise, she was part of the cast from the film "The Dispensable", Selected Official -among others- for the Toronto Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival and Venice Film Festival 2020 and Remi Award Winner 2021. She has also played professor Rocio for the independent feature "The Claddagah" by Dir. Brendan Lee.
Maritza has done commercials, industrial and print work -like for the Winthrop Tower, a national TV commercial for NRIA, print work for What Do You Meme, etc.- to name a few.
DIRECTION, PRODUCTION, SCRIPTWRITER, RESEARCHER & FAMILY
Maritza is the performer, scriptwriter, producer and director of the play “El Desórden de las Cosas”, an original investigation in performance format on the writings of the French philosopher Michael Foucault. It was presented in 2001 at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires and received praise from the academic circle of the Department of Political Science.
In 2004, she applied for a Master's Degree in Performance Studies at New York University (NYU) to analyze social behavior through theater. She was admitted but could not study due to a lack of financial resources. However she still considers theater as a powerful tool for analyzing social issues.
Maritza has also been the director for "A Passion Play", at the Diocese of Metuchen, New Jersey, 2023 and of the Hispanic “Via Crucis” at Sacred Heart Church in Atlanta and the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Somerville, New Jersey. She was also the character creation coach for the plays "La Virgen de Guadalupe", 2019 and 2022, Diocese of Metuchen, "A Christmas Carol", 2008, and "A Man for all Seasons", 2010 and 2011, presented by John Paul II Ministry of Cultural Arts at the Little Theater in Somerville, New Jersey.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, together with her friend the actress Gabriela Giusti, they created, produced, wrote and interpreted the comedy web series "Gemelas Onassis" (The Onassis Twins, WGAE Certificate). The web series appeared on Comedy Network Live.
Maritza currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and three daughters. She feels very blessed and grateful to God for her happy life as a mother, wife and actress.
For questions about working with Maritza, please contact maritzavives@gmail.com
She was educated at the Nuestra Señora del Huerto Catholic School and from a very young age she learned English at the Instituto de Lenguas Vivas and the Asociación Cultural Inglesa, both institutions located in Santa Fe. She is bilingual in English and Spanish.
Since a little girl, Maritza began putting on theater shows in the neighborhood with her sister Verónica and childhood friends. Later as a teenager, she never missed the opportunity to perform at events available at school and she began taking acting classes with Carlos Magnone at the Rosa Galisteo Museum in the city of Santa Fe.
CAREER
BUENOS AIRES
At age 20 she moved from her native Santa Fe to Buenos Aires to go to college. She attended the University of Buenos Aires where she graduated with a Master's degree in Political Science. In addition, she carried out extensive acting training with Osmar Núñez, María Onetto, James Murray, Carlos Evaristo, Irem Becker and Carlos Mangone.
She has participated in numerous plays: “El Gesto de Gala”, written and directed by the award-winning actor and director Osmar Núñez, “El Des-Órden de las Cosas”, written, produced, performed and directed by Maritza, “Between Daylight and Boonville", "The Routine" and "Venetian Carnival". She was also a radio host for “El Barrio Escondido”, FM La Tribu and a guest reporter for a cable TV I-SAT Television show.
In Buenos Aires she got married and her first daughter was born. In 2003 she moved to the United States with her family.
U.S.A
In the United States, Maritza was a founding member of the Relapse Theater in the city of Atlanta, Georgia and a founding member of the John Paul II Cultural Center of the Immaculate Conception Church in Somerville, New Jersey.
She continued her acting training in NYC at HB Studio and Improv at The Peoples Improv Theater. She also graduated in the Acting Program of the New Jersey School of Dramatic Arts.
Her theater credits in the US include: "Hay Un País en el Mundo" (NYC and Montreal), "Secretos de Mujeres" (Latin ATI Award), "No Hay Ladrón que por Bien No Venga", "The Seagull”, “Old Times”, “Controlling Interest”, “Jump”, “Your Mother’s Butt”, “It Had To be You”, “Three Ways Home”, ”International Tour” and “Lasting Impressions”.
She has been a member of the Improv Troupes “The JaCKPie Theater Workshop”, “The Relapse Theater” and “Let’s Try This!” with whom she put on improv shows in Atlanta.
In 2016, she won the Latin ATI (Independent Theater Artists, NYC) Award for best supporting actress for her role “Pura” in the play “Secretos de Mujeres” directed by Edison Carrera.
Her film credits include "Around the Corner", “El Pelotudo”, “Mr. Bucky”, “Peel”, Two Years”, “The Problem of Happiness”, “The Sorority” and “Pic- Nic and a Stroll”. She played Admiral Adina for "Cause Unknown" and "The Sisterhood Legacy" and the Queen Mother for "The End of the Gun" (Amazon Prime Video); the Science Fiction Series created, directed and produced by Jay Pickens who promotes ethnic diversity in casting.
Maritza also played "Inez" a lead role for the film "The Magician Wife" nominated for best Mystical/Spiritual short at the Cannes World Film Festival 2022. Likewise, she was part of the cast from the film "The Dispensable", Selected Official -among others- for the Toronto Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival and Venice Film Festival 2020 and Remi Award Winner 2021. She has also played professor Rocio for the independent feature "The Claddagah" by Dir. Brendan Lee.
Maritza has done commercials, industrial and print work -like for the Winthrop Tower, a national TV commercial for NRIA, print work for What Do You Meme, etc.- to name a few.
DIRECTION, PRODUCTION, SCRIPTWRITER, RESEARCHER & FAMILY
Maritza is the performer, scriptwriter, producer and director of the play “El Desórden de las Cosas”, an original investigation in performance format on the writings of the French philosopher Michael Foucault. It was presented in 2001 at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires and received praise from the academic circle of the Department of Political Science.
In 2004, she applied for a Master's Degree in Performance Studies at New York University (NYU) to analyze social behavior through theater. She was admitted but could not study due to a lack of financial resources. However she still considers theater as a powerful tool for analyzing social issues.
Maritza has also been the director for "A Passion Play", at the Diocese of Metuchen, New Jersey, 2023 and of the Hispanic “Via Crucis” at Sacred Heart Church in Atlanta and the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Somerville, New Jersey. She was also the character creation coach for the plays "La Virgen de Guadalupe", 2019 and 2022, Diocese of Metuchen, "A Christmas Carol", 2008, and "A Man for all Seasons", 2010 and 2011, presented by John Paul II Ministry of Cultural Arts at the Little Theater in Somerville, New Jersey.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, together with her friend the actress Gabriela Giusti, they created, produced, wrote and interpreted the comedy web series "Gemelas Onassis" (The Onassis Twins, WGAE Certificate). The web series appeared on Comedy Network Live.
Maritza currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and three daughters. She feels very blessed and grateful to God for her happy life as a mother, wife and actress.
For questions about working with Maritza, please contact maritzavives@gmail.com