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Nana, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I was married for 22 years. During that time, I achieved financial success, a feat no one in my family had accomplished before. My life appeared perfect with a handsome husband, two gorgeous daughters, a large house, and a fancy lifestyle. However, I spent most of those years trying to understand why I wasn’t happy, and I knew he wasn’t either.

Mourning a matriarch is hard enough without her head sitting on the kitchen table talking to you every day. This peculiar situation is a reality for Robert, a wannabe playwright stuck in the family business after the untimely decapitation of his mother. As Robert and his father go at each other's throats, Mama plots the best way to reunite with the rest of her body.

Broadway alum and screen star Bruce Willis and The Burgess Group will present Charles Cissel’s My Mother’s Severed Head Off-Broadway, with a run set for September 10–October 2. The production will play Theater One at Theatre Row.

Directed by Richard Caliban, My Mother’s Severed Head will star Camilo Sanchez Lobo, Luis Alberto Garcia, Katelyn Sparks, Nana Ponceleon, and Giancarlo Herrera.


The play follows Robert, playwright stuck in the family business after the untimely decapitation of his mother. As Robert and his father go at each other’s throats, his mom plots the best way to reunite with the rest of her body.

This article features a conversation with the inspiring Nana Ponceleon, who shares her journey of discovering her creative passions from a young age. Nana reflects on her early love for dance and music, her experiences with various instruments, and the challenges of staying connected to her artistic pursuits amid frequent moves. Despite studying Business Administration and computer science in college, Nana’s heart was always drawn to the arts. She shares her experiences with flamenco, jazz dance, and her deep love for musical theater, offering a glimpse into her creative journey and the influences that shaped her path.

Clika" is an upcoming drama film co-produced by Sony Pictures, Sony Music Latin, and Rancho Humilde, the record label led by music mogul Jimmy Humilde. Directed by Michael Greene, the film stars Jay Dee, frontman of the 'corridos tumbados' group Herencia de Patrones, alongside actors such as Eric Roberts and rapper OhGeesy.

The narrative follows a small-town musician striving to establish himself within the burgeoning Mexican-American music scene after a performance video of his song gains viral attention. The ensemble cast also features Cristian Gutierrez, Daniel Lopez, Laura Lopez, Nana Ponceleon, Uziel Pantoja, Josh Benitez, Francine Sena, Percy "Master P" Miller, and Peter Greene. "Clika" is scheduled for theatrical release on August 15, 2025, through Columbia Pictures.

Jacia Kornwise interviews Nana Ponceleon in the FREEDOM TO FLOURISH SUMMIT.
Jacia stands at the forefront of transformative healing and coaching through embodied movement. With a rich educational background including a Master’s degree in Counseling & Psychology, another in Coaching, and a certification in Gabrielle Roth’s 5Rhythms of Dance, Jacia brings a nuanced, deeply informed approach to wellness.

On Tuesday, Humilde announced his banner’s debut feature, Clika, director Michael Greene’s drama about an aspiring musician fighting to preserve his family’s legacy, will hit theaters on Aug. 15, via a cinema launch by Columbia Pictures and Sony Music Vision.

Clika stars Rancho Humilde artist Jay Dee and has an ensemble cast that includes Cristian Gutierrez, Daniel Lopez, Laura Lopez, Nana Ponceleon, OhGeesy, Eric Roberts, Uziel Pantoja, Josh Benitez, Francine Sena, Percy Miller and Peter Greene.

indieactivity: When did you decide to study acting or something like that?
Nana: I think I decided to be an artist, not necessarily an actor very young. Since I was 9 years old I knew I loved to perform, mainly dance and sing. I started dancing flamenco at 9 years old, later I learned music, played some guitar and keyboards, and cuatro – a Venezuelan 4 string instrument-. I also did gymnastics, which I loved too. But I decided to formally purse acting about 10 years ago after resigning to the business world and after attending a basic acting weekend workshop just to relax and have some fun. Those classes sent me right back to my teenage years of art and joy. I also came to the US to do some acting workshops in New York and LA. I studied in LA at Carolyne Barry Entertainment with teachers like Joshua Bitton, Anil Kumar, and Donovan Scott. In New York I studied with the brilliant Susan Batson, personal acting coach to Juliette Binoche, Nicole Kidman and many others. After the work I did in Venezuela as an actress, I decided to come to New York 5 years ago to study acting at Stella Adler Studio of Acting. Today my acting coach is the writer, director, actor, singer and producer Marishka S. Phillips.

Nana Ponceleon is an extremely gifted actress who is constantly taking on challenging roles and reinventing herself to prove how serious she takes her craft. We recently caught up with her again, where we discussed some of her favorite projects over the past few years -and what she has coming up. Here is what she had to say:
Hi Nana, it’s great catching up with you again. Since we last spoke, what have you been up to?
Wow! So many things have been going on since we last met. I will try to be brief. I have worked on 19 additional projects, not including theater or commercials over the past couple of years. Shows like The Perfect Murder where I have been a principal role in 3 different episodes -and I have also had lead roles in feature and short films as well. I have been a principal actress in many commercials for brand names like Johnson & Johnson’s Zyrtec, Glamour Magazine, Clairol, Michelob, Safe Auto, NY City Government, and many others.

The Act Feminine Project is her brainchild, which she created because she is passionate about the human spirit. The vision is to create a movement where women and men collaborate, cooperate, and co-create their shared world together. With her personal experience and research as the foundation, she teaches how to manage the feminine and masculine energy in order to live a better life.

According to Nana, both men and women have feminine and masculine energy; and they should use both energies in equal proportion in order to lower their stress, create better relationships, and live more fulfilled lives. She says the feminine energy is about connection, vulnerability, love, giving and receiving, wisdom, being open; in short, it is about living life as an experience. On the other hand, masculine energy is about conquering, hunting, solving problems, and achieving goals; in short, it is about living life from a results-oriented perspective. She explains this in greater detail in her ebook, where she also mentions that one energy is neither superior nor inferior to the other and that they are both needed for both men and women.

The record label — headed by CEO Jimmy Humilde — announced Tuesday that it is collaborating with Sony Pictures and Sony Music Latin to release the feature film “Clika.” The movie, directed by Michael Greene, tells the story of a musician fighting to carry on his family’s legacy. It is slated for an Aug. 15 theatrical release through Columbia Pictures (a subsidiary of Sony).

The film will star Herencia de Patrones frontman Jay Dee, whose group released its debut album “Pa Las Vibras” under the Rancho Humilde label in 2019. Jay Dee’s fellow cast mates for the production include seasoned actor Eric Roberts and rapper OhGeesy, alongside Cristian Gutierrez, Laura Lopez, Nana Ponceleon and Uziel Pantoja.

Brugger, along with cast and crew, filmed in various places throughout the area last week, including Time Out Bar in Albion, Beaver Valley Road and Andrew Texley’s Farm.
Brugger said they also filmed on a road outside of her parent’s home and also at her grandparents’ farm.
“Road Kill” is about a road kill removal worker named Tillie who finds a friend in a woman named Wanda who found herself stranded on the side of the road after hitting a pheasant.
Tillie is played by Gamze Ceylan and Wanda is portrayed by Nana Ponceleon.
“I really relate to the character Tillie and feel like I’ve been surrounded by Wandas ,” Brugger said. “This is kind of a thank you to all of the ‘Wandas’ in my life.”

Nana Ponceleon was one of the Hispanic testers in Newsday's investigation into real estate discrimination on Long Island. Alongside other testers, she discovered that Hispanic homebuyers were often subjected to unequal treatment by agents, including fewer listings and being steered toward more diverse areas. The investigation revealed significant disparities in how Hispanic and white buyers were treated, highlighting ongoing challenges in achieving fair housing access.

Heads up! Award-winning actor and producer Bruce Willis will join The Burgess Group to mount My Mother's Severed Head at Theatre One on Theatre Row. Performances will begin off Broadway September 10 ahead of a September 13 opening.

In Charles Cissel's play, the playwright Robert and his father find themselves constantly fighting following the death of Robert's mother. But she's not entirely out of the picture — she was decapitated, and her head rests in the family home, talking at Robert as though she never left. She just has to figure out how to get her head back onto her body.

The cast for My Mother's Severed Head includes Camilo Sanchez Lobo, Luis Alberto Garcia, Katelyn Sparks, Nana Ponceleon, and Giancarlo Herrera. Richard Caliban will direct.

WHY DO YOU DIG HORROR?
Horror is a very difficult genre in every possible way. It is hard to write, to direct, to perform, to edit, etc., in order for it to be good and this makes it very exciting and challenging.
It has a fantastic fan base community of people who understand it and enjoy it which is very gratifying.

Rancho Humilde, the powerhouse Mexican music label behind Fuerza Regida and Junior H, is stepping into the film world. On Tuesday, the label announced Clika, an upcoming film alongside Columbia Pictures and Sony Music that follows an aspiring musician’s fight to preserve his family’s legacy. The film is slated to premiere on Aug. 15 in theaters. Rapper OhGeesy and actor Eric Roberts are already tied to the project, which Herencia de Patrones frontman Jay Dee will lead. Cristian Gutierrez, Laura Lopez, Nana Ponceleon, Uziel Pantoja, Josh Benitez, Francine Sena, Percy Miller, and Peter Greene will also be part of the cast.

“This film paves the way for a whole new era of opportunity and representation for Mexican-American creators in Hollywood,” said Jimmy Humilde, the label’s founder. “We’ve been grinding in the background, but now we’re stepping into the spotlight, ready to show the world what we’re really about.” Sanford Panitch of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group lauded Humilde’s approach to filmmaking while celebrating how his “groundbreaking approach has reshaped the sound of Mexican music.” Panitch added, “[Humilde’s] significant contributions in the world of music open the door for new voices, new kinds of stories, and new movie stars.” Humilde will executive-produce the project with his label collaborators Roque Venegas and Jose Becerra, along with Dee and producer Sean McBride. “Jimmy Humilde is a visionary who has revolutionized Mexican culture, and CLIKA is the first film born from his vision and creative drive,” added Alex Gallardo, president of Sony Music Latin. “From the moment we first learned about the project, we knew we wanted to be a part of it and that Columbia Pictures was the ideal partner to bring it to life.”

A Groundbreaking Feature Film Defining the Global Impact and New Era of Mexican-American Culture
Set August 15th, 2025 Theatrical Release
Jimmy Humilde, CEO of Rancho Humilde, the powerhouse Mexican American recording label, is expanding his legacy into feature films and television. Humilde, along with business partners Jose “JB” Becerra and Roque “Rocky” Venegas, is kicking off this new venture with CLIKA, a culturally defining feature film produced by Humilde and directed by Michael Greene (LIVE, 2018). CLIKA will be released in theaters on August 15, 2025, by Columbia Pictures and Sony Music Vision.
Executively written by Jimmy Humilde alongside writers Michael Greene, and Sean McBride, CLIKA boasts a stellar production team, including Dave “Foots” Footman (X-Men, 2000), Ski-ter Jones (Unsung, 2008), and Lalo the Giant, along with a talented ensemble cast featuring Cristian “Concrete” Gutierrez (Killer Oldies, 2022), Daniel “DoKnow” Lopez (White Men Can’t Jump, 2023), Laura Lopez (Saffron Kingdom, 2025), Nana Ponceleon (The Zero Hour, 2010), OhGeesy, Eric Roberts (Runaway Train, 1985), Uziel Pantoja, Josh Benitez, Francine Sena, Percy “Master P” Miller (Hollywood Homicide, 2003), and Peter Greene (Pulp Fiction, 1994).

THE INSANE ROOT
an excerpt of a story of perpetual war, loosely structured around Macbeth
Written by Julia Holleman
Directed by Elena Zucker

She had the ideal and perfect life everyone dreams of. As a graduate of a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a minor in Computer Science in New York City’s Pace University, she was mostly employed in sales. Eleven years of her corporate career were dedicated to Microsoft Venezuela, wherein she worked in corporate sales, mid-market, OEM, loyalty, and distribution channels among other departments.

When she mustered the courage to make a significant career change and live out her passion, she left Microsoft and ventured into freelance sales consulting. While engaging business clients, she would reserve time on the weekend to attend regular acting classes of a renowned actor, director, and teacher in Venezuela.

She later decided to come to New York and study acting at Stella Adler Studio of Acting and graduated with flying colors, doing better today as a working actress than many of her younger counterparts. Since then, she has performed in a principal role in different episodes of the well known Investigation Discovery show The Perfect Murder. She was hired by Columbia University to act in four episodes as a therapist who was helping grieving parents to cope with losing a child. Given the positive comments on her job, Columbia University hired her again to film eight more episodes.

What better way to return to live theater than to experience Bruce Willis’s and The Burgess Group’s presentation of Charles Cissel’s comedic, dark romp My Mother’s Severed Head. The production, scheduled from 10th of September to 2nd of October, opening on the 13th of September is playing at Theatre Row, and what a blast.

The “wild and crazy” ensemble piece stars Luis Alberto Garcia, Katelyn Sparks, Nana Ponceleon and Giancarlo Herrera. Camilo Sanchez Lobo, the talented guitarist who plays with appropriate wit and cheek throughout, accompanies the hijinks adding his unique, vibrant character to the mix.