Mia Raye Smith

Mia Raye Smith is an international award-winning writer and solo performer whose work contributes to national dialogue through bold, character-driven storytelling. She transforms solo performance into a platform for national dialogue, drawing on lived experience to address social issues. Born in Detroit, Michigan, with African American and Creole heritage from Louisiana, Mia grew up in Queens, NY, where she developed over 19 multicultural characters rooted in her lived experience. She studied acting at the William Esper Studio and developed her first solo play, I Am Hope, in Emmy Award-winning writer Matt Hoverman’s Go-Solo Workshop; the show was a Critic’s Pick in NOW Toronto. Mia has toured her work across theatre festivals and college campuses nationwide. Her work has also been presented at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater as part of the Generation Women series, situating her within New York’s vibrant theatre community. She is a Semi-Finalist for the Dramatists Guild Fellowship and continues to develop new solo work that invites audiences into meaningful dialogue.