CHING VALDES-ARAN (Grandmother) is an award-winning theater artist who resides in NYC.  Signature Theater Debut.  Selected Roles:   Aying (OBIE Award, Flipzoids, Ma-Yi Theatre),  Imelda Marcos (Lucille Lortel  nomination, Dogeaters, Public Theatre), Lady Macbeth, Lady Capulet, Duke Senior  (NYSF “Shakespeare on Broadway”, Belasco Theatre), Mother Courage (Ma-yi Theatre), Medea (Medea, Pan Asian Repertory), Bernarda Alba (The House of Bernarda Alba, NAATCO), Clytemnestra (Iphigenia in Aulis, Yale Rep), Athena (Iphigenia in Taurus (La Mama E.T.C. & Greek Int’l Festival), Empress Tzushi (Empress of China,  Cincinnati Playhouse),  Philoktetes (Shatterhand Company, Berliner Fiespiele).  Most recently she played Mom in the all Asian cast of Sam Shepard’s True West at People’s Light. 

Other Awards:  2021 Ruthie Award, Fox Foundation Fellow,  Asian Cultural Council Fellowship, New Dramatist’s Charles Bowden Award,  Ma-Yi Award for Artistic Excellence,  MAP grantee (Foundry), U.S. Congressional Award for Arts & Culture, others. 

Selected Films & TV:  Missing Link (Golden Globe, 6 Oscar nomination), Mula Kung Ano And Noon, What it was Before  ( Palm de Oro, Locarno Film Festival ), Across the Universe., Sex & The City 1, Blacklist,  Others. 

Her work has been seen nationally and internationally.  Most recently, this past winter, she was at NJ Repertory in ESSPY and  last summer,  she was seen in an all Asian cast of Sam Sheppard’s True West at People’s Light,