Sanaa is a Denver-based artist born and raised in Denver, Colorado, transitioning to Chicago. She is a recent University of Northern Colorado graduate with a  Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the College of Performing and Visual Arts and a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences! Thanks to the Reisher Family Foundation!

As an African- American and Indigenous descendant, she is incredibly proud of her lineage. In her future work, she hopes to highlight artists and communities of colour. She is also very passionate about artistic expression and how it assists young audiences and less visible communities. Her hope is to tell stories that impact people. Her love for storytelling is coupled with a desire to tell stories, black stories that are joyous, bittersweet, and fantastical, not just traumatic. This is due to her belief that the community deserves to be seen in more than just their struggle, because if that is all you see, that is all you believe you can be.

Throughout her time at UNC, she had the pleasure of portraying Lana, The Early Girl by Caroline Kava, and Johnna, Naomi In The Living Room by Christopher Durang, both of whom have shown her new perspectives and challenged her as an artist. She has also had the opportunity to work in many positions throughout the theatre, from lighting to scenic painting, costuming, directing, and more. This has allowed her to understand everything beyond the stage that goes into bringing a production to life, which she has absolutely loved. As she transitions from UNC, she appreciates how having the opportunity to navigate the theatre and global society has allowed her to grow artistically and provide a deeper care to her work.

Beyond the theatre, she is a lover of all things cinematic, photography, and film alike. If she is not in the theatre, you will likely find her at the movies or traveling with a camera in hand. Her favorite pastime is exploring new places. You wanna take a trip somewhere shes probably already jotted down 500 places to visit there and made an itinerary. She is also no stranger to spending hours on the dance floor, in a bookstore, or record shop.