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Heidi Mendez Harrison
Heidi Mendez Harrison (a.k.a. “Rapping Grandma”) is a bilingual actor, director, choreographer, and member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity. She has worked professionally in New Yor...view moreHeidi Mendez Harrison (a.k.a. “Rapping Grandma”) is a bilingual actor, director, choreographer, and member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity. She has worked professionally in New York, Mexico City, and Madrid. She has a BA in acting and an MA in directing. Her love for teenagers drove her to receive two teacher’s certifications.
As a teacher, she is in her dream job at Pioneer High School of the Performing Arts, teaching improv, speech, acting, and playwriting. As an actor, she has most recently been seen as Mrs. Peterson in the TV series Granite Flats. As a director, she returned to the Jackson Hole Playhouse for a production of Steel Magnolias.
In August of 2014 and in response to a personal spiritual revelation to her question “Now that I am an empty nester, what am I going to do with the rest of my life?” Heidi started volunteering nine hours a week, doing theater with kids locked up at two Utah detention centers: Slate Canyon in Provo and Salt Lake Valley DT.
“I’ve always had a gift and soft spot for adolescents with an attitude,” she says.
She encouraged the kids to write autobiographical stories, raps, poems, songs. The first one turned in was titled Behind These Walls. In a year, she has collected over 150 writings. Every week, more are added. Volume 1 is just the tip of the iceberg.
“These are not throwaway kids. They are artistic and unique. Their voices need to be heard, and these kids should have a safe place to create when they get out.”
Heidi Mendez Harrison is CEO and founder of Act Risk No More, a nonprofit youth theater company where teens can write/perform their heartfelt, edgy works. It doesn’t matter if they are bipolar, ADD, depressed, OCD, etc. As someone who also deals with ADHD and bipolar issues, Hedi realizes that God has given us weaknesses that will be turned into strengths.
To those with drug issues, she preaches that applause is the greatest high. To those who have made bad choices or are suicidal due to abuse or neglect, she points to the arts as a rescue.
Heidi often goes to court to convince the judges to allow the kids to do community service hours through Act Risk No More. The nonprofit creates original plays from these writings and performs them for the kids in rehab, DT, O and A programs, work camps, group homes, etc., all over Utah Valley.
The dream is that this book will be soon turned into a Broadway musical, all the over 150 writings will be used in a documentary, and the rescue mission of Act Risk No More will become a national institution.view less