Artist Life in New York City

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Discovery of the Week: Anissa Naji

New York is full of artists balancing multiple creative lives at once, and Anissa Naji is one of them. Actor, improviser, comedian, and multilingual performer, her work moves between theatre, comedy, movement, and intercultural storytelling across several countries and cities.

We asked Anissa a few questions about improv, language, performance, and building an artistic life in New York.

Q: You’ve lived and performed in many different places — from Jordan to Germany to New York. Does the energy of a city change the way you perform?

What a beautiful question! I never really thought about it before, but now that I do; it absolutely does. In some ways, capital cities around the world share a similar energy: busy, fast-paced, always moving. But climate, language, political history, and cultural traditions shape artistic communities so differently, and you really feel that once you’re immersed in a city’s creative scene. I think every place I’ve lived in has influenced the way I tell stories and connect with audiences.

Q: You work across theatre, improv, comedy, and movement. Do these feel like separate disciplines to you, or part of the same artistic language?

I think they’re all part of the same language, maybe just different dialects. At the end of the day, it’s always about storytelling, expressing ourselves, and connecting with one another through art. Sometimes words lead the story, sometimes movement or comedy does, but emotionally they all come from the same place for me.

Q: What originally drew you to acting and performance? Was there a moment when you realized: this is what I want to do?

I remember being five years old while my sister, who was ten at the time, was part of a children’s musical. The minimum age was eight, but all I knew was that I wanted to be part of it. Somehow, we convinced the producers to let me join, and I became the youngest member of the cast. I remember learning long song lyrics for the first time in my life and completely falling in love with every part of the process: rehearsals, music, costumes, performing. Looking back, I think that was probably the moment.

Q: You’ve performed in multiple languages and cultures. Have audiences surprised you in how differently they react?

Yes and no! Definitely yes in terms of what audiences react to: humor, rhythm, timing, even silence can land very differently depending on the culture. But the beautiful thing, especially with physical comedy, is that we really do laugh in the same language. That part feels incredibly universal.

Q: New York is full of artists trying to carve out space for themselves. What has your experience been like building an artistic life here?

Oh, NYC is HARD! There are so many talented artists here, and everyone is constantly creating and pushing themselves. But I think that’s also why I love it so much. It keeps me grounded, keeps me growing, and constantly challenges me creatively. I’m incredibly grateful to live in a city where I can perform in Arabic, English, and Spanish — sometimes even all in the same night — and actually find audiences for that.

Q: Comedy and improv often ask people to be fearless. Has improv changed you personally outside of performing, too?

I think the biggest lesson improv taught me was learning to let go and trust my instincts, my scene partners, the audience, and sometimes just the moment itself. As someone who is used to structure and control, that was a huge challenge for me. But it’s also changed the way I approach life and art outside of performing: being more open, more adaptable, and less afraid of things not going exactly as planned.

Q: Looking ahead, what kinds of creative projects would you love to do more of?

I would love to do more cross-cultural and multilingual projects that bring different artistic forms together in unexpected ways, for example theatre inspired by live music or concerts, or interactive comedy formats that involve direct audience participation and improvisation.

I’m also really interested in making theatre and improv more accessible to audiences who didn’t necessarily grow up with those art forms or who maybe feel intimidated by them. Some of the most meaningful moments for me are when someone experiences improv or theatre for the first time and suddenly realizes: “Oh, I didn’t know this art form existed before, I love it.”

Thank you, Anissa, for taking the time to speak with us, and for sharing a glimpse into the many languages, cities, and creative worlds that shape your work.

This Week in glamglare history

1 Year Ago: Alexandra Savior - Goodbye, Old Friend

“Goodbye, Old Friend” is a nostalgic, reflective song about a past relationship from Alexandra Savior’s 2025 album Beneath The Lilypad.

5 Years Ago: Josin - Traveller

The German singer-songwriter Josin has a lot to tell about this meditative, calming song. The track is the title song of a 2022 EP, her last release so far.

10 Years Ago: Drew Vogelsang - Days

Drew Vogelsang removed all traces of his music, leaving only this post.

Song Pick of the Day

Listen to all seven songs on YouTube, or follow our daily updated Song Pick playlists on YouTube, Apple Music, or Spotify.

• Chloe Slater - Ugly
• Muo Duo - Communication Breakdown
• Vacations - Holy Grail
• I Want Poetry - Supersized World
• Dea Matrona - My Own Party
• Beverly Hell - Jezebel
• Stephen Day - Rock Bottom Baby

We publish one Song Pick of the Day every day. You can subscribe to receive them by email.