“Directors Maya Handa Naff and Nick Lerew and team have created one of the best nights of contemporary musical theatre
to remember for a long time to come."
- Jo Hodgson, Theatreview
“The audience’s first and last impression
is of a superlative performance by
Maya Handa Naff as Glinda.​
There’s no mistaking that voice."
- Max Rashbrooke, The Post
“Maya Handa Naff sings Eponine’s heartbreaking ‘On My Own’
as well as I’ve ever heard it sung.
She’s a truly gifted singer.”
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- Collin Kelley, RoughDraft Atlanta
My Story
Kia ora, I’m Maya! My pronouns are she/her.
I’m a director, musical director, actor, singer, and teacher who has worked professionally in Off-Broadway, New York, US regional, and Aotearoa New Zealand theatre for over 15 years.
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As a creative, I’m passionate about crafting clear, imaginative, and empathetic stories that are shaped by humour and a deep insight into the ecstasies and agonies of the human experience.
As a teacher, I love helping my students harness their unique perspective and artistic agency through a foundation of strong technique, so that they can unlock truthful performances that thrill
the audience and serve the story.
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My career
I’m fortunate to have played many special roles in some of the theatre’s most celebrated shows, including Wicked (Glinda), Miss Saigon (Kim), Romeo and Juliet (Juliet), Les Misérables (Eponine), Cabaret (Sally Bowles), HAIR (Sheila Franklin), Uncle Vanya (Sonya Alexandrovna), How I Learned to Drive (Li’l Bit), Guys and Dolls (Sarah Brown), The Importance of Being Earnest (Cecily Cardew), 4000 Miles (Amanda), Mame (Pegeen, Ensemble), Two Gentlemen of Verona (Julia), Avenue Q (Christmas Eve), Spelling Bee (Marcy Park), The Last Five Years (Cathy u/s), and 1984 (Julia).
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My directorial highlights include this year’s critically-acclaimed smash-hit Mamma Mia! at the stunning St. James Theatre in Wellington, as well as highly successful productions of Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 (Dave Malloy) with WITCH Music Theatre, Cabaret (Kander & Ebb), Uncle Vanya (Anton Chekhov), BUG (Tracy Letts), and Silver Linings: Songs from the Silver Screen.
I served as the vocal director for the recent Circa Theatre season of Lizzie the Musical, and co-music directed Into the Woods in 2023.
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As a teacher, I have delivered masterclasses, workshops, and courses across tertiary and professional settings, including Scene Study, Acting a Song, Stanislavski Method, Advanced Acting, Accents and Dialects, Audition Techniques, and Professional Preparation.​
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My background
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I was born in Tokyo, Japan to a Japanese mother and Lebanese American father. My early years were spent moving - first across the Pacific Ocean (to the United States) and then across the country, from Michigan to Pennsylvania to Texas, and finally, to Nebraska. Through these many life changes, the theatre was a constant. I discovered my passion for the arts at the age of four, and never looked back. As a child I performed as Little Timoune in Once on this Island, Fan in A Christmas Carol, and Shprintze in Fiddler on the Roof, and continued to perform in professional, community, and educational settings throughout my schooling years.
At 18, I moved to NYC to study at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and the prestigious Stella Adler Studio of Acting. After training in New York, I returned to the Midwest and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Musical Theatre from Nebraska Wesleyan University. I then headed back to NYC, where I spent almost a decade performing, directing, and teaching.
In 2019, I moved to Aotearoa New Zealand. I am now based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, where I work full time as a theatre artist and writer, and run a private studio teaching voice and acting. I live with my beloved husband, Nick, and highly opinionated terrier, Kinako, who you may spot
making a few appearances across this website.