In brief: If you’ve ever seen Minka, 35, perform, you’ll likely remember her. Fierce, volatile, compassionate, warm, with a singing voice from the angels. Her character displays In Every Tongue Confess at Horizon Theatre, displays all this and more. See her as Mother Sister through Aug. 25 in the fantastical, Southern-steeped whodunit by poet-playwright Marcus Gardley, another name to remember. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.584.7450.
Her name: She has both German and Polish in her background. “Minka,” in German, means “strong,” “Wiltz” means wild. It fits. But there’s more explanation: “My mom named me after a homecoming queen. She was just extremely impressed with her, her personality. I have my other theories, but we won’t go into those!”
Hometown: Born at Grady Hospital. Grew up in Atlanta’s Adamsville neighborhood, then the McDaniel Glenn Public Housing Project. Graduated from The Westminster Schools.
Lives now: In southwest Atlanta, not far from where she grew up, with her 11- year-old daughter, Anjoli.
Where you’ve seen her: Most recently in Lark Eden at Aurora Theatre. Also in Shipwrecked! at Serenbe Playhouse. In Black Pearl Sings at Horizon. In Angela’s Mixtape; Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner; and Slide Glide the Slippery Slope at Synchronicity Theatre. In Bel Canto at Actor’s Express. In A Christmas Carol at the Alliance Theatre.
Music first: “I trained as a singer long before I started thinking about acting.” She was 4 or so. From ages 6 to 14, she sang with the Young Singers of Callanwolde. Then came years of private lessons.
First theater gig: In first grade, as a character wearing a Sherlock Holmes hat in a mystery caper at Margaret Mitchell Elementary School.
Actor, singer? “It depends on what check I’m picking up! Right now I feel that I’m an actor who sings.”
Dream role(s): Medea. I’d love to play it and then sing it.” (Médée is a French-language opéra-comique by Cherubini.)
Next: She’s working on an album and looking at having an event. Look for an announcement on her website near the end of the Every Tongue Confess run.
Day job? Nope. “I’m not good at anything other than what I do.”
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Kathy Janich, Encore Atlanta’s managing editor, has been seeing, covering and and/or working in the performing arts for most of her life. Please email her at kathy@encoreatlanta.com.
