DAYNA PALYA

Dayna Palya (she/her) is an actor, singer, and dancer based in NYC.

She grew up in small town, northern Illinois, where the native Potawatomi named the shallow river that runs through the middle of it, “Nippersink”, translating to, place of small waters.

Learning the rules of the world according to small waters gave her an extra dose of hunger for the truths that bigger, deeper waters know. A quest that has led her down the path of capturing and honoring the human experience through theatre and film exploration and character creation.

She earned her BFA in Musical Theatre from Western Michigan University and her MFA in Acting from FSU/Asolo Conservatory.

Moment to moment acting and character embodiment are her passions and she has a “lump of faith” that the truthful telling of stories will salve our world. She is especially drawn to stories and characters that crack open the heart whether comedic, dramatic, or somewhere in between.

Dayna was most recently seen this past July and August as Cathy in THE LAST FIVE YEARS at Chenango River Theatre in Greene, NY and can be seen as Catherine in PROOF, at Chenango River Theatre in Greene, NY later this month and in early October.