Mendee — The Thousand People Project

Mendee is the third participant in my A Thousand People Project, an ongoing portrait series exploring identity through real moments rather than staged perfection. The project focuses on observing people within meaningful environments, allowing emotion, movement, and human connection to naturally unfold in front of the camera.

This session took place on January 22, 2026, during an acting class hosted by Mike Caza and organized through Meus Talent Agency, where Lisa plays a large role in supporting the program. Although Lisa was unfortunately home sick with the flu that day, the sense of care and community she helps foster was still deeply present throughout the class.

I met Mendee outside the studio before the session began, and once inside, I sat quietly off to the side photographing the class as it unfolded. Mendee fully participated alongside the other actors while I documented the warm-up exercises designed to help everyone loosen up and settle into the right creative mindset. Mike immediately created a welcoming environment, and the atmosphere felt collaborative rather than intimidating. Actors moved through prepared scenes while receiving thoughtful feedback focused entirely on growth and encouragement. What stood out most was the absence of negativity. Critique was constructive, supportive, and clearly rooted in helping each actor improve while feeling safe enough to take creative risks.

Before the dramatic scene work began, the class participated in an improv exercise that quickly transformed the room with laughter. In one particularly memorable moment, Mike played a bus driver while Mendee’s character urgently needed to use the washroom, creating a hilariously chaotic scenario that had everyone fully committed to the moment. Watching actors let go of self-consciousness and trust the process was both entertaining and revealing. It showed how creativity thrives when judgment disappears.

Later, Mendee performed an emotional scene with Mike that became the focus of my selected images for the project. Seated on a chair on stage and facing the audience, she delivered a powerful moment centred around disappointment and vulnerability, telling his character that he had let her down. While I didn’t know the full backstory of the scene, her emotional range was striking. Mike’s physical movement throughout the performance, shifting positions, kneeling, and changing levels around her, added dramatic energy that translated beautifully through photography.

Attending the class was initially intimidating for me. As an autistic person, unfamiliar environments and large groups can create anxiety, especially when I don’t know what to expect. However, that feeling faded quickly once I arrived. The people there were relaxed, kind, and genuinely welcoming, allowing me to settle into observation mode and focus fully on documenting the experience.

After her scene, Mendee and I left early, and she kindly gave me a ride home. Our conversation felt easy and natural, and by the end of the evening it no longer felt like I had photographed someone I had just met, but someone I was genuinely glad to know.

This session reminded me that identity is often revealed most clearly in moments of vulnerability and play. Through both laughter and emotional depth, Mendee showed the courage it takes to be fully present, which is exactly what A Thousand People Project aims to capture.

To see more of Mendee’s work, click the link below:

Mendee – Actor – https://www.instagram.com/mendeejc/

Meus Talent Agency – https://www.instagram.com/themeustalentagency/