In this episode of Overheard at Chica’s Café, Sonia Iris Lozada explores the unseen side of acting — the hours of preparation that audiences never witness. From memorizing lines for a single scene, to scrambling with last-minute sides, to navigating the silence that follows auditions, actors carry invisible labor that shapes every performance. Sonia also touches on the growing reality of self-tapes, where actors double as their own crew — a topic she’ll expand on in a future episode.

But invisible work isn’t unique to actors. Parents, teachers, creatives, and caregivers all hold hours of unseen labor that sustain lives and communities. With humor, compassion, and a touch of Los Angeles reality, Sonia reminds us that even the work that goes unrecognized mattersdeeply.