Camila Canó-Flaviá Shares the Backstage Scoop From PUNCH on Broadway
Punch will play its final performance on Broadway on Sunday, November 2.
By: Stephi Wild Oct. 31, 2025
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We all know how much hard work goes into the performances that audiences see eight times a week on Broadway. When they're not giving it their all onstage, most performers are backstage doing what it takes to stay happy, healthy, and ready to go between scenes. In Words From The Wings, BroadwayWorld is taking fans behind the curtain to shine a spotlight on the everyday routines that keep Broadway stars moving.
In this edition, we catch up with Camila Canó-Flaviá who plays Clare/Nicola in Punch on Broadway. Below, she takes us backstage at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (with photos by Jennifer Broski) to share some of her weird pre-show rituals, favorite backstage moments, and more!
Canó-Flaviá's theater credits include Patriots and Network on Broadway, The Coast Starlight (Lincoln Center Theater), Dance Nation (Playwrights Horizons), and MacBeth (Hunter Theater Project). TV/Film credits include Baby Ruby (Magnolia Pictures), “Three Women,” “Watson,” “Blue Bloods,” “Blacklist,” “For Life,” and “Law & Order: SVU.” She received her BFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University.
What’s the first thing you do when you arrive at the theatre?
Greet Security at Stage Door! They make sure we feel safe and have everything we need. They're the best, so I always look out.
What’s the last thing you do before you go on stage?
Fist-pump cast mates Will Harrison and Amber Reauchean Williams. Stage Left entrance represent!
What’s your must-have backstage snack?
Amber introduced me to the bakerly chocolate hazelnut crepes. A masterpiece of a bite.
Pre-show ritual that others may think is weird?
Going through my lines with my tongue fully out. It makes for an interesting sight.
What are five must-haves in your dressing room?
A speaker for music, always. Pillow and blanket. String lights (overhead lighting hates to see me coming). Tea bags (non-caffeinated). A massage ball.
What’s your favorite moment from the show to watch from the wings?
When the character of Jacob enters prison for the first time. The lighting design by Robbie Butler and sound design by Alex Faye Braithwaite are immaculate.
What has been your favorite backstage moment in your time with this show so far?
I have a bit of time between tracks during Act One, so a few of us do some silly cool down stretches as the play happens just a few feet from us. It's a great, communal way to get into your body again before you go running back in for more!
About Punch
Based on the remarkable true story, Punch centers around Jacob, a young man who makes a fatal mistake that lands him in prison. But as he struggles to accept the consequences of his actions and build a new life, he finds an unusual source of salvation: the parents of the boy he killed.
The cast of Punch features Camila Canó-Flaviá (Broadway: Network, Patriots) as Clare/Nicola, Victoria Clark (Broadway: The Snow Geese at MTC, Kimberly Akimbo, The Light in the Piazza) as Joan/Nan, Will Harrison (Film: A Complete Unknown; TV: “Daisy Jones & The Six,” “Manhunt”) as Jacob, Cody Kostro (Broadway: Six Degrees of Separation) as Raf/Sam, Piter Marek (Broadway: Cyrano de Bergerac) as Tony/Derek/DS Villers, Sam Robards (Film: A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, American Beauty; Broadway: The 39 Steps, MTC’s Absurd Person Singular) as David/Raf’s Dad, and Lucy Taylor (Broadway: Betrayal) as Mum/Wendy. Ensemble members are Kim Fischer, Jacob Orr, and Amber Reauchean Williams.
The creative team for Punch is Anna Fleischle (Scenic and Costume Design), Robbie Butler (Lighting Design), Alexandra Faye Braithwaite (Original Music & Sound Design), Leanne Pinder (Movement Director), Ben Furey (Dialect Coach), Charlotte Fleck (Dialect Coach), Caparelliotis Casting & Kelly Gillespie (Casting) and Richard A. Hodge (Production Stage Manager).
