Bertila began acting like most others, passionately or misguidedly in her youth. She is the eldest of 3 children born to Maria & Francisco Damas. She was born in Cuba and grew up in NY and Miami. Bertila won numerous awards in her Junior High School years participating in the National Forensics League Dramatic Interpretation Competitions.
Damas began her formal professional work in Miami working in Spanish speaking theater, 8 shows a week for $35.00 while attending college. With the help and grace of a dear college friend, she was able to attain an audition and be accepted to the Circle in the Square Professional Workshop, which she attended in NYC.
Fortunately for her at Circle she met Terry Hayden who took her to the Actor's Studio where she was introduced to the work of the Actor's Studio and Lee Strasberg, she remained a guest at the Studio till Lee's death. She also eventually met Stella Adler and studied with her as an advanced student and in Stella's acclaimed Script Analysis' classes for 2 years.
Bertila has worked in both the NYC Broadway/Off-Broadway & the Regional theater scene, including; playing "Juliet" in "Romeo & Juliet" for Joseph Papp's NYSF on Broadway, directed by Estelle Parsons, "Yerma" as "Yerma" at the Arena Stage, "Clemencia" in "Electricidad" at the Mark Taper Forum & "Marta" in Eduardo Machado's "Fabiola" at Theatre for the New City in NYC.
She considers the job on Broadway with Joe Papp & Estelle Parsons to have been the breakthrough that got the agent/casting/producer world to notice, which in time brought her to LA.
On international Spanish television, Bertila is known for her role as the villainous Marta on "Angelica Mi Vida" for Telemundo. She has been in dozens of commercials & voice-overs in both Spanish & English, most notably she was the voice for Guess Jeans & starred in the Award winning Ariel commercials during the 80's.
Damas has received critical acclaim for her roles in film, television & in the theater; most notably as "Rachel" in the film "Mi Vida Loca" directed by Alison Anders and in "Electricidad" as "Clemencia" at the Mark Taper Forum.
Bertila has served on the SAG Board of Directors (2010 - 2012) and also on the SAG AFTRA Board (2012 -2013), also serving as the legacy SAG & new SAG AFTRA National Co-Chair of the Ethnic Employment Opportunities Committee (2010 -2013).
