UNIVERSESThe Revolution will be LIVE !!!!
UNIVERSES THEATER COMPANY
Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp, William Ruiz aka Ninja, Gamal Chasten
Summary:
UNIVERSES is a national Ensemble Theater Company, of multi-disciplined writers and performers of color, who fuse theater, poetry, dance, jazz, hip hop, politics, down home blues and Spanish boleros to create moving, challenging and entertaining works for the stage. The group breaks the traditional theatrical bounds to create its own brand of theater. Founded in The Bronx, New York in 1995, the members of UNIVERSES came together in the urban poetry and music scene of the late 1990s; quickly moving through the “down town” performance scene to built a home for themselves in American Theatre. In their 20+ years, UNIVERSES has performed at venues throughout the United States and toured extensively worldwide.
Education:
B.A., Bard College
Steven Sapp ’89 (Concentrations: Theatre; Minor in Dance)
Mildred Ruiz-Sapp ’92 (Concentrations: Literature and Language; Minor in Dance)
William Ruiz ’03 (Concentrations: Theatre)
Theatre Experience (USA):
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UNISON - Present
Commissioned by: The Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Written by: UNIVERSES – Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp, William Ruiz
Directed/Developed by: Robert O’Hara (OSF 2017)
Commissioned by: The Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Written by: UNIVERSES – Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp, William Ruiz
Directed/Developed by: Robert O’Hara (OSF 2017)
THE CHOSEN FEW (Working Title) - Present
Commissioned by: The Goodman Theatre
Work in Progress by: UNIVERSES – Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp, William Ruiz
Commissioned by: The Goodman Theatre
Work in Progress by: UNIVERSES – Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp, William Ruiz
SPRING TRAINING 2013
Written by: Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp, Gamal Chasten and William Ruiz a.k.a Ninja; Directed/Developed by Chay Yew; Sound Design/Collaboration: Aaron Meicht (of Broken Chord); Commissioned by: Playmakers Rep (Chapel Hill, NC); Developed at: ArtsEmerson.
Written by: Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp, Gamal Chasten and William Ruiz a.k.a Ninja; Directed/Developed by Chay Yew; Sound Design/Collaboration: Aaron Meicht (of Broken Chord); Commissioned by: Playmakers Rep (Chapel Hill, NC); Developed at: ArtsEmerson.
PARTY PEOPLE 2012 - Present
Written/Performed by UNIVERSES’ - Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp, William Ruiz (other actors include members of the OSF acting company); Directed/Developed by Liesl Tommy; Commissioned by The Oregon Shakespeare Festival 2009-American Revolution: US History Cycle); Premiered at The Oregon Shakespeare Festival - 2012 season. Re-Developed by Berkeley repertory Theatre with a New Premiere at Berkeley Rep (2014).
Written/Performed by UNIVERSES’ - Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp, William Ruiz (other actors include members of the OSF acting company); Directed/Developed by Liesl Tommy; Commissioned by The Oregon Shakespeare Festival 2009-American Revolution: US History Cycle); Premiered at The Oregon Shakespeare Festival - 2012 season. Re-Developed by Berkeley repertory Theatre with a New Premiere at Berkeley Rep (2014).
AMERIVILLE 2009-2012
Written/Performed by UNIVERSES’ - Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp, William Ruiz, Gamal Chasten; Directed/Developed by Chay Yew; Commissioned by The Actors Theatre of Louisville; Premiere: Actors Theatre of Louisville (Louisville, KY) 2009; Re-Mount for Touring: Curious Theatre (Denver, CO) 2009. Tour includes: Southern Rep./Junebug Prod. (New Orleans, LA); Victory Gardens (Chicago, IL); Round House Theatre (Bethesda, MD); ArtsEmerson (Boston, MA); The Public Theater – Under The Radar (NYC); DiverseWorks (Houston, TX); Hopkins Ctr. – Dartmouth (Hanover, NH); New World Theatre (Amherst, MA); Luckman Theatre (Los Angeles, CA)
Written/Performed by UNIVERSES’ - Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp, William Ruiz, Gamal Chasten; Directed/Developed by Chay Yew; Commissioned by The Actors Theatre of Louisville; Premiere: Actors Theatre of Louisville (Louisville, KY) 2009; Re-Mount for Touring: Curious Theatre (Denver, CO) 2009. Tour includes: Southern Rep./Junebug Prod. (New Orleans, LA); Victory Gardens (Chicago, IL); Round House Theatre (Bethesda, MD); ArtsEmerson (Boston, MA); The Public Theater – Under The Radar (NYC); DiverseWorks (Houston, TX); Hopkins Ctr. – Dartmouth (Hanover, NH); New World Theatre (Amherst, MA); Luckman Theatre (Los Angeles, CA)
THE DENVER PROJECT 2008
Written by UNIVERSES’ Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp; Directed by: Dee Covington; Commissioned by Curious Theatre (Denver, CO)
Written by UNIVERSES’ Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp; Directed by: Dee Covington; Commissioned by Curious Theatre (Denver, CO)
ONE SHOT IN LOTUS POSITION (For: THE WAR ANTHOLOGY) 2006
Written by UNIVERSES’ Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp; Directed by Bonnie Metzger; Commissioned by Curious Theatre (Denver, CO)
Written by UNIVERSES’ Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp; Directed by Bonnie Metzger; Commissioned by Curious Theatre (Denver, CO)
THE LAST WORD 2005
Written by UNIVERSES’ Gamal Chasten; Performance Space 122 (NY); Univ. Texas (Austin, TX). Directed by Dara Serber
Written by UNIVERSES’ Gamal Chasten; Performance Space 122 (NY); Univ. Texas (Austin, TX). Directed by Dara Serber
BLUE SUITE
(Originally EYEWITNESS BLUES)
Original NYTW Premiere 2004
Written/Performed by UNIVERSES’ Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp; Directed/Developed by Chay Yew; Originally commissioned as EYEWITNESS BLUES by New York Theatre Workshop; Premier at New York Theatre Workshop Directed/Developed by Talvin Wilks Tour and Labs include: GALA Hispanic Theatre (Washington, DC); The Goodman Theatre (Chicago, IL); Emory University (Atlanta, GA); Modlin Center for the Arts (Richmond, VA); (EYEWITNESS BLUES) New York Theater Workshop (New York, NY); New World Theater (Amherst, MA); Dance Theater Workshop (New York, NY)
(Originally EYEWITNESS BLUES)
Original NYTW Premiere 2004
Written/Performed by UNIVERSES’ Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp; Directed/Developed by Chay Yew; Originally commissioned as EYEWITNESS BLUES by New York Theatre Workshop; Premier at New York Theatre Workshop Directed/Developed by Talvin Wilks Tour and Labs include: GALA Hispanic Theatre (Washington, DC); The Goodman Theatre (Chicago, IL); Emory University (Atlanta, GA); Modlin Center for the Arts (Richmond, VA); (EYEWITNESS BLUES) New York Theater Workshop (New York, NY); New World Theater (Amherst, MA); Dance Theater Workshop (New York, NY)
LIVE FROM THE EDGE
2004-Present
Written by: UNIVERSES’ Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp, Gamal Chasten, William Ruiz; Touring includes: College of Saint Benedict (Saint Joseph, MN). Flynn Center for the Performing Arts (Burlington, VT), First Works (Providence, RI), Trinity College (Hartford, CT), Overture Center (Madison, WI), California State University—LA (Los Angeles, CA), ProArts Collective (Austin, TX), Miami Light Project (Miami, FL) , University of California—Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, CA), Ferris State University (Big Rapids, MI), PICA Festival (Portland, OR), Bumbershoot Festival (Seattle, WA), Apollo Theater –Salon Series (New York, NY), Emory University (Atlanta, GA)
2004-Present
Written by: UNIVERSES’ Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp, Gamal Chasten, William Ruiz; Touring includes: College of Saint Benedict (Saint Joseph, MN). Flynn Center for the Performing Arts (Burlington, VT), First Works (Providence, RI), Trinity College (Hartford, CT), Overture Center (Madison, WI), California State University—LA (Los Angeles, CA), ProArts Collective (Austin, TX), Miami Light Project (Miami, FL) , University of California—Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, CA), Ferris State University (Big Rapids, MI), PICA Festival (Portland, OR), Bumbershoot Festival (Seattle, WA), Apollo Theater –Salon Series (New York, NY), Emory University (Atlanta, GA)
RHYTHMICITY 2003
Written and Performed by UNIVERSES’ Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp, Gamal Chasten with collaborating artists, Reg.e.gaines, Willie Perdomo, Rha Goddess and Reggie Cabico; Directed by Steven Sapp; Commissioned and presented at the Humana Festival 2003, Actors Theater of Louisville
Written and Performed by UNIVERSES’ Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp, Gamal Chasten with collaborating artists, Reg.e.gaines, Willie Perdomo, Rha Goddess and Reggie Cabico; Directed by Steven Sapp; Commissioned and presented at the Humana Festival 2003, Actors Theater of Louisville
SLANGUAGE
Original NYTW Premiere 2001 - toured through 2012
Written/Performed by Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp, Gamal Chasten, Lemon Andersen, Flaco Navaja (additional contributions by William Ruiz). Directed/Developed by Jo Bonney. Commissioned by New York Theatre Workshop; Premiere: New York Theatre Workshop; Early workshops at Performance Space 122 (PS122) in 1999. Touring includes: (Performance & teaching workshops) Mark Taper Forum – Ivy Substation (Los Angeles, CA), Actor Theater of Louisville (Louisville, KY), University of Denver (Denver, CO), Duke University (Durham, NC), The University of Maryland -Boston Center for the Arts with Company One (Boston, MA), California State University—Monterey Bay (Monterey Bay, CA), National Ensemble Theater Festival (Blue Lake, CA), Kutztown University (Kutztown, PA), Penn State Univ. (PA), Walker Art Center (Minneapolis, MN), University of California—Santa Barbara, (Santa Barbara, CA), University of California—Riverside, (Riverside, CA), The Egg (Albany, NY), Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago, IL), Lafayette College (Easton, PA), Emory University (Atlanta, GA), African American Cultural Center (Pittsburgh, PA), Washington University (St. Louis, MO), Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center (College Park, MD), Juniata College (Huntingdon, PA), Out North (Anchorage, Alaska), Williams College (Williamstown, MA), Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH), The Painted Bride (Philadelphia, PA), Diverse Works (Houston, TX), University of Texas (Austin, TX), Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, (Burlington, VT), Dance Space (Washington, DC), Everett Dance Theater (Providence, RI), New World Theater at the Univ. of Mass. (Amherst, MA), Teatro Pregones (Bronx, NY)
Original NYTW Premiere 2001 - toured through 2012
Written/Performed by Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp, Gamal Chasten, Lemon Andersen, Flaco Navaja (additional contributions by William Ruiz). Directed/Developed by Jo Bonney. Commissioned by New York Theatre Workshop; Premiere: New York Theatre Workshop; Early workshops at Performance Space 122 (PS122) in 1999. Touring includes: (Performance & teaching workshops) Mark Taper Forum – Ivy Substation (Los Angeles, CA), Actor Theater of Louisville (Louisville, KY), University of Denver (Denver, CO), Duke University (Durham, NC), The University of Maryland -Boston Center for the Arts with Company One (Boston, MA), California State University—Monterey Bay (Monterey Bay, CA), National Ensemble Theater Festival (Blue Lake, CA), Kutztown University (Kutztown, PA), Penn State Univ. (PA), Walker Art Center (Minneapolis, MN), University of California—Santa Barbara, (Santa Barbara, CA), University of California—Riverside, (Riverside, CA), The Egg (Albany, NY), Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago, IL), Lafayette College (Easton, PA), Emory University (Atlanta, GA), African American Cultural Center (Pittsburgh, PA), Washington University (St. Louis, MO), Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center (College Park, MD), Juniata College (Huntingdon, PA), Out North (Anchorage, Alaska), Williams College (Williamstown, MA), Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH), The Painted Bride (Philadelphia, PA), Diverse Works (Houston, TX), University of Texas (Austin, TX), Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, (Burlington, VT), Dance Space (Washington, DC), Everett Dance Theater (Providence, RI), New World Theater at the Univ. of Mass. (Amherst, MA), Teatro Pregones (Bronx, NY)
THE RIDE 1998
Written/Performed by Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp, Gamal Chasten, Lemon Andersen, Flaco Navaja. Directed by Steven Sapp. Touring Includes: The Point CDC (Bronx, NY); P.S. 122 (New York, NY) New York Performance Works (New York, NY) Andy Warhol Museum (Pittsburgh, PA)
Written/Performed by Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp, Gamal Chasten, Lemon Andersen, Flaco Navaja. Directed by Steven Sapp. Touring Includes: The Point CDC (Bronx, NY); P.S. 122 (New York, NY) New York Performance Works (New York, NY) Andy Warhol Museum (Pittsburgh, PA)
POETRY/MUSIC PERFORMANCES
1995-Present Tour includes: The NuYorican Poets Café (NYC), HBO's Def Poetry Jam (Season 4- Episode 9, New York University , Harvard University, Princeton University, Rutgers University, Lehman College, University of Massachusetts, BARD College, Binghamton University, Sarah Lawrence College, City College, Pace University, Pace University, American Airlines Theater (Encore Awards), Joe’s Pub, Labyrinth Theatre, Symphony Space, Aaron Davis hall, Museum of Natural History, St. John The Divine, The Painted Bride (PA), The Brooklyn Tea Party, The Brooklyn Moon, The Newsroom, Bar 13, Sister’s Place, El Puente, Live From The Edge Theater, The Bronx Academy of Art and Dance B.A.A.D, Sing Sing Prison.
1995-Present Tour includes: The NuYorican Poets Café (NYC), HBO's Def Poetry Jam (Season 4- Episode 9, New York University , Harvard University, Princeton University, Rutgers University, Lehman College, University of Massachusetts, BARD College, Binghamton University, Sarah Lawrence College, City College, Pace University, Pace University, American Airlines Theater (Encore Awards), Joe’s Pub, Labyrinth Theatre, Symphony Space, Aaron Davis hall, Museum of Natural History, St. John The Divine, The Painted Bride (PA), The Brooklyn Tea Party, The Brooklyn Moon, The Newsroom, Bar 13, Sister’s Place, El Puente, Live From The Edge Theater, The Bronx Academy of Art and Dance B.A.A.D, Sing Sing Prison.
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