I'm a Stage actor and Screenwriter from New York City, where I grew up since migrating from Cuba in 1969. I grew up and still live in Queens, New York, the only home I know and love dearly. I graduated in 1982 from LaGuardia Community College in Queens with a degree in Liberal Arts and with Honors as I made the Dean's List. It's college where I developed a love for acting and where I took my first few courses and where I was also developing my creative writing skills, a passion I had since I first wrote my first story at the age of thirteen. It is writing that helped me to overcome the trauma of school bullying and the loneliness and alienation I was going through as a new comer to strange Country.
In late 1982 before graduating college I was casted -after numerous auditions - in the college's first - ever musical play titled, "The Me Nobody Knows" in the role of Carlos. This experience changed my life forever. It made me a more confident person and I developed a love for staged acting, that words could never described.
In 1983, after graduating, I joined a Method Acting Workshop, where I was casted in an intense play titled, "Five Finger Exercise" as Clive.
From 1983 -- 1992 I worked as Assistant Director, Lighting/Sound Designer in over 40 different productions, locally and on tour, musicals and revues, all produced by the only Queens, New York based theater company named, Thalia Spanish Theater.
I Studied The Meisner Technique at The Acting Studio in NYC from 1997 -- 1998. In my opinion, Meisner is one of the best actor technique and the best thing that happened to me as an actor, for it prepared me for one of the most difficult, yet fulfilling, roles till date that I had to play on stage in Joe Pintauro's Raft of the Medusa a Drama about AIDS in late 80's.
In 1996 worked in Blues Traveler's Music video: 'The Mountains Win Again."
In 1996 - 1997 I studied Method at The Raul Julia Workshop of The Puerto Rican Traveling Theater in New York City.
In 1998, I played Jimmy in Joe Pintauro's play, " Raft of the Medusa" about a support group (based on factual events according to the playwright, whom I met years later) who's members are all dying of AIDS. In this play is where The Meisner Technique was extremely helpful because it involved not only being in the moment at all times, where 12 actors are all talking back and forth and Meisner Technique of "Listening and Responding" was an essential tool, (on every acting job) but in this play it was a necessity to really listen to another.
1999 played dual - roles : Mr. Lies and Belize -- an ex drag - queen, in Tony Kushner's, Pulitzer Price winner for Drama, ""Angels in America."
It was these two roles that got me casted (after two auditions) once again as Jimmy in a larger, more important production of, "Raft of The Medusa" where I got to work with SAG actors, two great Directors and got to meet the playwright. This production opened at West Village Wing's Theater in New York City where I was doing seven shows per week for 20 weeks in 2002 and 2004.
I was also working, at the same time, for a commercial airline (TWA) from 1987 to 2002. A job that afforded me to travel to many parts of the world for pennies. It was while working for this company, that I loved and no longer exist, where I injured my spine while lifting a handicapped passenger from the airplane to the jet-way. I had to undergo three different surgeries in a four year period and I'm still suffering chronic pain in my neck and been having right shoulder pain for over a year now due to torned ligaments and a sprained shoulder, all from years of wear and tear at the airport. The last year I've had to stop working and I've completed with great pain four screenplays and hope to complete at least two more by years end and three more after that as I do hope (God willing) to start pitching and start taking advantage of many of the courses and workshops offered here at STAGE 32, but all these things required $$$ and that's a problem for me at the present time. But this is a great community of people and there's a reason why one year ago this June 2015, Jennifer from THE PAGE, recommended Stage 32 and its been a life changing experience for me. Everyone here from the top "RB" to ALL the members have been great to me and to one another. I feel blessed to have found Stage 32, so thank you Jennifer from The PAGE .
I have two screenplays (that need work) but all the same is here on my profile as well as in . I love to hear any feedback (on story only) for like I said, it needs work . So, feel free to read it and leave me a comment.
Well time as a Stage 32 member goes by fast and since I joined, I completed nine screenplays - visit loglines - for synopses. Yes, Stage 32 has made a huge difference in my life as a screenwriter, more importantly as a fearless writer and human being after being encourage to write my very first ever, blog title Outspoken. Thanks, Rosalyn Winton - S32 editor - for your support and everyone who stop by and left me a positive com
ment.
Unique traits: Very honest. I valued friendship greatly and I'm grateful for God, family, friends and my deceased mother, who had the courage to take me and my brother out of a communist regime (CUBA) when I was seven and when we arrives she opened her own childcare business, in a two room basement apartment, in order to be at home for my brother and I. Mom, was always grateful because we were in the land of the free. Thanks mom for always being there for me and for being my very first critique of my writing as a child.
REDEMPTION Budget: $0 - $100K | Drama The guilt of a father, even years after serving time for vehicular manslaughter where his wife and daughter died, is so deeply rooted, that he's only wish since serving time is to die slowly from alcoholism. But, as he enters AA, is here where he will ultimately find the redemption that will set him free and give purpose to his life.
The Broken Soldier Budget: $1M - $5M | Drama A war vet suffering from combat PTSD, uses alcohol, sex and drugs to mask his invisible wounds, but when the woman he loves becomes a victim of his detrimental lifestyle, getting help is his only chance at love and survival.
COMPLICIT Budget: $1M - $5M | Drama A humbled Crossing Guard's life is turned upside down after two devious, vindictive teens use a classmate's shameful secret to force this one to frame the Guard for molestation, after the Guard reported the malicious teens for bullying the other on the street. -- 2017 Stage 32 Write Club.
GRAY Budget: $1M - $5M | Romance ⋄ Drama When a devoted daughter and caregiver to her terminally ill mother, meets her first love, she must keep it a secret from her sexually abusive stepfather, if she doesn't want her mother's life to be cut even shorter.
Rest in Peace Budget: $1M - $5M | Horror After serving time for murdering her Funeral Director husband for cheating on her and molesting their teenage son, a wife converts the family business into a mouse trap motel for cheating husbands and their mistresses.
Shared Scars Budget: $5M - $10M | Drama A high school teacher, tries to help a repressed, confused and scared, male student deal with homosexual feelings, but when the student uncovers the teacher's own secret, things take a dangerous turn.
The Secret Dancer Budget: $5M - $10M | Drama Out of desperation to help his mother with mounting bills and his sick father, an innocent 19 - year old high school student, enticed by a devious co-worker, becomes a strip dancer at a gay club, but there's more than just dancing going on at the club and soon the naive teen ventures into dangerous territory.
The Donor Budget: $10M - $30M | Crime ⋄ Drama A beloved brother donates his sperm so that he's gay sister's partner can have a child, but after the child is born and it's mother is murdered, all the evidence points to the donor.
Til Death Budget: $1M - $5M | Romance ⋄ Thriller A bored, young housewife gets a job and meets her first, real love, but must now figure out how to keep this love secret from her rich, dangerously jealous, older husband.
The Baby's Room Budget: $1M - $5M | Horror ⋄ Mystery An expecting couple buy a home unaware of the horrific, tragic events that took place in this house, but when death and tragedy strikes the couple, the young mother goes on a quest to find out the mystery behind the small statuette left behind on the baby's room before is too late.
Charlie -- a psychological thriller
(
Film (short)
by Chad Quinn (Thriller)
Actor - Ted A veteran suffering from PTSD becomes a serial killer, but believes that he's teenage son, who he doesn't realize is been dead, is the killer.
True West (Scene - Study, Showcase)
(
Theater
by Millennium Talent Group, NYC (Drama)
Austin
The Baby Dance (Scene - Study, Showcase)
(
Theater
by Millennium Talent Group, NYC
Actor - Richard A couple who can't have children, make a deal to purchase a baby from a poor couple, but when the baby is born with the possibilities that it will have development damage, the husband has second thoughts on the adoption.
Dinner With Friends
(
Theater
by MTG Workshop (Drama)
Tom Friendship, marriage, break up, divorce.
Raft of The Medusa
(
Theater
by Millennium Talent Group (Drama)
Jimmy The play itself is an explosive AIDS support group session, where the members discover the disease they share can divide as effectively as it conquers.
Angels in America
(
Theater
by Open Space Theater Company (Drama)
Belize/Mr. Lies Actor dual role An epic that ranges from earth to heaven; focuses on politics, sex, and religion transports us to Washington, the Kremlin, the South Bronx, Salt Lake City and Antarctica; deals with Jews, Mormons, WASPs, blacks;switches between realism and fantasy, from the tragedy of AIDS to the camp comedy of drag queens to the death or at least the absconding of God
Raft of The Medusa
(
Theater
by Open Space Theater Company (Drama)
Actor Role of Jimmy
The Stills -- Music Video
(
Video
by Music Video
Extra
SILENCE (Showcase)
(
Theater
by Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, NY (Drama)
Monologue
The Mountains Win Again -Blues Travelers
(
Music
by Blues Travelers Music Video
Stand - in
Voices from The High School
(
Theater
by Rybin Talent Agency (Drama)
Director "Voices from the High School" takes a candid look at teenage life and the every day struggles of high school students.
Grease - Musical
(
Theater
by Rybin Talent Agency
Director
Five Finger Exercise ( Scene Night, Showcase)
(
Theater
by Actors' Outlet, NYC (Drama)
Clive Five Finger Exercise Poster. A long-married couple are at war with each other
and with their teenage son and daughter.
The Me Nobody Knows Musical
(
Theater
by LaGuardia College Theater (Musical)
Carlos The writings detailing the hopes and dreams of underprivileged children in New York City are musicalized by Gary William Freedman and Will Holt.
Millennium Talent Group
(2006-2007)
The Acting Sudio
(1998-1999)
Puerto Rican Traveling Theater
(1997-1998)
CUNY LaGuardia Community College
(1980-1982)
Actors Outlet
(1980-1982)