Life beats down and crushes our souls and theatre reminds us that we have one. Sanford Meisner
Actor-Playwright-Arts Educator
Born in Lenox Hill Hospital to Pedro Juan Nieves and Lydia Estel Rivera and raised in New York City. He first discovered his love of the arts as a young boy reading Charles Shultz Peanuts illustrations, later as a Police Science major at John Jay College for Criminal Justice he took his first acting class and met his mentor the late John "Gus" Fleming, an actor who had studied with Sanford Meisner at The Neighborhood Playhouse and appeared on Broadway with Dustin Hoffman in Jimmy Shine, as well as in the classic motion picture Serpico starring Al Pacino.
It was during this time that he became involved with The Criminal Justice Repertory Company aka John Jay Players in association with Cornell University and the department of Child Protective services. The group used structured improvisational scenes based on actual domestic violence situations to teach social workers, Saint Vincent Hospital rape victim's unit counselors and various law enforcement organizations cross country in violence prevention.
Later he began taking scene study classes with at The Gene Frankel Workshop with Obie award winning director, Gene Frankel. Shortly thereafter he got involved with Marvin Felix Camillo's La Familia Workshop and studied with renowned acting coach and lifetime Actors Studio member, Penny Allen.
On the advice of actress and voice teacher Bettyann Leeseberg Lange he went on to study at The William Esper Studios, with Llyod Williamson (Movement), Ed Stern (Script analysis) and William Esper (Meisner technique).
He is currently a long time member of the award winning LAByrinth Theatre Company, artistic director Aaron Roman Weiner and The Actor's Studio Playwright-Director's Unit under the artistic leadership of Lyle Kessler.
As an actor he has worked with Luna Stage, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Boomerang Theatre Company, Puerto Rican Travelling Theatre Company, INTAR and the legendary Ridiculous Theatrical Company under the artistic direction of Everett Quinton; as well as appearances on television soap operas All My Children, Another World and the independent feature film The Children of Hip Hop and the HBO series The Leftovers.
As a playwright his work has been presented by Repertorio Espanol, HERE, Cherry Lane Theatre, Theatre for a New City, Orange County's Breath of Fire Latina Theatre Ensemble, Public Theatre, Apple Core Theatre Company, Chicago's Urban Theatre company, Los Angeles' Working Artist's Lab, BrooklynOne Productions, Rochester Latino Theatre company, San Diego Repertory's Amigo's de Rep, Actor's Studio, Barefoot Theatre company, Classical Theatre of Harlem and LAByrinth Theatre Company's Summer Intensive workshops at Bennington College, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Bard College, Connecticut College and Pigasus Pictures in Indiana.
As a teaching artist he's worked with the Brooklyn Arts Council, LEAP, Queens Theatre in The Park CASA & OnStage programs, Theatre For A New Audience, Arts Connection, The Public Theatre's Summer ShakeUp (Shakespeare program for teens) and The LAByrinth Theater Company's Intensive Ensemble.
It was during this time that he became involved with The Criminal Justice Repertory Company aka John Jay Players in association with Cornell University and the department of Child Protective services. The group used structured improvisational scenes based on actual domestic violence situations to teach social workers, Saint Vincent Hospital rape victim's unit counselors and various law enforcement organizations cross country in violence prevention.
Later he began taking scene study classes with at The Gene Frankel Workshop with Obie award winning director, Gene Frankel. Shortly thereafter he got involved with Marvin Felix Camillo's La Familia Workshop and studied with renowned acting coach and lifetime Actors Studio member, Penny Allen.
On the advice of actress and voice teacher Bettyann Leeseberg Lange he went on to study at The William Esper Studios, with Llyod Williamson (Movement), Ed Stern (Script analysis) and William Esper (Meisner technique).
He is currently a long time member of the award winning LAByrinth Theatre Company, artistic director Aaron Roman Weiner and The Actor's Studio Playwright-Director's Unit under the artistic leadership of Lyle Kessler.
As an actor he has worked with Luna Stage, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Boomerang Theatre Company, Puerto Rican Travelling Theatre Company, INTAR and the legendary Ridiculous Theatrical Company under the artistic direction of Everett Quinton; as well as appearances on television soap operas All My Children, Another World and the independent feature film The Children of Hip Hop and the HBO series The Leftovers.
As a playwright his work has been presented by Repertorio Espanol, HERE, Cherry Lane Theatre, Theatre for a New City, Orange County's Breath of Fire Latina Theatre Ensemble, Public Theatre, Apple Core Theatre Company, Chicago's Urban Theatre company, Los Angeles' Working Artist's Lab, BrooklynOne Productions, Rochester Latino Theatre company, San Diego Repertory's Amigo's de Rep, Actor's Studio, Barefoot Theatre company, Classical Theatre of Harlem and LAByrinth Theatre Company's Summer Intensive workshops at Bennington College, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Bard College, Connecticut College and Pigasus Pictures in Indiana.
As a teaching artist he's worked with the Brooklyn Arts Council, LEAP, Queens Theatre in The Park CASA & OnStage programs, Theatre For A New Audience, Arts Connection, The Public Theatre's Summer ShakeUp (Shakespeare program for teens) and The LAByrinth Theater Company's Intensive Ensemble.
