Life beats down and crushes our souls and theatre reminds us that we have one.
Sanford Meisner
Sanford Meisner
Actor-Playwright-Screenwriter-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, 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, California's Breath of Fire Latina Theatre Ensemble, NY Public Theatre, Chicago's Urban Theatre company, Los Angeles' Working Artist's Lab, 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, Theatre for A New Audience, Arts Connection, The Public Theatre's Summer Shakeup (Shakespeare program for teens), The LAByrinth Theater Company's Intensive Ensemble and Writers Guild East Initiative: Dreamers Project, Wounded Warrior Project, LGBTQ Asylum Seekers & The Body Politics (Covid Long Haulers)
His first one-hour pilot script, On the Boulevard was a semifinalist for the 2020 HollyShorts Screenplay Competition, a quarter finalist for the 2020 Los Angeles International screenplay awards, the 2020 American Zoetrope Screenplay competition and the 2021 Atlanta International Screenplay Awards.
His original screenplay, Los Abandonados/The Abandoned won the best feature screenplay award at the 12th Annual 2022 International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival.
Published works include the plays, "Los Embrujados/The Haunted Ones" for Original Works Publishing and "Prospect Avenue", "The Spirit, The Body & The Blood", "In Da Boogie Down" for Next Stage Press.
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, 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, California's Breath of Fire Latina Theatre Ensemble, NY Public Theatre, Chicago's Urban Theatre company, Los Angeles' Working Artist's Lab, 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, Theatre for A New Audience, Arts Connection, The Public Theatre's Summer Shakeup (Shakespeare program for teens), The LAByrinth Theater Company's Intensive Ensemble and Writers Guild East Initiative: Dreamers Project, Wounded Warrior Project, LGBTQ Asylum Seekers & The Body Politics (Covid Long Haulers)
His first one-hour pilot script, On the Boulevard was a semifinalist for the 2020 HollyShorts Screenplay Competition, a quarter finalist for the 2020 Los Angeles International screenplay awards, the 2020 American Zoetrope Screenplay competition and the 2021 Atlanta International Screenplay Awards.
His original screenplay, Los Abandonados/The Abandoned won the best feature screenplay award at the 12th Annual 2022 International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival.
Published works include the plays, "Los Embrujados/The Haunted Ones" for Original Works Publishing and "Prospect Avenue", "The Spirit, The Body & The Blood", "In Da Boogie Down" for Next Stage Press.
