Juan Ramirez, Jr.

Categories: Film, Teaching Artist, Theater & Performance, Writing & Literature, Community Arts

Juan Ramirez, Jr. is a Nuyorican-Chapín Boogie Down Bronx born-and-raised internationally produced, award-winning playwright and screenwriter, monologist, actor, director, filmmaker, producer and poet.

His latest play Calling Puerto Rico recently received a workshop production in 2023 with Pa’lante Theater Company to a sold out two-week run, going viral on the company’s Tiktok, and later going on a five-city tour in Connecticut, reaching a total of 2,000+ audience members. The play and Juan was selected into the 2020 – 2021 Dramatists Guild Fellowship with mentorship from Migdalia Cruz and Lucy Thurber and Elena Araoz. The play was selected as a Miranda Family Voces Latinx Playwriting Competition Finalist with Repertorio Espańol directed by Cándido Tirado and received a workshop reading starring Sean Carvajal (Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train) and Monica Steuer (Fur). The play received the 2019 Bronx Recognize Its Own Award (BRIO) in part with the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs for its “…artistic excellence.” The play received workshop readings with The 24 Hour Plays, Latinx Playwrights Circle and Primary Stages, a workshop reading at IATI directed Tatiana Pandiani. The play also is a 2020 BAPF (Bay Area Playwrights Festival) Finalist and in 2018, the play made Semi-finalist for the LTC Carnaval of New Latinx work.

The American Dream received its world premiere with Subtext Studio Theatre Company part of The Chicago Latino Theatre Alliance’s Destinos Festival, directed by Omar Vincente Fernandez and translated by Kairis Rivera. The play was selected for the New American Voices Play Reading Series at The Landing Theatre in Houston, Texas, directed by Stephen Miranda. It was part of the inaugural Broadway Bound Theatre Festival performed at the 14th Street Y. The play was also a semi-finalist for the 2016 Stage Left Theatre’s Downstage Left residency.

His solo show Broadway Of The Bronx: A Juan Man Show was awarded the inaugural Bronx Council on the Art’s Bronx Cultural Visions Fund Production Grant, developed at a Yaddo Residency, and produced for a one-night only workshop production, directed by Cándido Tirado with dramaturgy by Carmen Rivera and Pandora Scooter and The American Theater Group PlayLab. The project began with a mini-grant part of Rattlestick Theater’s Block-by-Block Artist Investigation Project, led by Cusi Cram and Daniella Toppel. Special, performed onsite at The Hub, The Bronx. Special thanks for selection for the Celebrating Diversity Through Wallace Artist Salon: Diversity Awareness & Hispanic Heritage Month, part of the Wallace Foundation and selected and awarded the City Artist Corps Grant, partnering with New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), with support from the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) as well as Queens Theatre, the virtual production and workshop Broadway Of The Bronx Monologue Workshop was presented with support from Art Defined.

Of Great Magnitude, or The Earthquake Play received the 2023 – 2014 Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Commission, based on the true story of Mexican civil engineer Dr. Leonardo Zeevaert, who built the foundation for the world’s first skyscraper, Torre Latinoamericana, on a highly seismic zone.

His Theater of the Absurd Hip-Hop dramedy Say Less was selected and won Third Place for Best Play part of the 2021 Downtown Urban Arts Festival, performed at the Abrons Art Center’s 1915 Playhouse Theater. One Act Of Kindness is selected and won Third Place for best short play part of The Lab Stage for the 2020 Downtown Urban Arts Festival. Ridin‘ Shotgun made its festival debut and won Best Play in the 2019 Downtown Urban Arts Festival. Sailing Stones made Second Place for Best Short Play as part of the 2018 Downtown Urban Arts Festival and Honor Among Thieves was selected for the 2017 Downtown Urban Arts Festival presented at The Cherry Lane. Walk The Bronx is a 2016 Downtown Urban Theater Festival Finalist.

A Love Letter To The Bronx, a Bronx epic play, had a virtual production in December 2021. The play rights are released license-free to Bronx participating organizations. This project is awarded and funded by the Bronx Council on the Arts’ 2021 New Work grant.

Love In All The Right Places was produced at Ophelia Theatre Group and Manhattan Repertory Company. The latest production was part of Bronx Council on the Arts 2021 Bronx Expressions Spring Performance Series, presented virtually.
(For more theater credits, visit website)

His Bronx crime drama TV pilot Sins Of Our Fathers wins 2021 Best Screenplay, part of Revolution Me Films and 2022 Bronx Council on the Arts’ Bronx Recognize It’s Own Award.

The web series #30s, co-written with Cristy Reynoso and Amira Mustapha, makes Top 10 Shorts with Table Read My Screenplay, and is available on YouTube at @30stheseries

B:|ch Face, a web series co-written with Cristy Reynoso, is a Second Rounder the 2021 Austin Film Festival.

His short horror film Alone With My Demons was selected and won Best Bronx Film part of 2020 Inwood Art Works’ New York City Quarantine Film Festival. It was also selected for the 3rd Annual Concourse Film Festival, the 2020 Mott Haven Film Festival, the inaugural 2021 Naked Angels “It’s Been A Year” Film Festival and Meta Den’s Queering Film Festival. The film is produced by R&R Production with Cristy Reynoso and stars Angela Reynoso. The short is showcased in a COVID-19 art created website project called COVID Arts and Thoughts.

The short noir film Homme Fatale was produced by R&R Production part of Bronx Film 48 Hour Challenge, presented by the festival on July 25th, 2020, and won the award for Best Use Of Required Elements. It was also selected for the 3rd Annual Concourse Film Festival. The film made its public access debut on BronxNet.
(For more film credits, visit website)

He the currently the Youth Program Playwright Lab Director at Manhattan Company Class, an NYU adjunct and teaching artist with Naked Angels/Culture For One, Manhattan Theatre Club and Bronx Council on the Arts.

He works with Art Defined Productions, leading the The Flip The Script Series, teaching various free to the public writing workshops, in partnership with Poets&Writers. In 2021, Art Defined produced The Flip The Script Series Workshop and Performance: Deep Dive, inviting four playwrights to write and produce their work in a virtual festival presentation. The four plays are published on Amazon in an anthology series. This program was awarded and sponsored by the Bronx Council on The Arts’ 2021 Community Arts and Arts Fund grants.

Coquito was selected as part of 2021 Arte Latino Now at Queens University of Charlotte for archiving and highlighting new work, in all disciplines, by Latino/a/x/é artists.

As a facilitator, he has taught with Atlantic Theater Company, participated in artist public conversations with HB Studios, and taught at juvenile detention facilities, gifted student programs and educational venues, like Poe Park Visitor Center.
(For more educator credits, visit website)

He is a film assessor, script reader, judge and panelist for several fellowships and festivals. He has taught classes in various art disciplines from improv to screenwriting.

He received his B.A. from Lehman College and his MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU Tisch.

He has been awarded Bronx Council on the Art’s SU-CASA, Community Arts, Arts Fund and New Work grants.

He is a Dramatists Guild member, a 2020-2021 Dramatists Guild Fellow, Dramatists Guild End of Play Partner, Yaddo Artist, American Theater Group Play Lab Member, a Latinx Playwright Circle Member, Latiné Musical Theatre Lab member, and a producing member of The Bronx Repertory Company.

You can find his work on Stage Agent, New Play Exchange and Amazon self-publishing. He also has free and for sale monologues in his Monologue Catalogue.