creates original theater as conceiver, director, writer, teacher, and actor, as well as producing diverse, multi-disciplinary works in unique, non-theater venues throughout NYC and beyond. Recipient of NYIT’s 2018 Caffe Cino Award, he has been the co-director of Peculiar Works Project, an Obie Award-winning producer of site-specific performance, since 1993. Most recently on Zoom, he created Janes Calling for the 2021 Jane’s Walk (Municipal Art Society), and directed Fengar Gael’s Smile Like A Knife (Ego Actus). His virtual tour of NYC’s first theaters, Behind the Curtain, has been workshopped by both the Episcopal Actors’ Guild and Untapped Cities and has been picked up by NY Adventure Club for a monthly open run on LiveStorm. Already selected for 8 festivals, Covid-created Language Games, including Best Shorts Competition (Best Experimental), On Women Festival (3rd prize), New Wave Film Festival (Best Woman’s Empowerment), and thanks to Covid is his first video project since the 2005 documentary, Welcome Aboard the Tripbox. Pre-pandemic creations include Afterparty: The Rothko Studio in the landmarked 222 Bowery; 2 Jane Jacobs for Village Preservation at the Cherry Lane Theater; and Planet X for the 2018 [Re]Happening Festival at the legendary Black Mountain College, NC. Other directing includes American Hamburger, Mother Suck, and 3 Robert Heide Plays (Howl! Happening); two Climate Change Theater Actions for Artichoke Arts; and America’s first play, Androboros, in both Fraunces Tavern Museum and Overthrow’s boxing ring; as well as terrific plays by William M. Hoffman, Megan Terry, Larry Gelbart, Paul Foster, Tom Murrin, Marina Shron, John Patrick Shanley, Hallie Flanagan, Dostoevsky, Aristophanes, and Dr. Suess, among others. When not making theater, Ralph lives in a 200-year-old Federal house on the Bowery and volunteers with the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors, NYC Loft Tenants, and Henry St. Food Pantry. NYU-TSOA, AEA, SAG/AFTRA, LCT Directors Lab.
