FRANK RUIZ

Mike Lee and I previewed Woody Guthrie's Songs To Grow On at the Hudson River Music Festival. We played Woody tunes for families and spent the day with our friends from the Woody Guthrie Center.

Woody Guthrie's Songs To Grow On held a very successful developmental workshop with the students and families at PS 244Q. Featuring Hannah Bakke as Cathy Guthrie, Becca Bernard as Marjorie Guthrie, and Mike Lee as Woody Guthrie.

My wife and I welcomed our son this Spring, and he continues to be the greatest gift we could have asked for. If you know us on a personal level, you'll understand how grateful we are to be his parents.

My session at the inaugural Lincoln Center Theater LEAD Convening was mentioned in American Theatre Magazine. Read More.  

May You Live in Interesting Times: How Do We Meet the Moment?

How do we, as Teaching Artists and program administrators, respond when students, classroom teachers, and school administrators are confronted with the stark realities stemming from rapidly changing policies? When do we choose to employ strategies of aesthetic distance, and when do we choose not to? Within the limits of our professional roles, how do we model and practice care for ourselves and others?

Myself and the other fellows were featured in October's TYA Today Member Spotlight! 

Read it here.

I joined Musical Theatre Factory for their Fall Salon: The Art Of Protest. After sharing a bit of family history, I described the early concept for my new musical, "Retorno, or El Güegüense Nuevo".

Lessons from Woody Guthrie on his 112th birthday: Why Children’s Voices and Their Songs Should Guide the Way Forward

This article from TYA Today recounts my research trip to the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, OK

After a week-long workshop, my students shared their protest songs at Harlem community coffee shop, NBHD Brulee. In an exciting turn of events, we had a volunteer from Faith In New York present to help register people to vote! 

Watch the highlight reel.

Exploring the Intersectionality of Supports Between Multilingual Learners and Students with Disabilities Through Songwriting. 

In 2023, New York City Public Schools identified 14.1% of students as Multilingual Learners, and 20.9% as Students with Disabilities. Where do supports for these two groups of students intersect? In this facilitated workshop, we will discuss behavior as a medium for language and communication, demonstrate how proven supports for Multilingual Learners can be applied through songwriting activities, and discuss how these supports can also benefit Students with Disabilities.

My project received an LMCC Creative Learning Grant! 

I’m Gonna Say It Now: Exploring Protest through Topical Songwriting.

 A five-session residency to teach students how to use topical songwriting as a means of protest. Culminating in a public demonstration, students will be encouraged to engage their community in discussion and comment on the social justice issues that matter most to them.

TYA/USA has awarded the Emerging Leader in TYA Fellowship to Frank Ruiz, ChelseaDee Harrison, and Julia Hogan Laurenson. The 2024 TYA/USA Emerging Leader Fellows will travel across the country to engage in innovative practice and exchange ideas.

I made my debut as Assistant Director for NYCCT's TVY Tour: ¡Corre Abuelita, Run! 

My dear friend Sammy Lopez wrote this beautiful story, inspired by watching his own Abuelita run the LA marathon. 

I'm thrilled to join New York City Children's Theater as Education Coordinator and Teaching Artist, supporting and facilitating residency programs in schools and transitional housing sites in all 5 boroughs of NYC. 

I was among 5 people interviewed by NPR to discuss pandemic career changes. Read more to hear about the devised bilingual theatre class I created in Red Bank, NJ.