HÉCTOR LUIS RIVERA Executive/Artistic Director

The recipient of the Silver Medal of the French Academy of Arts-Sciences-Letters in Paris (2001).

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1961, Hector Luis started his career at age 15 as an actor, director and playwright in the prestigious Puerto Rican Institution: Ateneo Puertorriqueña in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In New York City, motivated by his acting mentor Virginia Rambal, Héctor Luis, along with his friends Carmen Maldonado and Reuben P. Morales, founded TEBA.

In recognition for his outstanding theater work Héctor Luis has won numerous awards and recognitions. He was selected among the 10 most popular actors of the 1990s by Impacto Newspaper. He won the ACE Award as the best director for LATE's "El señor presidente" and was nominated for best director for "Seven Against Thebes" and "Juana de Arco en la hoguera". The "Aplausos" Award honored him as playwright and director for "Isla invadida".

As an actor Héctor Luis received the ACE (Association of Critics of Entertainment) Award for best supporting actor in LATE's production of "Los huevos del avestruz" (2001), "Las malas pasiones" (also HOLA Award 2003), and TEBA's "Cinema Uttopia" for Best Character Actor of 2004, and an ACE nomination as best co-lead actor for "I am La Julieta de Lorca". His biography appeared in several editions of Who's Who Among American Universities and Colleges, The International Directory of Distinguished Leadership, The International Who's Who of Intellectuals.

Among his plays are: "Ratones blancos" (1988),  "Malasangre-Episodio 1" (2000), "Isla invadida" (1991), I-Juca-Pirama" (1992) and "La última poesía del continente" (1998). Staged adaptations include outstanding adaptations of "Seven Against Thebes", A Midsummer Night's Dream", I am La Julieta de Lorca", "El señor presidente" and "El libro del buen amor".

Director credits include works from Shakespeare, Aeschylus, Anouilh, Cervantes, García Lorca, Elena Garro, Jaime Salom , Hugo Argüelles, Luisa Josefina Hernández and local writers such as Tony Betancourt, José Corrales, Pedro Monge-Rafuls and Eroilda Rodríguez.

Héctor Luis is also an educator at P.S. 77 in Brooklyn, New York where he has been appointed as an Artist-in-Residence.