Rafael Sanchez
Birth Place: Madrid, Spain
Latest News on Rafael Sanchez:
BIO
Rafael Sánchez is the Executive Artistic Director at Repertorio Español (Spanish Repertory Theatre), a
non-profit organization that has been performing the best of Latin American, Spanish, and Hispanic-
American theatre in distinctive, quality productions, and bringing theatre to a broad audience in New
York City.
Born and raised in Madrid, Spain, Rafael possesses a BA in Drama from the University of Kent at
Canterbury (ESAD), a Master’s in Performing Arts from the University Rey Juan Carlos, and also studied
graduate courses in Comparative Literature at the University of Puerto Rico. He has taught at that institution and has served as an Adjunct Lecturer in the Hispanic Languages and Literature Department at Queens College (CUNY).
He is now part of the Tony Awards Nominating Committee and has served on the Lucille Lortel Awards Nominating Committee during the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
His work with non-profits has been proven for more than ten years in Puerto Rico (where he resided
until 2017) and the USA, with companies such as Tantai Teatro (Founder) and Boundless Theatre
Company.
He is also a performing artist based in New York, having acted in and/or produced over 50 works in
Spain and the USA. Sánchez is a proud member of the Academia de las Artes Escénicas de España, and in
2025, served as a presenter for their Medallas de Honor. In 2025, he was recognized by PoliticsNY as
one of the “Power Players in Arts and Culture.”
He is married to Broadway performer Omar Nieves.
His contributions to arts funding include serving as a grant panelist for the NYC Department of Cultural
Affairs (DCLA), the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), and Bank of America’s Community
Builders Initiative.
His last works as an actor includes "La Golondrina" and "Smily" by Guillem Clua. He recently directed the Off Broadway musical "La Llamada" by Los Javis.
STAGE CREDITS
Additional Credits
La golondrina - Actor. Repertorio Español
Smily - Actor. Repertorio Español
Valor, agravio y mujer - Actor. Repertorio Español
Pegados, un musical diferente . Actor. CBA Puerto Rico
Footloose - Actor. Black Box Theatre Co.
Spring Awakening - Actor. Teatro Victoria Espinosa, Puerto Rico
PIAF, el musical - Actor. CBA Puerto Rico
HAIR - Actor. Puerto Rico and Baton Rouge
Awards and Nominations
News
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Oct 8, 2021
REPERTORIO ESPAÑOL marked its rebirth after more than a year and a half, with an intimate reception followed by a performance of Junot Díaz's Pulitzer Award-winning LA BREVE Y MARAVILLOSA VIDA DE OSCAR WAO (The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao), directed and adapted for the stage by Marco Antonio Rodríguez.
by A.A. Cristi - Oct 15, 2019
Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theatera?'NYC's foremost theater company championing Latinx cultural expression and centering Puerto Rican artistrya?'will premiere ¡GUARACHA! on Friday, November 15. ¡GUARACHA! is an ensemble musical adapted from the acclaimed satirical novela?'La guaracha del Macho Camacho (Macho Camacho's Beat) by Luis Rafael Sánchez. In creating the book and lyrics for ¡GUARACHA!, Pregones/PRTT Artistic Director Rosalba Rolón relayed Sanchez's incisive wit and humor through original music by Pregones/PRTT's Musical Director Desmar Guevara, and performances by a Latinx acting ensemble and a live five-piece band.
by A.A. Cristi - Oct 5, 2018
Transgender superstar Mila Jam released BRUISED, a powerful, star- studded music video and soul pop EP. The emotional four-track EP, which highlights relationships, abuse, self-discovery, and hope, is now available on all digital providers. The music video will made its official debut at a launch party held at The Cutting Room (44 E 32nd Street) on Thursday, October 4, 2018.
by Walter McBride - Jun 13, 2018
REPERTORIO ESPAÑOL (138 E. 27 St.) - one of Off-Broadway's longest-running, continuous theaters, and the ONLY company that presents Spanish-language/English-translated plays in true repertory form in NYC - marked the occasion of its 50th anniversary on Tuesday, June 5 with a gala performance of EL CORONEL NO TIENE QUIEN LE ESCRIBA (No One Writes to the Colonel), a new play adapted from the novella by legendary Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The evening concluded with cocktail/dinner at I Trulli.
by BWW News Desk - Sep 28, 2013
The French Institute Alliance Francaise (FIAF), New York's premiere French cultural center, presents Tim Etchells's Sight is the Sense that Dying People Tend to Lose First, as part of its acclaimed Crossing the Line 2013 festival. Written and directed by Tim Etchells, leader of the UK's celebrated experimental performance group Forced Entertainment, Sight is the Sense that Dying People Tend to Lose First is a long free-associating monologue that tumbles from topic to topic to create a vast, failing iteration and explanation of the world, the things, forces, experiences, people and landscapes in it - what they are and how they work. Sight is the Sense… is performed by Jim Fletcher, best known for his work with Richard Maxwell's New York City Players and for his role in Gatz by Elevator Repair Service.
by Arielle Ozery - Sep 19, 2013
The French Institute Alliance Francaise (FIAF), New York's premiere French cultural center, presents Tim Etchells's Sight is the Sense that Dying People Tend to Lose First, as part of its acclaimed Crossing the Line 2013 festival. Written and directed by Tim Etchells, leader of the UK's celebrated experimental performance group Forced Entertainment, Sight is the Sense that Dying People Tend to Lose First is a long free-associating monologue that tumbles from topic to topic to create a vast, failing iteration and explanation of the world, the things, forces, experiences, people and landscapes in it - what they are and how they work. Sight is the Sense… is performed by Jim Fletcher, best known for his work with Richard Maxwell's New York City Players and for his role in Gatz by Elevator Repair Service.
by BWW News Desk - Aug 1, 2013
The Shades of Gray will present the world premiere of Rayka Kobiella's Vestiges, tonight, August 1 - August 4 at The Secret Theatre (4402 23rd St, Long Island City).
by BWW News Desk - Jun 16, 2013
The Shades of Gray will present the world premiere of Rayka Kobiella's Vestiges, August 1 - August 4 at The Secret Theatre (4402 23rd St, Long Island City).
