Steven Sapp & Mildred Ruiz-Sapp Named as Speakers at the Jandon Business of the Arts Distinguished Lecture

The Arts Management Department of Purchase College, SUNY, is pleased to announce that actors, directors, playwrights, and authors Steven Sapp and Mildred Ruiz-Sapp will be presented at this year's Jandon Business of the Arts Distinguished Lecture on Monday, April 8 at 6:30pm. This free, in-person event will take place in the Humanities Theatre on campus.

The public is invited on campus for a dynamic performance and provocative conversation with Mr. Sapp and Ms. Ruiz-Sapp, who will soon celebrate thirty years as co-founders and core members of the poetic theater ensemble UNIVERSES. Reflecting on their work and lived experience, they will share invaluable ideas, insights, and guidance on navigating the ever-evolving field as artists and arts managers, while advocating for the critical role arts education plays in society.

For updates and to register for the event, please visit www.purchase.edu/jandon.

About Steven and Mildred Ruiz-Sapp

Steven Sapp is a co-founder and core member of the acclaimed UNIVERSES Theater Company. His playwriting and acting credits include: “AmericUS;” “UNISON;” “PARTY PEOPLE;” “AMERIVILLE;” “The Denver Project;” “One Shot in Lotus Position;” “BLUE SUITE;” “RHYTHMICITY;” “SLANGUAGE;” “THE RIDE;” and “The Comedy of Errors,” among many others.

Sapp is an accomplished director, having directed the following productions: “Serious Money;” “Thanksgiving Play;” “Fireflies;” “Passover;” “SWOPERA;” “Metamorphoses;” “The Seven;” and Alfred Jarry's “UBU: Enchained.”

His awards and affiliations include the 2023-2024 Astere E. Caleyssens Artist in Residence at Northwestern University; the 2020 Andrew W. Mellon Foundation National Playwright Residency Program; the 2015 Doris Duke Performing Artist Award in Theatre; the 2012 – 2014 Oregon Shakespeare Festival Acting Company Member and Ensemble in Residence; the 2008 U.S. Cultural Ambassador with the U.S. State Department and Jazz at Lincoln Center, Rhythm Road Tour; the 2008 Theatre Communications Group (TCG) Peter Zeisler Award; the 2002 TCG National Directors Award; the 2002-2004 and 1999-2001 TCG National Theater Artist Residency Program Award; and the 2002 BRIO Awards (Bronx Recognizes Its Own-Performance, among many others.

In addition to acting, playwrighting, and directing, Sapp is an accomplished author. His publications include “SLANGUAGE in The Fire This Time” (TCG Books); “BLUE SUITE” in “The Goodman Theatre's Festival Latino – Six Plays” (Northwestern University Press); and “PARTY PEOPLE” in “The Manifesto Anthology” (Rain City Project).

In 1993 he co-founded The Point Community Development Center, a vibrant community space that offers arts programming, environmental, and business-oriented services, which have contributed to a resurgence of arts and culture in the Hunts Point neighborhood in the Bronx. Mr. Sapp has been featured on the covers of American Theatre Magazine and The Source Magazine and is an active member of Actors Equity Association.

Mildred Ruiz-Sapp is a co-founder and core member of the acclaimed UNIVERSES Theater Company. Her playwriting and acting credits include: “AmericUS; “UNISON;” “PARTY PEOPLE;” “AMERIVILLE;” “The Denver Project;” “One Shot in Lotus Position;” “BLUE SUITE;” “RHYTHMICITY;” “SLANGUAGE;” THE RIDE,” “DJ Latinidad;” “The Comedy of Errors;” “The Unfortunates;” and Alfred Jarry's “UBU: Enchained;” among many others.

Her awards and affiliations include the 2023-2024 Astere E. Caleyssens Artist in Residence at Northwestern University; the 2020 Andrew W. Mellon Foundation National Playwright Residency Program; the 2015 Doris Duke Performing Artist Award in Theatre; the 2012 – 2017 Oregon Shakespeare Festival Acting Company Member and Ensemble in Residence; the 2008 U.S. Cultural Ambassador with the U.S. State Department and Jazz at Lincoln Center, Rhythm Road Tour; the 2008 Theatre Communications Group (TCG) Peter Zeisler Award; the 2006 Career Advancement Fellowship from the Ford Foundation; 2002-2004 and 1999-2001 TCG National Theater Artist Residency Program Award, among many others.

In addition to acting, playwrighting, directing, and filmmaking credits, Ms. Ruiz-Sapp is an accomplished author. Her publications include “SLANGUAGE in The Fire This Time,” (TCG Books); “BLUE SUITE” in “The Goodman Theatre's Festival Latino – Six Plays” (Northwestern University Press); and “PARTY PEOPLE” in “The Manifesto Anthology” (Rain City Project).

In 1993 she co-founded The Point Community Development Center, a vibrant community space that offers arts programming, environmental, and business-oriented services, which have contributed to a resurgence of arts and culture in the Hunts Point neighborhood in the Bronx. Ms. Ruiz-Sapp has been featured on the covers of American Theatre Magazine and The Source Magazine and is a former board member of the National Performance Network and Network of Ensemble Theaters. She is an active member of Actors Equity Association.

Dr. Milagros (Milly) Peña, President of Purchase College, said, “At Purchase College, we encourage our students to transcend traditional boundaries to create brand new paths, whether in the arts, liberal arts, or sciences. This year's annual Jandon Business of the Arts lecturers, Steven Sapp and Mildred Ruiz-Sapp have done just that in their theatre company by fusing a wide range of arts practices from theatre, poetry, dance, hip hop, and politics to create their own unique, diverse, artistic expression that speaks to a new generation of artists and audiences. We look forward to hearing from them about their process and what the next generation of arts leaders can learn from their stellar work.”

About the Jandon Business of the Arts Distinguished Lecture Series

Purchase College recognizes and thanks Jane and Donald Cecil, and their representatives, for their generous gift that created this Jandon Business of the Arts Distinguished Lecture Series.

Established in 2012 through a generous gift from the Jandon Foundation to mark the occasion of Donald Cecil's 85th birthday, the Jandon Business of the Arts Distinguished Lecture Fund supports bringing notable leaders in the arts to speak at Purchase College and helps students in the Arts Management program and arts conservatories to develop relationships with accomplished professionals who are practicing in the fields of study in which they aspire to practice. This endowed lecture reflects Don's lifelong commitment to excellence in education, leadership in business, and passion for the arts. The Jandon Business of the Arts Distinguished Lecture Fund also supports the Jandon Business of the Arts Student Achievement Award, which is given to a student in the Arts Management B.A. program. Over the past years, the Jandon Lecture series has highlighted the world of noted leaders, scholars, authors, and public figures from New York City and around the globe.

About Arts Management and Entrepreneurship in the Arts at Purchase College

The Arts Management and Entrepreneurship in the Arts programs at Purchase College offer a strategic mix of classroom-based and experiential learning opportunities to prepare thoughtful, innovative, and dynamic professionals across the creative industries. Offering both undergraduate and graduate degrees, the programs are led by a faculty of scholars and field practitioners, emphasizing rigorous critical inquiry while developing the problem-solving and communication skills necessary to engage meaningfully as arts managers and entrepreneurs in an ever-changing environment.

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