Mel Nieves

Born and raised in New York City. A graduate of The William Esper Studio and a member of the award winning LAByrinth Theatre Company and The Actors Studio Playwright-Director Unit. As an actor he's worked with Luna Stage, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Boomerang theatre company and the legendary Ridiculous Theatrical Company under the artistic direction of Everett Quinton. Stage work includes "Summer and Smoke", "Elliot, A Soldier's Fugue", "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Native Speech", "Short Eyes" as well as plays written by Miguel Pinero, Mando Alvarado, Stephen Adly Guirgis. As a playwright his work has been presented in New York, Chicago, San Diego, Santa Ana, Rochester and Los Angeles by such theatre companies as Repertorio Espanol, Barefoot Theatre Company, Downtown Urban Theatre Arts Festival, Rochester Latino Theatre company, Breath of Fire Latina Theatre Ensemble, Amigo's Del Rep, Urban Theatre company, Classical Theatre of Harlem. For the LAByrinth theatre company his plays have been developed at the company's Summer Intensive workshops at Bennington College, Saratoga Performing Arts center, Bard College and Connecticut College and Pigasus Pictures in Bloomington, Indiana. As a teaching artist he's worked with the Brooklyn Arts Council, LEAP (Learning Through an Expanded Arts Program), Theatre For A New Audience, CenterStage at Queens Theatre in The Park, Repertorio Espanol, bringing arts education to inner city youths in Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Staten Island. He is a two time Downtown Urban Theatre-Arts Festival best short play award winner 2005/2015, a 2013 recipient of a Playwright-in-Residency award from Voices Inside/Out at Northpoint Training Center, a medium security prison in Burgin, Kentucky. Most recently his play "Frederick Douglas and The Fallen Angels" was a 2017 semi-finalist for The Eugene O'Neil Theatre Conference and The Princess Grace Playwright Fellowship award. His play "Los Embrujados/The Haunted Ones" was recently published by Original Works Publishing. As an actor he recently completed work on the films "Nostros Los Latinos" and "A Northern Star". He is a 2018-2021 Resident playwright of color with LITCouncil. Most recently his pilot script, On The Boulevard was a 2020 semi-finalist HollyShorts Screenplay competition and 2020 quarter finalist for the Los Angeles International Screenwriting Awards.