Director/Writer
Manuel A. Morán is celebrating 28 years on the stage! He is originally from Puerto Rico. From an early age, he has been working in professional theatre and television as a performer, puppeteer, writer, composer, director and producer in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, México and the United States. He is the founder and Artistic Director of the Society of the Educational Arts, Inc. (SEA), an award-winning Arts-in-Education organization that operates in Puerto Rico, Florida and New York. He holds a B.A. in Humanities and Drama from the University of Puerto Rico, a M.A. in Educational and Musical Theatre from New York University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Theatre from NYU. He has received many prestigious awards and citations for his artistic & community work, among them: multiple ACE Awards & HOLA Awards for Best Actor, Best Director & Best Musicals; Grand Marshall of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade; Comité Noviembre Award – “Lo Mejor de nuestra comunidad”; Cultural Awards, by the NY City Council & Queens Borough President; “Puerto Rican of the Year” (APQ); the “2005 EL Award” by El Diario-La Prensa; was chosen as one of the Nation’s top 15 young adults Latino Leaders, to participate in the prestigious program – Programa para Jóvenes Líderes Hispanos, sponsored by the Embassy of Spain. Currently he is the Vice-president of UNIMA. Perhaps most notably, Dr. Morán is responsible for re-establishing professional Children’s Theatre in Spanish in New York City, a tradition that was abandoned for more than 18 years. Sixteen of his latest critically acclaimed productions are on tour: In August, 1999 he opened in NYC Teatro SEA @ Los Kabayitos Puppet and Children’s Theatre. In celebration of its 25th Anniversary, he recently opened a brand-new state-of-the-art performance space (Teatro SEA) at the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.