Ruben Carrazana

“This is visionary, deadpan, sinister theatre, and you can’t look away. Don’t miss it.”

“... it is superbly acted and directed and one of the most provocative plays I’ve seen in DFW. Truly unforgettable.”

“This play is 90 minutes, chock full of deep messaging, disturbing imagery, and shocking moments that left me reminding myself to breathe... definitely the most interesting piece of contemporary theatre that I have seen. The talent is so strong and the set and visual effects are stunning.”

“The first-rate ensemble is totally up for the heavy lifting and tense direction...”

“... despite the comedy and the awkwardness and discomfort throughout the character’s interactions, the play challenges preconceived notions of young women...”

“The beauty of the play, however, is that even when they are at their most brutal and violent, these characters never take joy in their cruelty. It always comes from a place of pain, fear, and wanting to be heard and seen for who they are in all their messiness.”

“Director Ruben Carrazana brings us a production of Between Riverside and Crazy that is flawlessly accomplished, with incredible talent on and off stage... Between Riverside and Crazy is absolutely riveting! As a literature, it is deeply complex; as a production it is aesthetically striking. This Pultizer Prize winning drama is not one to miss! ”

“After enjoying Stage West’s fantastic production, it is obvious that the Pulitzer Committee awarded wisely... the opportunity to see a drama of this caliber should not be missed.”

“This comedy has teeth—and they bite... Director Ruben Carrazana’s comic pacing feels perfect, but he doesn’t let the sweeter moments slip by... In this engaging Riverside and Crazy, the whole cast is a standout.”

“... a family comedy/drama with incredible staging and acting...”

“Director Ruben Carrazana... provides the dialogue-heavy play with plenty of action. He moves the characters around the space and the pace, while not hurried, glides along with the momentum of a nail-biter of a game... While LeBron may make scoring a three pointer look easy, what goes into it is hard work. The same can be said for GableStage’s production: the talented actors who carry the show, the director’s deep understanding of Joseph’s play, and the brilliantly precise production aspects.”

“Carrazana, a Miami native who has worked in Dallas and now in Chicago, is the essential third member of the forward squad. He reflects the ever fluctuating bond with physical staging. The timing, the changing pace, the ever flexible undertones are his choreography.”

“King James is at times out-of-bounds and flagrantly foul. Only to then sizzle with shot after shot, swishing the storyline, dunking and reversing the plot points, bringing it home in a dynamic, crowd-pleasing manner, where it’s safe to say the home team has won. We think it’s a slam-dunk!”

“I think the point of art is also to go beyond oneself to become a more compassionate person... I feel like the play allows both those things to happen.”

“... there are people in this community who have experiences that we cannot fathom, but also experiences that I think we can intimately relate with. The story presented might be different from what we’ve experienced but the characters that we follow all have dreams, fears, and insecurities. I think those are all things that we can kind of relate to.”

“... this has to be seen to be believed... Director Carrazana weaves the stories together and stages them masterfully...”

“... a brilliant bit of meta-theatre... See Me was sophisticated and heartfelt.”

“What See Me posits is that everyone’s story deserves space to be seen. That small, personal, seemingly trivial story from your childhood that you hold so close to your heart is worth sharing with the world”

“The Cube is omniscient, brutally honest, and haunting in its humanity.”

“Carrazana and Moffitt created a piece that dealt with the loneliness, uncertainty, and fear we were all experiencing, yet emerged triumphant in its uniqueness.”

“The Cube was created in isolation and it’s about isolation. In however small and socially-distanced a way, the show attempts to convey what we’ve been missing — from the performing arts and from our own lives.”

“... a daring new piece of meta-theater... the show is that rare beast: live theater that can be attended in person. Limited to three performers and an audience of one — with the option to bring a guest or two — the run is sold out.”

“... this is the human connection The Cube was striving to replicate.”

“... 90 extraordinary minutes of documentary-style theater covering the July 7, 2016, Dallas police shootings...”

“Shots Fired is the salve of art done well... it hits an artistic sweet spot that unearths, honors and serves.”

“... Shots Fired is another remarkable entry from a theater company that only has, with this show, four productions under its belt.”

“In a time when the importance of the arts is now hotly disputed, a small Dallas theatre company is leading the way.”

“Stacy Has a Thing for Black Guys is a contemporary confrontation. It’s pertinent and important in its themes. Carrazana’s story incorporates elements of #metoo, the complications and nuances of marriage, the realities of race and white male fragility - all while making you laugh.”

“With razor-sharp wit and an intentionally uncomfortable title, the [film] centers on a white married couple and the black man who’s drinking lemonade in their living room and waiting for the evening’s agenda to start. [The original stage play] amassed local acclaim and was even nominated for the Harold and Mimi Steinberg New Play Award.”

“And now, along with some additional crowdfunding campaigns and other individual investors, it’s how the 26-year-old is getting his script filmed. Like the stage production, his film has now also received a Special Support Grant, which Dallas’ Office of Cultural Affairs introduced to great fanfare in 2016 as a way to support individual city artists as opposed to the institutions it traditionally underwrote. At least in the case of Stacy Has A Thing For Black Guys, the grant appears to be achieving its goal: The cast and crew for the film are all from Dallas and, this week, you can find them holed up in a house near White Rock Lake, their filming now officially underway.”

“Dallas actor Stephanie Cleghorn Jasso and playwright and actor Ruben Carrazana... teamed up and brought the pitch for Stand-Up Tragedy to the cultural affairs office. For the first time, the Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs is supporting a theatrical production featuring teen actors from the ground up.”

“In his professional directing debut, Carrazana makes a number of appropriate choices, from the casting to the set, sound, properties and costume design; it is evident that this production has birthed an artistic vision.”

“Ruben Carrazana makes an auspicious directorial debut...”

“COVID-19 shut down production on their upcoming play Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground, but the group was determined to stay connected with its audience so they turned the project into an online audio play similar to radio plays popular in the ’30s and ’40s.”

“This script comments on the human condition — as science fiction does — with threads about revolution, immigration and destruction of the environment, or ‘dishonoring the planet.’ What it does most beautifully is illustrate the importance of the arts — singing, poetry, dancing, etc. — to humankind and other beings... It leads the listener to want more.”

“Another new locally produced audio play is ‘a kind of mockumentary,’ according to Dallas actor-writer Ruben Carrazana, who led the teens of Cry Havoc Theater Company in creating Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground... Already known for their devised works about the Dallas police shootings and the hot-button topic of Mexican immigration, company members created mini-studios in their homes and collaborated remotely.”