hugo reale

Hugo Rose Reale is a playwright, actor and visual artist from New York who is dedicated to telling queer narratives surrounding grief, found family, and breaking generational cycles. Drawing inspiration from his previous experience as a poet, largely fostered from his debut poetry exhibition, “Have You Eaten Today?” Hugo meshes prose into his compelling and emotive theater work, artfully describing the unique relationship he developed with grief and queerness with grace and sensitivity. His photography background aided in giving him an idea of the atmosphere he wanted his work to emulate: tangible, real and grounded in love. He aims to highlight the queer ancestors that paved the way for him to have the opportunity to share his work to those who need to hear stories such as these.

Over my four years of experience, my work has gifted me with first hand organizational experience in event planning, social media marketing, and meeting and workshop facilitation. In my practice as an Art Educator at Wine & Design, I had the opportunity to keep students engaged and excited throughout the class, and gave clear and concise instructions on the techniques being taught. I was also responsible for setting up supplies and tidying the studio after classes were dismissed. From years 2017-2019, I volunteered with Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, where we met regularly to organize phone banks and lobbied with senators and assemblymen for the National Planned Parenthood Day of Action in Albany to discuss bills which would be detrimental to providing reproductive health to citizens in New York and beyond. We participated in workshops discussing reproductive health, safe sex practices, and worked together to improve our local practice in West Hempstead. In my individual practice as a visual artist, I mesh advocacy within my poetry and graphic design work by drawing inspiration from queer punk zines to honor activists that allowed me to be so outspoken about my identity as a transgender man. I am also currently a Graphic Design and General Management Intern at The Theater Center, where I’m learning how to maintain a strict and organized schedule, maintain multiple social media accounts, and guide any newcomers we have around the space.

I attended Parsons School of Design for my BFA in Photography.