Baker Artist Portfolios

RUTH MARGRAFF’s writing curates the edges of opera and art. She’s critically acclaimed for her six martial arts operas with Fred Ho for the Apollo, Guggenheim Museum, LaMama, Brooklyn Academy of Music and a CAMI tour to 33 US cities in 2003. Margraff’s monologue for Farida Azizi in SEVEN was introduced by Diane von Furstenberg, Hillary Clinton and Meryl Streep at the Broadway Hudson Theater, performed in more than 30 countries and translated into 20+ languages. Ruth has received awards from Rockefeller, McKnight, Jerome, NEA, TCG, TMUNY, NYSCA, IAC, MASS MoCA, Fulbright, etc; and is published by Innova Records, Dramatists Play Service, American Theatre, Theater Forum, Performing Arts Journal, TDR, Applause, Backstage and Lexington Books, Playscripts, Autonomedia, New Village, New Meridian Arts Press, etc. She's an alum of Theater Without Borders, New Dramatists, Playwrights’ Center, and Chicago Dramatists and a professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. 

Ruth’s recent writing includes: 

• Fall 2024 news
• Maryland State Council for the Arts public art roster Opre Glasso! studiowork 2026-28 including work from TEMPTATION: CHORA  The Peale Museum Baker Artist portfolios Nov 7, 2024-Jan 19, 2025 (Baltimore); Mass MoCA studios Feb 4-Mar 2, 2027 and Jan 4-17, 2023; SAIC Galleries Triennial Aug 31-Dec 3, 2022; covideos/Here Arts Center (NYC); SETC 2021; 
• LOCKET ARIAS Chicago Dramatists Saturday Series staged reading dir. Amy Hutchison, comp. Phil Fried June 14, 2025 (Chicago) and Audio Artisans recording of "La Paiva's appraisal"  
• “Mulberry Mantis” aria from MIRROR BUTTERFLY performed by Atlie Gilbert, dir. Beth Milles, comp. Ben Barson Mar 2, 2025 for Still Point Theater Collective/Sixfest at the Athenaeum Center (Chicago) 
• BAHAYA a new opera w/composer Richard Marriott Dec 7, 2024 Overtone Industries Original Vision Teatro Frida Kahlo (Los Angeles); Oct 1 and Mar 2, 2024 Night of Ideas Festival;  (San Francisco);
• TORN LIKE A ROSE International Nišville Jazz Theatre Festival (Niš, Serbia) 10Aug2024, w/Wender Collective; see also Natasa Gvozdenoviÿ's We Must Give More Than We Take interview with Ruth Margraff in CASOPIS NITI 20-21 STAMPA.indd 1 Year XI, issue 20–21 2025(Serbia)
• ALSO: Walkabout writers' group (Chicago); Brighton Alt Great Escape Festival/London Hoxton Underbelly w/TSSC (UK) May23; Hollins Playwriting Festival guest Jul23 and visiting faculty 2024 (Roanoke); playwriting exercise "Painting the Voice" for Justin Maxwell's Playwrights' Toolbox (Applause Books, 2024); "Viburnum poems" for Oana Maria Cajal’s SHATTERED/Artists Inspired by Artists to benefit Ukraine New Meridian Arts, 2025; 2022 Printers Row Lit Festival Exhibit B; Burning Coal/North Carolina Opera Co commission suffrage aria composed by Kamala Sankaram 2020 (Raleigh)MIRROR BUTTERFLY: a migrant liberation suite

• “Mulberry Mantis” aria performed by Atlie Gilbert, dir. Beth Milles, comp. Ben Barson Mar 2, 2025 for Still Point Theater Collective/Sixfest at the Athenaeum Center (Chicago) commissioned by the Afro Yaqui Music Collective featuring interviews with former Black Panther Mama C in Tanzania and Azize an activist working with Syrian Rojava and Mexican Zapatistas. Premiered at New Hazlett Theater (Pittsburgh) Oct 11-12, 2018 dir. Cynthia Croot, conduct. Federico Garcia-De Castro; Kennedy Center Millenium Stage November 23, 2018  (Washington DC); National Ensemble Theater conference plenary performance Nov 4, 2018 (Tucson); NPN showcase Dec 14-15, 2018 (Pittsburgh); 1st Mesopotamian Water Forum Apr 6-8, 2019 (Kurdistan, Iraq); released on Innova Records at Red Rooster/Ginny's Supper Club (Harlem); Aug 3, 2019.  Excerpts featured on howlround, New Sounds playlist, 91.3 WYEP Aug 27, 2019 in partnership with the Yaqui Námakasia Radio, and National Jazz Museum (Harlem) October 3, 2019. 

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  Ruth’s VOYAGE: LA BESTIA was presented by the 2017 San Francisco International Arts Festival (San Francisco) music: Richard Marriott, vocals: I Made Subandi; Pamela Z (San Francisco); FANTASY ISLAND FOR DUMMIES (lowcut daydream too near, too near) premiering Sept 29-Nov 5, 2016 at Trap Door Theater (Chicago), following her acclaimed 2012 production of ANGER/FLY devised also with director Kate Hendrickson. Ruth’s libretto for FLIGHT: TORN LIKE A ROSE commissioned by Peggy Choy Dance Co. Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts (NYC) Oct 20-22, 2019; H'Doubler Theater (Madison, Wisconsin) Oct 31-Nov 2, 2019; 2016 New York Live Arts Festival; 2015 Dumbo Dance Festival at Gelsey Kirkland Theater, Brooklyn (NYC); And WILD RICE: March 12, 2015 UWisconsin/Native Nations Summit on Environment and Health Fluno Center (Madison); October 10-12, 2014 Links Hall for Peggy Choy's River Mouth Ocean (Chicago).  Her PASSION OF LEYLA received an NEA Artworks commission with San Jose Stage Company in 2016; Ruth performed as Hecuba for MOTHER OF SMOKE at Red Tape/Walkabout Theater Mar 23-Apr 15, 2017; wrote PREVIOUSLY BLUE a poetic summit on the mysteries of disaster resilience and beauty rooted in a search for deeper artistic, local, international and environmental sustainability. Dah Teatar August 21-22, 2015 (Belgrade, Serbia); 7 Stages August 28-30, 2015 (Atlanta, Georgia); Coe College Marquis Series, Dows Theatre September 5 & 8, 2015 (Cedar Rapids, Iowa); Links Hall September 11- 13, 2015 (Chicago, Illinois) supported by Ministarstvo kulture Republike Srbije; Trust for Mutual Understanding of New York; Theater Communications Group Global Connections; Hatch Fund initiative.  An excerpt of PREVIOUSLY BLUE “Disaster’s Lover” was part of a climate change theatre action of worldwide performances in Nov-Dec 2015. In support of the United Nations 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21) and the U.S. assuming chair of the Arctic Council in April 2015, with a Kick Off event held on November 2, 2015 at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in New York City curated by Theater Without Borders.  Ruth’s LOCKET ARIAS were developed with Nautilus’ Rough Cut new opera series and Opera on Tap (Minneapolis/St. Paul); FLEUR DE LYS for the Union Stockyards Ballroom/Great Plains Theater (Omaha), THE ELEKTRA FUGUES 2016 Varna International Theater Festival with Peculiar Works Project (Bulgaria); WILD RICE and FLIGHT for choreographer Peggy Choy at UW/Native Nations Summit Fluno Center (Madison); ANNE UNDER PARIS SKIES for Jason Phelps' 2014 Feast of My Heart at Salvage Vanguard Theater (Austin); and a 2014 US/Russia playwrights' exchange curated by Ksenia Dragunskaya at Boyarskiye Palaty (Russia).  

  With Ruth’s Café Antarsia Ensemble she wrote THREE GRACES, WELLSPRING, JUDGES 19: BLACK LUNG EXHALING which toured 2014 Laguardia Performing Arts Center (NYC); 2013 Pivot Multi-Arts Festival at Berger Park mansion June 20-22, 2013 (Chicago) Internationally for 2013 Ardittos Metz Festival June 30, 2013: Πάρκο Λογγίνου/Longinus Park στο Μετς, July 3, 2013 Τετάρτη, πεζόδρομο Θεοτόκη στο Μετς/Pedestrian Mary Bazaar, July 6, 2013 στο Πάρκο Αγίας Τριάδας καφενείο "Λαμπηδόνα/Cafe Lambidona at Trinity Park interview with Στέλιος Αρτεμάκης for 24 Media Group (Athens, Greece); 2013 Pivot Multi-Arts Festival Berger Park Mansion, preview by Chicago Splash) (Chicago); 2012 Istanbul Ikametgah Kadikoy Festival/Halka Art Project (TURKEY), 2012 Performing Arts Forum (FRANCE); 2011 Ice Factory Festival (New York City), 2011 World Music Festival/Navy Pier (Chicago), 2010 Azerbaijani National Theater/International Mugham Center (AZERBAIJAN), 2009 Bibliotheca Alexandrina International Summer Festival and Cairo Jazz Club (EGYPT), 2008 Accidental Festival/Institute for Contemporary Arts (UK), 2008 Festivalul International de Teatru de la Sibiu, National Theater Cluj Euphorion Studio (ROMANIA); 2007 Toronto Junction Arts Festival (CANADA); 2007 Festivale des Concerts a l'Anglicane (Montreal, QUEBEC); 2006 PreGlej Na Glas!/Wax Factory (SLOVENIA); 2005 Brooklyn Academy of Music/BAMcafe’s “Women in Music” Series; 2005 Pøíští Vlna-Next Wave Festival (CZECH REP); 2005 Festivalul International de Teatru de la Sibiu Festival (ROMANIA); 2005 Karantena Performing Arts Festival (CROATIA); Artemovszk 38 Flagship/Danube River and Trafó-Kortars Muveszetek Haza (Budapest, HUNGARY); 2005 Culturemart at Here Arts Center (NYC); 2004 New York Gypsy Festival (NYC); 2003 Novaja Drama Festival/Moscow Art Theatre, Club B2 (RUSSIA); 2003 Rebetiko Music Festival/Melina Mercouri Hall (Isle of Hydra, GREECE); 2002 Bolshoi Zol/Moskva Contemporary American Series (Moscow, Russia); 2002 Perishable Theater Festival (Rhode Island); 2001 BELEF/Beogradski Letnji Festival (Belgrade, SERBIA), etc. Nationally: Joe’s Pub, Galapagos, BAM Café, Mehanata/ Bulgarian House of Gypsy, Prelude Festival/Martin Segal, Rockwood Music Hall, Culturemart/ Here, Hourglass/Century Ballroom, New Dramatists, Zebulon Café, Drom Gypsy Bar, Fat Baby Lounge, Mo Pitkins, Laguardia, Tribecca & St. Lawrence Performing Arts Centers; Chocolate Factory, Hellenic Festival, CB’s Gallery, PS122 (New York City); Viaduct/HotHouse, Trap Door, Chopin Theater, Red Tape, Victory Gardens, Chicago Cultural Institute, Uncommon Ground (Chicago), Club Dada, Kessler Theater, Trees, Jack’s Backyard, Barleyhouse Tavern, Undermain, All Good Café, La Grange, Granada Theater (Dallas, TX), Salvage Vanguard, Fronterafest, Antone’s Home of the Blues, Stubbs, Gypsy Lounge (Austin, TX); Hollins University, Studio Roanoke (Roanoke, Virginia); North American Cultural Laboratory Festival (Catskills, NY), Crossing Borders Live (Ithaca, NY), Gypsy Festival at Dano’s Heuriger on Seneca (Lodi, NY), House of Hamez (Rochester, NY), Soul Infusion (Sylva, North Carolina), Dilworth Playhouse (Charlotte, NC) Café Parizade Summer Concert Series (Durham, NC) Artomatic Arts Extravaganza (Washington DC), Iowa Playwrights Theater B (Iowa City), Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (Cincinnati, Ohio)

  Ruth has received awards from Rockefeller, McKnight, Jerome, NEA, TCG, TMUNY, NYSCA, IAC, Fulbright foundations, and is also published by Innova Records, Dramatists Play Service, American Theatre, Theater Forum, Performing Arts Journal, Playscripts, Inc., Backstage Books, Autonomedia, New Village Press, NoPassport Press, Lexington Books/Roman & Littlefield. She is a Professor of Writing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago  www.RuthMargraff.com