Bio

Ricky Abilez (they/them) is a Queer, Latine artist, educator, and activist with a BFA in acting from California State University, Fullerton. They've worked with Tony award-winning regional theatre companies, including South Coast Repertory and Denver Center for the Performing Arts, as well as Rogue Artists Ensemble, Coeurage Ensemble, MainStreet Theatre Company, and The Second City Hollywood, where they spent nearly two years in the cast of More Guns! A New Musical Comedy.

They trained extensively with Russian master acting teacher Svetlana Efremova (The Americans, Spinning Out) and vocally with recording artist Terron Brooks (The Temptations). They also worked closely with playwright Prince Gomolvilas and author Scott Heim to produce Mysterious Skin, the stage adaptation of Heim’s acclaimed novel, where they starred as Neil McCormick. Most recently, they starred in Wanna Go Camping?  - an official Queer film selection at LA ScreamFest, LA Queer Film Festival, Portland Horror Film Festival, New Fest, and Seattle Queer Film Festival. The film was also an art installation in Seattle at the Museum of Pop Culture.

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When they're not acting, Ricky teaches at California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley, where they offer classes in acting, improvisation, and production design. They also teach a self-developed high school curriculum in using art for social justice. Ricky currently serves as the Education and Operations Manager at 4C LAB, an arts education nonprofit, where they coordinated events at The Ford Theatre and Walt Disney Concert Hall. They previously worked for Deviant Content, where they served as the executive assistant to LGBTQIA+ historian, New York Times best-selling author, and Pulitzer prize finalist Dr. Eric Cervini. 

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Ricky is an MPA candidate at the University of Colorado Denver with concentrations in education policy and policy analysis. They won the prestigious Thomas Jefferson Award in 2022 for excellence in the arts, education, and public affairs. They are the grandchild of former Congresswoman Gloria Negrete McLeod.