About

Hi there.

I'm Alexander, or "Alex," Paredes-Ruíz (he/him/él). 

I'm a Queer Brown cultural worker, artist-scholar, and educator passionate about creative praxis, cannibalizing form, and the reinvention of aesthetics. I explore how race, sexuality, and gender are represented in art and culture, from theatre to film to music.

I hold an MA in Latin American and Latino Studies from the University of Illinois, Chicago, and a dual-degree in Theatre Arts Management (BS) and History (BA) from Ithaca College.

I'm currently based in "Chicago," but I'm originally from the South Florida region of Tequesta, Miccosukee, and Seminole land.

I'm currently the Marketing Director at First Floor Theater, a non-profit storefront theater specialized in premiere work, and the Illinois Fellow for the 2024-2025 National Leaders of Color program. 

I'm also an alumnus of the BIPOC Critics Lab, 4A's Multicultural Advertising Program, T. Howard Foundation Talent Program, and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. Some of my past artistic affiliations include, but not limited to, First Floor Theater, New York City Center, The Public Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Studio Theatre, Chicago Latino Theater Alliance, and Americans for the Arts.

You can find my writing at New York City Center, Committee on U.S.-Latin American Relations, OnStage, Ithacan, and IC News.