Mr. Sánchez is the Executive Artistic Director at Repertorio Español, a non-profit organization that has been performing the best of Latin American, Spanish, and Hispanic-American theatre in distinctive, quality productions, and bringing theatre to a broad audience in New York City. Born and raised in Madrid, Spain, Rafael possesses a BA in Drama from the University of Kent at Canterbury (ESAD), a Master’s in Performing Arts from the University Rey Juan Carlos, and also studied graduate courses in Comparative Literature at the University of Puerto Rico. He is currently finishing his Ph.D. in Hispanic Studies and Literature at the UPR. He has taught at that institution and ICPR Junior College since 2012. Additionally, he serves as an Adjunct Lecturer in the Hispanic Languages and Literature Department at Queens College (CUNY). His work with non-profits has been proven for more than ten years in Puerto Rico (where he resided until 2017) and the USA, with companies such as Tantai Teatro (Founder) and Boundless Theatre Company. He is also a performing artist based in New York, having acted in and/or produced over 50 works in Spain and the USA. Sánchez is a proud member of the Academia de las Artes Escénicas de España, and in 2025, served as a presenter for their Medallas de Honor. This year, he was recognized by PoliticsNY as one of the “Power Players in Arts and Culture.” His contributions to arts funding include serving as a grant panelist for the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), and Bank of America’s Community Builders Initiative.