Rafael Santiago Casal (born August 8, 1985) is an American writer,
performer, and producer originally from the San Francisco Bay Area.
Casal's first television appearance was performing on three seasons of
HBO's Def Poetry Jam, and as a creator online with millions of
YouTube/Facebook views for his music, poetry, web shorts, and
political commentary.His theater-in-verse work has brought him around
the country and the world both in the realm of activism and arts
performance at hundreds of colleges and venues. Casal is the
co-founder and artistic director of the BARS workshop at The Public
Theater in New York.Casal grew up in Berkeley and Oakland, California.
He was expelled from Berkeley High School after two years and earned
his diploma through an alternative independent study program. Casal is
of Irish, Spanish, and Cuban descent.When he was 18, Casal appeared on
HBO's Def Poetry Jam. At the same time, he was touring, performing,
and teaching nationwide with YouthSpeaks. He is a two time Brave New
Voice Poetry Slam Festival champion. Casal spent three years serving
as creative director at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's First
Wave Spoken Word and Hip Hop Arts Learning Community while earning his
degree at night.
performer, and producer originally from the San Francisco Bay Area.
Casal's first television appearance was performing on three seasons of
HBO's Def Poetry Jam, and as a creator online with millions of
YouTube/Facebook views for his music, poetry, web shorts, and
political commentary.His theater-in-verse work has brought him around
the country and the world both in the realm of activism and arts
performance at hundreds of colleges and venues. Casal is the
co-founder and artistic director of the BARS workshop at The Public
Theater in New York.Casal grew up in Berkeley and Oakland, California.
He was expelled from Berkeley High School after two years and earned
his diploma through an alternative independent study program. Casal is
of Irish, Spanish, and Cuban descent.When he was 18, Casal appeared on
HBO's Def Poetry Jam. At the same time, he was touring, performing,
and teaching nationwide with YouthSpeaks. He is a two time Brave New
Voice Poetry Slam Festival champion. Casal spent three years serving
as creative director at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's First
Wave Spoken Word and Hip Hop Arts Learning Community while earning his
degree at night.
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