One Whale’s Tale is a multidisciplinary arts incubator that fosters independent work with emerging and established artists. We create decentralized ecosystems that give artists agency over their ideas, stories, voices and ancestry. We work with many communities, approaching collaboration through dialogue, exploration and mutual aid. Our work is responsive to the needs we uncover in our community and often uses the containers like cultural festivals, ceremonies, and nightlife events to address complex issues. Our work incorporates bold colors, live music, food, and participatory elements for the audience. We prioritize fair pay for all collaborators.
One Whale’s Tale is guided by Magical Urbanism, an aesthetic we’ve developed, which examines how the ancient traditions of our company members and collaborators exist within a modern urban landscape.
Magical Urbanists Inc. (EIN: 92-3785325) is a 501c3 non-profit partnering with and fiscally sponsoring One Whale’s Tale. All donations made through Magical Urbanists are tax deductible.
Ellpetha Tsivicos CO-FOUNDER
As the co-founder, director, and producer of One Whale’s Tale, Ellpetha Tsivicos has created work with and at Lincoln Center, The Public Theater, The SHED, the Bushwick Starr, the TEAM, Onassis Stegi, Phaneromenis 70, the cell Theatre, the Goethe Institute, Double Edge Theatre, We Are Here, and as part of the Exponential Festival. She has also directed a number of films, music videos, documentaries and has developed projects for the Art in Embassies Gala, the MoMa PS1 Gala, PS 1, and Art Basel.
Ellpetha exhibits her work as a dialogical artist through public programming in community gardens, public parks, and New York City waterways. She founded a creative arts healing program I Wish I Knew How where she leads and mentors a community of formerly incarcerated people. Additionally, Ellpetha has continued her lifelong advocacy for her homeland of Cyprus as the Vice President of Cultural Affairs for the Federation of Cypriot American Organizations and as the founder of the Cyprus Foundation.
Ellpetha’s work has been featured in the NY Times, WNYC, the Washington Post, the Dramatist, American Theatre Magazine, Playbill, BroadwayWorld, CBS Local, NY 1, alongside local publications. She studied at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and received a BFA in Drama with a Minor in Art & Public Policy.
Notably, her 2020 workshop of QUINCE became the first live theatre to happen in New York City during the COVID pandemic, establishing her as a leading voice in immersive, site-specific and large-scale performance. Most recently Ellpetha is serving as the Head Curator and Artistic Director for the inaugural season of performance festival Sugar, Sugar at the Domino Park Amphitheater. If there is one thing she can leave you with, it is that there is magic everywhere, even in the darkest moments.
Camilo Quiroz-Vázquez CO-FOUNDER
Co-founder, writer, and producer of One Whale’s Tale, Camilo has created work through Lincoln Center, The Public Theater, The SHED, the Bushwick Starr, the TEAM, Onassis Stegi, the cell Theatre, Double Edge Theatre, We Are Here, and as part of the Exponential Festival.
Camilo leads the grant writing team for One Whale’s Tale, collaboratively receiving funding from the Venturous Theater Fund, A.R.T./New York, the Brooklyn Arts Council, NYSCA, Humanities New York, CitizensNYC, the Foundation for Contemporary Art, the Awesome Foundation, the City Parks Foundation, and entering into the semi-final round of the O'Neill Playwrights Conference.
Camilo loves Cumbia music and has spearheaded the development of the Brooklyn Cumbia Festival, bringing together artists from Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Los Angeles, Denver and Houston.
Since 2021 Camilo has contributed writing on the topics of AI, automation, and technology for IBM. He is currently working on developing new work and immersive experiences across the country that integrate narrative stories, cultural themes, and technology.
Peter Burke ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Associate producer Peter Burke has a distinguished history of producing events for New York Fashion Week, Spotify Music, Netflix, Amazon Prime Studios, Google, and the Grammy Awards. His work has included collaborations with high-profile companies such as Levi’s, Coca Cola and Milk Makeup.
In 2014, Burke founded The Spot, a non-profit theater and conservatory in Sun Valley, Idaho, which has become a nurturing ground for local talent. He also played a pivotal role in establishing the Creative Arts Academy at the Sun Valley Community School and the Sun Valley JR Film program affiliated with the Sun Valley Film Festival.
In 2018, Peter joined the Sun Valley Museum of Art, where his contributions were instrumental in driving significant organizational growth, especially during the pandemic. During his time with SVMoA, Burke played a key role in the success of events like the Sun Valley Wine Auction, which he directed for 6 seasons, and helped to raise over $15M for arts, culture, and education.
Now based on the East Coast, Peter continues his impactful work as an experiential producer, communication and fundraising strategist, working with HIM Creative, HIGHNESS and One Whale’s Tale.
Mari Vial-Golden CREATIVE PRODUCER
Mari Vial-Golden is a theater artist, community herbalist and organizer based in Brooklyn, NY. In addition to her work with One Whale’s Tale, Mari has performed and collaborated with theaters across the city and country, including Target Martin, 59E59, Geva Theatre Center, Marin Theater Company, Hangar Theater, Triad Stage, PTPNYC, HVSF, Urbanite Theater, American Stage, Cal Shakes, Merrimack Rep, Noor Theatre, Florida Rep, Maaa Theater and more. marivialgolden.com
Collaborating Artists
José A. Pérez
A poet, actor, foster-care reform/abolitionist advocate, and educator, José A. Perez is a native New Yorker, from Queens. As a systems-impacted person who grew up in foster homes, group homes, and other juvenile institutions, the arts have been synonymous with freedom; fostering spaces where relationships are forged under the common love for lyrics and unfettered expression.
José found writing poetry and acting on stage to be his catalysts to not only survive in those institutions but also to thrive. While incarcerated, Pérez earned an AA from Bard College, a BS from Nyack College through HudsonLink, and capped his academic career with an MPS from the New York Theological Seminary. He has facilitated theater and poetry workshops, including the Harvest Moon Poetry Collective with Beat poet Janine Pommy Vega, and hosted poets like Naomi Shihab Nye and Amiri Baraka.
He has also been a servant leader as an alternatives-to-violence facilitator, including work with gang-involved youth at the Center for Alternatives Sentencing and Employment Services as a community Benefits Project Supervisor. Currently, Pérez is Project Manager of YouthNPower: Transforming Care for the Children’s Defense Fund.
José began working with One Whale’s Tale in 2021 during the development of QUINCE at the SHED and through its production at the Bushwick Starr and Lincoln Center. He has continued developing work with One Whale’s Tale at the SHED, the Public Theater, We Are Here, and as the co-leader of I Wish I Knew How. He is an ongoing collaborator with One Whale’s Tale collaborating on artistic, philosophical, and logistical matters.
