TRAMAINE MONTELL FORD- BIOGRAPHY
Tramaine Montell Ford (born Jan 31) is an American actor, comedian, dancer, singer, lyricist, songwriter, choreographer, producer, print/commercial model, and animation voice-over artist from Chicago, IL. He holds a BFA in Acting from Syracuse University's Department of Drama with a minor in Psychology and is based out of New York City.
Tramaine was a dancer in Hairspray (2007 feature film) starring John Travolta and has danced back-up for American singer Lady Gaga at the NewNowNext Awards. He has performed on the The Oprah Winfrey Show, ABC's One Life To Live, Saturday Night Live, NBC's The Today Show, and in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. (IMDb).
Born and raised in the notoriously known Cabrini-Green Projects in Chicago, IL, he was featured on NBC News as an up & coming rising star in 2009. Ford was the first individual from a Chicago Housing Projects to win at the Chicago Children's Alt Film Festival, taking home first place for best narrative, "The Potion" which he wrote and starred in in 1998. In 1999, he starred in "CoTingle" representing the USA at the 13th ASSITEJ Theatre Festival in Tromso, Norway. Tramaine has toured throughout the United States, Europe, and China, performing in various theatre and television productions including Elton John and Tim Rice's AIDA as "Mareb", Shakespeare's Hamlet as "Guildenstern", FreeStreet Theatre, & College Humor. With Ghost Robot, Tramaine has choreographed music videos for artists Kid Sister & the band Galactic after training at The Official School of The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre as an Oprah Winfrey Scholarship recipient. Mr. Ford earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting shortly after portraying Emmett Till in "Till" at the Black Repertory Theatre and his Pop album EP releases exclusively on iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster, eMusic, & Zune in 2011 with the first singles "Beast (Can't Do Me)" and "Exclusive" available internationally on Jan 31 2011.
Mr Ford is the Executive Producer of his Off-Broadway debut One Man Show, "The Tramaine Experience: An Urban Dramedy", premiering Off-Broadway September 22nd 2011 at The American Theatre of Actors fostered by the producers of Broadway's "Wicked" and "Urinetown", The Araca Group, and Syracuse University through The Araca Project. The charity-driven dramatic comedy workshopped at 42nd St's Theatre Row Studio Theatre before snagging the award for "Outstanding Performance in A Solo Show" at the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity July 2011. In Oct 2011 he was seen as "Hermes" in a limited engagement of the brand new "Odyssey: The Epic Musical" Off-Broadway.
He began acting with Innervision Youth Productions, an underprivileged-youth targeted film program in Chicago's Cabrini Green Projects. Tramaine is an advocate for The Cabrini Connections Tutor/Mentor Program, which he was a part of from 1996-98. Starring in his own short film, "The Potion", he won 1st place for Best Narrative at the Chicago Alt. Children's Film and Video Festival in 1996. Because of this accomplishement from a young boy in Cabrini, he was interviewed on Chicago's WGN Channel 9 News. He then won 2nd place at The Chicago Shakespere Theatre during their Annual Shakesperean Monologue and Sonnet Contest.
Tramaine was hired by Freestreet Theatre in 1998, becoming the youngest member of the professional theatre training and performing ensemble. In 1999, he went overseas with Freestreet to perform "Cog in the Freak Plan" at the 13th Annual ASSITEJ International Theatre Festival in Tromso, Norway, representing the US in the festival. Tramaine then began doing work with the Duncan YMCA's Chernin Center for the Arts, participating as a forfront member of their Youth Theatre Workshop for three years. In the summer of 2000, Tramaine was invited to the Bremen International Festival and toured again throughout Germany in 2001 as the main character in, "CoTingle", a story about a young boy who steals people's painful memories and acts out their tragi-comic dramas. "CoTingle" toured throughout the US as well with great reviews as Tramaine's mother and siblings finally moved from the Cabrini Green Projects. Upon return to Chicago, he was awarded a six-month scholarship to study at the Joel Hall Dance Center and joined their youth repertory ensemble, JHD 1511, in his first month training.
Tramaine was accepted to Syracuse University; College of Visual and Performing Arts, Department of Drama as an Acting Major in 2002. During the summers of 2004 and 2005, he was invited to study dance at The Official School of The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, upon being awarded the Oprah Winfrey Scholarship, performing works by Troy O'neil Powell and Vernard Gilmore. This led to an invitation to instruct dance classes for Syracuse University's Fitness Center and Syracuse's local studios, Onondaga Dance Institute and Community Folk Art Center. In 2005, Tramaine recieved a full scholarship to participate in the inaugral class of The New York City Tepper Semester, an intensive conservatory-style semester in Manhattan for advanced BFA Drama Majors. He trained in acting with Rebecca Guy at The Julliard School, classical voice/speech with Kristen Linklater herself, movement, dance, professional development, workshops and audition training with several prominent industry professionals including James Calleri and David Cap. He studied singing at Liz Caplan Vocal Stuidos.
Tramaine was invited to the Black Repertory Theatre in Providence, honored to portray young Emmett Till in, "Till", an exhilarating new work on the true-story life and death of Emmett Till during the start of the Civil Rights Movement. In 2006, Tramaine was one of five senior students chosen by Aaron Sorkin, creator and director of "The West Wing", for the inaugural Sorkin LA Entertainment Practicum in Los Angeles... a new program for professional relationships, tours and workshops in the television and film acting industry of Hollywood. Upon graduation, Tramaine was chosen to participate in SU Drama's Lubin House Showcase at 42nd st's Theatre Row and moved to New York City. Tramaine is an advocate for The Adolecent Aids Program and plays the role of young Jason for the program's educational films; Watch Adolecent Aids Program Video.
His recent projects include Hairspray The Movie, MTV Video Music Awards, Broadway's Aida, touring throughout China, McCarter Theatre's "A Christmas Carol", Big Mamma in "Anniversa Happary, A Comedy" at Manhattan Repertory Theatre, and Saturday Night Live. He is often a professional guest at the National Center of Performing Arts of The Bahamas in Nassua, Bahamas and has danced for Shakira and Lady Gaga. Other television appearances include performing on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, and The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Tramaine has projects in the works in and around New York City and has begun building and cultivating a print modeling career. Tramaine holds a B.F.A. Degree in Acting from Syracuse University with a minor in Psychology. Tramaine is grateful for all the people that support him and he hopes to one day help and inspire others.
Tramaine was invited to the Black Repertory Theatre in Providence, honored to portray young Emmett Till in, "Till", an exhilarating new work on the true-story life and death of Emmett Till during the start of the Civil Rights Movement. In 2006, Tramaine was one of five senior students chosen by Aaron Sorkin, creator and director of "The West Wing", for the inaugural Sorkin LA Entertainment Practicum in Los Angeles... a new program for professional relationships, tours and workshops in the television and film acting industry of Hollywood. Upon graduation, Tramaine was chosen to participate in SU Drama's Lubin House Showcase at 42nd st's Theatre Row and moved to New York City. Tramaine is an advocate for The Adolecent Aids Program and plays the role of young Jason for the program's educational films; Watch Adolecent Aids Program Video.
His recent projects include Hairspray The Movie, MTV Video Music Awards, Broadway's Aida, touring throughout China, McCarter Theatre's "A Christmas Carol", Big Mamma in "Anniversa Happary, A Comedy" at Manhattan Repertory Theatre, and Saturday Night Live. He is often a professional guest at the National Center of Performing Arts of The Bahamas in Nassua, Bahamas and has danced for Shakira and Lady Gaga. Other television appearances include performing on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, and The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Tramaine has projects in the works in and around New York City and has begun building and cultivating a print modeling career. Tramaine holds a B.F.A. Degree in Acting from Syracuse University with a minor in Psychology. Tramaine is grateful for all the people that support him and he hopes to one day help and inspire others.