Ramona Ponce is an Off and Off-Off-Broadway costume designer.  She has worked with The Ridiculous Theatrical Company, Opera On Tap, T.W.E.E.D. TheaterWorks, Trinity Church Liturgical Dance, Nomad Theatrical Company, La MaMa E.T.C., Untitled Theater Company #61 on such plays as: CHRISTMAS AT MRS. PRITCHARD’S FAIRY CIRCUS (1992), HOW TO WRITE A PLAY (1993), MEN ON THE VERGE OF A HIS-PANIC BREAKDOWN (1995), CALL ME SARAH BERNHARDT (1996), CORN (1997), A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (1997), WHAT HAPPENED TO ME (2000), THE DEVIL OF DELANCEY STREET (2005), SHIT & CHAMPAGNE (2006), A PARSIFAL (2006), PROJECT JUNGLE RED (1995), RAT BASTARDS(2009), RADIO PURGATORY (2010), MEN GO DOWN, PART III DARK RECOLLECTIONS (2011), SMASHED, THE CARRIE NATION STORY (2013), HANSEL & GRETEL (2014), THE MARRIAGE OF ALICE B. TOKLAS (2016), THE LAST CYCLIST (2017), and THE PARKSVILLE MURDERS DOME PROJECT(2017).  With Trinity Church Liturgical Dance productions she has designed costumes making the dancers resemble the stained glass windows in the church.  Music videos include Starpeople Are Coming and The Birthday Song.  Ponce’s award nominations include:  Hewes Award (2008) and Innovative Theater Award (2007).  Until the pandemic, she also served as costume designer and teacher at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center/LaGuardia Community College, and Manhattan Borough Coordinator for New York City Emergency Management’s Community Emergency Response Team Program.

Ramona Ponce grew up in Maryland in an antebellum house and barns surrounded by an unusual family.  Her father’s Mexican family walked across the border early in the 20th century and settled on the northern side.  He became a scientist and was involved in the early development of computers and also constructed buildings on their property.  Ponce’s mother, a primary school teacher and librarian, played the piano and made clothes for the family.  Her sister got a slot in a prestigious music school in New York City and Ponce escaped with her.  Her first employment was with stained glass crafters.  Because she could sew, she earned extra money making clothes for drag queens and slowly learned the art of theatrical costuming for performers in bars, night clubs and theaters leading to The Imperial Court of New York's first Night of a Thousand Gowns (1986) which brought her recognition.  Her first client was Stanley Voss and in time she met Everett Quinton, Artistic Director, and star performer of The Ridiculous Theatrical Company.  She became a resident costumer there from 1992-1998.  She is currently on the Board of Opera On Tap bringing the love of opera to primary schools and making opera accessible and fun.  She is also on the of Board of Untitled Theater Company #61, whose work expresses the humanity and responsibility of scientists through art.  In 2006 Ponce wrote a book with James Waller, Drinkology EATS.