Amit Ulman (; born December 11, 1985) known professionally by his stage name Pedro Grass, is an Israeli actor, director, playwright, rapper and singer. He is the winner of the Golden Porcupine Award for Music and for writing the plays "
This City" and "Dream High School". Ulman is one of the founders of
Poetry Slam
A poetry slam is a competitive art event in which poets perform spoken word, spoken word poetry before a live audience and a panel of judges.
Poetry slams began in Chicago in the 1980s, with the first slam competition designed to move poetry rec ...
Israel.
Biography
Ulman was born in
Rehovot
Rehovot (, / ) is a city in the Central District (Israel), Central District of Israel, about south of Tel Aviv. In it had a population of .
Etymology
Israel Belkind, founder of the Bilu (movement), Bilu movement, proposed the name "Rehovot ...
and grew up in the nearby town of
Kiryat Ekron
Kiryat Ekron or Qiryath Eqron () is a town located on the coastal plain in the Central District of Israel. Located immediately south of the city of Rehovot on Highway 411 next to the Bilu Junction, in it had a population of .
History
Kiryat Ekr ...
. As a teenager he was active in the Rehovot Youth Theater. He served in the
IDF as a fighter in the
Duvdevan Unit
Unit 217, frequently called Duvdevan (), is a ''mistaʽaravim'' unit in the Commando Brigade of the Israel Defense Forces.
It is notable for its undercover operations in urban areas, during which its operators often wear civilian clothing t ...
. He fought in
the Second Lebanon War. In 2010 he began studying at the
Nissan Nativ
Nissan Nativ (Hebrew: ניסן נתיב) (originally Notowicz; 5. November 1922 – 20 April 2008) was an influential Israeli Theatre director, director, actor and acting teacher.
Life
Nissan Nativ was born 1922 (as Nissan Notowicz) in Munich ...
Acting Studio in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
. In 2011 he began working and creating as part of the Incubator Theater.
Career
Poetry Slam
Ulman became interested in
spoken word
Spoken word is an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a 20th-century continuation of an oral tradition, ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetic ...
poetry in his youth after watching
Saul Williams
Saul Stacey Williams (born February 29, 1972) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, musician, poet, writer, and actor. He is known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop, and for his lead roles in the 1998 independent film ''Slam ( ...
film
"Slam". In 2010 he joined the first Israeli spoken word line, WORD UP, first as a participant and later as a co-producer.
In 2011 he initiated and produced the first poetry slam events as part of the Incubator Theater. At the same time, together with Eriq Aver and Nili Kopler, he began producing additional events across the country. The three founded Poetry Slam Israel. In 2012 he won the "Grand Slam" (the national poetry slam championship).
Theater
In 2011 he began working as an actor at the Incubator Theater and acted in various plays.
In 2012 he staged the play "This City" at the Incubator Theater. Ulman acts in the play, and is also the director, writer and composer together with
Jimbo J and Itzik Paztzati. Ulman won the Golden Porcupine Awards for directing the play and for writing the play. The play also won the Music Award and the Outstanding Ensemble Award.
In 2014 he staged "The Tragedy of Macbeth", a spoken word adaptation of
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's text, at the Incubator Theater. Ulman acts in the play, and is also the director, translator and chief adapter.
In 2016 he staged the play "Dream High School", Ulman acts in the play, and is also the director, and wrote and composed it together with Jimbo J and Omer Mor. The play won the Golden Porcupine Award for Outstanding Ensemble.
Music
In 2003, at the age of 17, he co-founded the band A.N.D. together with Omer Mor and Omer Habron and other rappers. In 2009 the band changed its name to "The Victor Jackson Show".
In 2010 he began performing under the stage name "Pedro Grass" at various poetry events. In 2017 he released the book-album "Parentheses" which includes musical arrangements of spoken word poetry.
In 2019 he announced that he had parted ways with his stage name and that his next album would be released under his real name.
In November 2019, Amit Ulman released the single "Your Song" which will be featured on his upcoming second album.
Voice acting
In 2019 Ulman voiced the character Hector Flapmaiker from the Israeli video game
Piposh: The Audition.
Television
In 2021 he began participating in Ha'Chanut She'Yesh Ba HaKol on
Kan 11
Kan 11 ( ) is an Israeli state-owned free-to-air television channel. Operated by the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC), it launched on 15 May 2017, replacing Channel 1 after the closure of the Israel Broadcasting Authority. It is ...
.
In 2023 his film "This City" will be released, an Israeli rap opera detective film based on the play of the same name.
‘The City’ is a dazzling Israeli rap opera
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ulman, Amit
1985 births
21st-century Israeli male singers
Israeli male singer-songwriters
Israeli singer-songwriters
Israeli rappers
Jewish rappers
Israeli male television actors
Israeli hip-hop record producers
Living people
People from Rehovot