“One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.”
Our Mission
To train children to use their gifts for God’s glory and to equip them to go and tell His story.
History
Why “The Well?”
The Gospel of John tells the beautiful story of a woman who meets Jesus by a well. She goes out in the heat of the day looking for water, but meets the One who offers her “living water,” the only thing that could fully satisfy her deepest longings. Her recognition of Jesus as Messiah transforms her. This transformation inspires others to come to know Him as well.
Jesus is “The Well.” He is the source of life for all who receive Him. It is our desire that all who come to The Well Center for the Arts, whether as a student in one of our programs, or as an audience member at one of our productions, will leave in awe of God’s mighty acts, moved by the power of truth, love and grace He has for all people, and that their experience will compel them to go forth and tell others about Jesus, the one true Source of Life.
“On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.”
Founders
Viviana Fusaro-Ramos
THE ACTORS’ STUDIO DRAMA SCHOOL, NYC
M.F.A., Acting 2007
UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO, RIO PIEDRAS
B.A., French and Italian, 2004
Viviana has enjoyed participating in theatrical performances and making people laugh since she was a child. As a child her parents enrolled her in dance classes and gave her the opportunity to visit TV sets and be in commercials. Her love of theater grew as a teen when she participated in many school and church productions. But it was at a local church drama ministry where she learned to write, direct, and choreograph many shows for the glory of God. She was also given the opportunity to lead different groups of kids, sparking her desire to eventually be a teacher and ultimately start her own school.
In 2000, hesitant to fully pursue theater as a career, Viviana enrolled at the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras to earn a bachelor’s degree in French and Italian with the hopes of becoming a language teacher and take the Gospel to the nations. While studying a semester abroad in Paris, she saw a play with a friend that motivated her to commit to studying theater when she returned to Puerto Rico. After finishing her bachelor’s degree in 2004, the Lord opened a door by providing a scholarship for Viviana to study in the Actors’ Studio Drama School in New York City. In the summer of 2006, Viviana met Jared on a mission trip in Guatemala where they had the opportunity to use their gifts in the arts to minister to children in orphanages, prisons, and public schools. Shortly after earning her Masters of Fine Arts in Acting, Jared and Viviana got married and dreamed about having a family and fully committing their lives to serving the Lord in missions. It was also at that time, that the Lord put on their hearts the idea of a theater company called “The Well.”
Professionally, Viviana quickly found her niche as a performer in various educational theater programs such as TEATRO SEA, and Playwrights Theater of New Jersey. In 2008 she began working as a preschool drama teacher at the Mustard Seed School in Hoboken, NJ. Viviana loved working in a non-traditional school where she was exposed to the Reggio Emilia approach. She also loved that the school placed worship and the arts in the center of the children’s education. She witnessed children flourish when given the time, attention, space, and stimulation. In 2010, Viviana gave birth to twins Olivia and Joshua, and was thrilled to become a stay-at-home mom.
After much prayer, the Ramos family moved to Puerto Rico to serve the Lord in the field of education. Although Viviana didn’t plan to homeschool, she realized that this was the best and most logical choice for her family. Their third child, Emma, arrived in 2012 and before she knew it, Viviana was immersed in homeschooling three children under 5 years old, using many of the methods she had learned at Mustard Seed. Teaching her three children at “Seeds School” has been joyous and rewarding for Viviana, and she loves encouraging and supporting other families to teach their children diligently. In 2016, she became the Children’s Ministry Coordinator at Christian Community Church in Guaynabo, PR. Viviana continues to teach children and disciple youth at Christian Community Church in addition to developing Seeds Homeschool and The Well Center for the Arts.
Jared Ramos
VAN LUNEN CENTER FOR EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT IN CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS - CALVIN COLLEGE
2015 Van Lunen Fellow
ST. PETER’S UNIVERSITY
M.A., Educational Administration and Supervision, 2005
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
B.A., English Literature, Theater & Dance, 2001
Certified K-12 School Director and Teacher of English and Theater by the Puerto Rico Department of Education
Jared has been an artist since childhood. Primarily interested in drawing and painting, he also studied music in elementary school, playing the saxophone at school and singing with the chorus. He began performing in his first plays and musicals in high school. At Princeton University, Jared continued studying the arts and received a bachelor’s in English with a concentration in dramatic literature and a certificate in theater and dance. There, Jared performed with the Triangle Club, Theatre Intime, and the Princeton University Players, as well as directed various university productions. He was also a member, choreographer, and president of the student-run dance company, Bodyhype. Jared studied abroad at University College London and performed at the Bloomsbury Theatre at Kings Cross in 1999. After graduation in 2001, Jared continued honing his abilities as a visual artist by working as a graphic designer for the children’s educational website Starfall.
In 2003, Jared became certified to teach English, theater, and dance in New Jersey and continued to direct and choreograph several musicals at the high school, university and community levels. He received recognition at the Papermill Playhouse Rising Star Awards and the STANJ Festivals for his work in both choreography and graphic design. In 2005, he completed his master’s degree in Educational Administration and Supervision at St. Peter’s College in Jersey City.
Also in 2005, Jared accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Since then, Jared’s desire to serve God has been at the center of his work in education and the arts. As a missionary to several countries in Central America, Jared wrote and performed skits and puppet shows for children and youth. There, in 2006, he met Viviana, who shared his dream of one day starting a Christian school for the Arts. They were married in 2008.
After their marriage and the birth of Olivia and Joshua, their twins, Jared and Viviana followed their missionary calling by moving to Puerto Rico in 2011. He began serving as an English teacher at Academia Fowler in Guaynabo and in 2012, became Academic Director. This was also the year their third child, Emma was born. At the school, Jared urged students to follow God and also encouraged many in their own passions for the arts. However, after six years as Academic Director, Jared understood that his mission at the school was complete. It was at this time, that he and Viviana began the process of developing their plans to fully pursue the dream of developing a Christ-centered performing arts school.
In 2017, Jared was appointed as Assistant Pastor at Christian Community Church, where he currently teaches Bible to children, youth and uses the arts as a tool for evangelism and discipleship.