After that "one night only" performance, Hector continued his work with The Welfare Poets and the rest of the group, including Mildred, decided to evolve the company incorporating music and theater.

On March 22, 1997 Universes from the Bronxside was invited to perform at a fundraiser event at El Puente (Brooklyn, NY) called Lemon+Aid to help Lemon Andersen, who was then imprisoned, after his release.

[citation needed] Universes members all grew up in housing projects in New York City and starting performing poetry in the "thriving spoken-word scene" of the late 1990s, namely, The NuYorican Poets Cafe.

[citation needed] The company's work transitioned from a revue format to fully fledged theatrical pieces under the direction of Jo Bonney at the New York Theatre Workshop, where they presented their first major show, Slanguage in 2001.

[4] This was followed by Rhythmicity: Flipping the Script, created in collaboration with UNIVERSES (Steven, Mildred, Gamal), Reg.e.gaines, Rha Goddess, Willie Perdomo and Regie Cabico, featured at the Actors Theater of Louisville’s Humana Festival of New American Plays in 2003; Steven Sapp and Mildred Ruiz-Sapp’s "Eyewitness Blues" directed by Talvin Wilks at New York Theatre Workshop (later redeveloped as "Blue Suite" under the direction of Chay Yew for Gala Hispanic Theater and The Goodman Theatre; and Gamal Chasten’s The Last Word, premièred at Performance Space 122.

In 2008, Universes toured to Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, Romania, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom as part of the United States Department of State's “Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad” program through Jazz at Lincoln Center, performing a variety of pieces including New Orleans, Mahalia, Freedom Suite, Don't Front and Junior Calling.

[5] UNIVERSES premièred Ameriville (Created by: Steven, Mildred, Gamal and Ninja (William Ruiz)), a work examining the United States through the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina at the Actors Theater of Louisville’s Humana Festival of New American Plays in 2009 and toured with it throughout America.

Past collaborating members of UNIVERSES include (in order of appearance): Flaco Navaja, Caridad de la Luz, Paul J. Thompson, Angel Rodriguez, Lemon Andersen, Carlos Pimentel, Antoine Drey, Maurice Turner.

"[11] The New York Times said, "Here, out of the mouths and clapping hands and dancing feet of five multitalented performers known collectively as Universes, comes the poetry of the city, minted in the urban furnace where the flint of real life strikes the sparks of creation from concrete pavement and steel tracks.

Under the direction of Chay Yew, a torrent of characters, words, movement and song issued from William "Ninja" Ruiz, Gamal Chasten, Steven Sapp and Mildred "Mils" Ruiz-Sapp.

"[13] The Denver Post suggested that most "effective are the scenes that are more personal than didactic, honest, first-person stories that address the underlying issues in a more tangential way: a man wonders who will carry on the traditions of the Carnival krewes, who will be the "Little Chiefs" if everyone goes away.