The New York-based theater troupe Universes performs Live From the Edge at the RISD Auditorium tonight as part of the FirstWorks Festival.

Tonight, there’s a collision of art forms, a Big Bang, if you will: Universes.

The New York-based troupe makes its first New England appearance as part of the fifth annual FirstWorks Festival in Providence. For those unfamiliar with Universes, what that means is many things: poetry, hip-hop, jazz, blues, theater and, for good measure, some Spanish boleros.

“It’s all meshed into one,” says Steven Sapp, one of the group’s founders. “We started off as individual poets and then added musical flavor in little five- and 10-minute spots. A couple of us have theater backgrounds and we started adding theater elements and it got bigger and bigger.”

Universes, which was established 11 years ago, features four members: Sapp, Gamal Abdel-Chasten, Mildred Ruiz and William “Ninja” Ruiz. They all come from either the South Bronx or Manhattan’s Lower East Side. They do not come from affluent areas.

“There are a lot of different cultures and flavors that make this country. There are a lot of voices you don’t hear. We try to cover the voices that you don’t hear, and the voices you do hear, but with a different spin.”

Universes’ goal, according to Sapp, is to present the American experience in all its variety, and sometimes its obscurity.

“We could talk about the guy in jail, about how he got there, or how you need to walk and talk in specific neighborhoods.”

Status, artifice and pretension are not a big part of Universes’ world.

“We look at the common man. We know people who have never been to college and will never go. But they’re good people. They have rich backgrounds and are just as valid. I can appreciate the junkie on the corner rambling on as much as the college professor rambling on. We’re all human beings. Why can’t someone who doesn’t have the pedigree also have respect?”

Sometimes Universes presents a pre-set theatrical show, which has a pointed message, such as its Ameriville, which is about Hurricane Katrina.

“You can talk about the social ills of America just through New Orleans. But you don’t want to just talk about the flood, the flood, the flood and the water, the water, the water for two hours.”

Sometimes Universes presents an open-ended show, a collection of its best works, Live From the Edge, which is what’s planned for Providence.

“It’s like a band doing a great set.”

In the set, you’ll probably hear a series of sets showing an innovative use of language: slang.

“Where we come from, the inner city, there is slang, and slang is changing every three or four days. Different areas have different slang. We’re college educated, but we know both worlds.”

There may be some jazz, too, in voice and in body percussion. Universes aims to entertain, but also to educate — about basic human existence.

“There is social commentary, but we don’t necessarily hit you over the head with stuff. But if you’re performing for two hours, you should have something to say.”

Universes performs tonight at 8 in the RISD Auditorium, 17 Canal Walk, Providence. There’s a pre-show, “JumpStart” at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $18, $12 for students, at www.arttixri.com or at the door. For more information, visit www.first-works.org.

brourke@projo.com