matthew paul olmos
Playwright, PlayPenn Teaching Artist
Matthew Paul Olmos is a Mexican-American playwright who focuses on the creation of space for marginalized, underrepresented communities and gives them heightened poetic language and theatricality. While his work is always personal, it is aimed at reaching across socio’political boundaries, showing the ridiculous of how separate we are, and illuminating hope for future generations.
He is a three-time Sundance Institute Fellowship/Residency recipient, Actors’ Theatre of Louisville Humana Festival Commissioned Playwright, Center Theatre Group LA Workshop playwright, Drama League nominee, inaugural Dramatists Guild Catalyst Fellow, Geffen Playhouse Writers Room playwright, New Dramatists alum, Oregon Shakespeare Festival Black Swan Lab playwright, Playwrights’ Center Core Writer, inaugural Primary Stages Creative Development Grantee, Princess Grace Awardee in Playwriting, two-time Ojai Playwrights Conference playwright, Repertorio Español Miranda Family Nuestra Voces Playwriting Awardee.
He spent two years as a Mabou Mines/SUITE Resident Artist being mentored by Ruth Maleczech, was chosen and mentored by Taylor Mac for Cherry Lane’s Mentor Project and was La MaMa e.t.c.'s Ellen Stewart Emerging Playwright Awardee as selected by Sam Shepard.
Former Arizona Theatre Company’s National Latino Playwriting Awardee, Baryshnikov Arts Center Artist in Residence, Dramatists Guild Fellow, Ingram New Works at Nashville Repertory, two-time INTAR H.P.R.L Playwright Primary Stages' Dorothy Strelsin New American Writer, New York Theatre Workshop fellow, a proud Kilroys nominator, two-time Venturous Fellowship nominee.
He is an Echo Theater Company Resident Playwright, proud Kilroys nominator, and an Ensemble Studio Theater Sloan Commission playwright and lifetime member.
He world’premiered a new play at Steppenwolf in 2024. His work has been presented nationally and internationally, taught in university, and is published by Concord Theatricals/Samuel French and NoPassport Press.
Currently developing a jukebox, play-with-music for BMG Music Company and the band WAR. As well, he is creating an indigenous exhibition as part of his Catalyst Fellowship with Dramatists Guild, in which he is commissioning Tongva artists to create artwork for an exhibit for unheard perspectives alongside the California Missions. www.matthewpaulolmos.com.