Matthew Paul Olmos

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Matthew Paul Olmos
Matthew Paul Olmos HEADSHOT color.jpg
Matthew Paul Olmos
BornOctober 14, 1977
Montebello, California
Occupation Playwright, Screenwriter
Alma mater University of California, Santa Barbara (BA) The New School for Drama (MFA)
Website
www.matthewpaulolmos.com.

Matthew Paul Olmos is a Mexican-American playwright from Los Angeles, California. He is best known for his play a home what howls (or the house what was ravine), which premiered at Steppenwolf Theater in 2024; [1] as well as so go the ghosts of mexico a three-play cycle about the US-Mexico drug wars which was selected for a production at La MaMa by Sam Shepard. [2]

Contents

Biography

Matthew Paul Olmos was born in Montebello, California to a police officer and Labor/Delivery nurse. [3] He began writing in early high school, where he enjoyed rewriting lyrics to songs [4] and thinking about their rhythm and poetry. Classmates would occasionally pay him to write poems for their girlfriends. [3] Olmos transferred to University of California, Santa Barbara in his junior year, where he was drawn to acting and writing. [4] Originally planning to write, direct and act in movies, Olmos was not exposed to theatre until his senior year of college when he took an Intro to Playwriting course. Olmos stayed an extra year and switched his major to receive a B.A in Playwriting, after his professor told him he had talent for playwriting. [3]

Olmos moved to Brooklyn, New York in 2001 to pursue playwriting. He received his M.F.A in Playwriting from the New School of Drama in 2004. [5]

Career

In 2009, his play i put the fear of méxico in'em, which was developed while he was in residency at INTAR theatre got him selected as a Sundance Institute Time Warner Storytelling Fellow. [6] From 2009 to 2011, Olmos spent time in the Mabou Mines/Suite Resident Artist Program where, under the mentorship of Ruth Maleczech, he developed a piece titled The Nature of Captivity, which won top prize for the Americas in BBC's International Playwriting Competition. [7] [8] Olmos worked at the Lark Play Development Center before quitting to be a full-time playwright. [9] In 2012, Olmos was in residence at New Dramatists as part of his Princess Grace Fellowship. [9] In 2013, Olmos was selected in the Ucross Foundation's Sundance Institute Theatre Program. [10] In the same year, he received the inaugural Ellen Stewart Emerging Playwright Award. [11] In 2015, Olmos was selected as a Baryshnikov Arts Center Resident Artist. [12]

a home what howls (or the house what was ravine)

World-premiered at Steppenwolf Theatre in 2024, under the Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis [13] . The production was directed by Laura Alcalá Baker and featured Charín Álvarez, Tim Hopper, Leslie Sophia Pérez, Isabel Quintero, and Eddie Torres.

so go the ghosts of méxico

Sam Shepard selected Olmos to create an original work to be produced by La MaMa, e.t.c. as a result of receiving the Ellen Stewart Emerging Playwright Award. so go the ghosts of méxico, part one directed by Meiyin Wang premiered in April 2013 to positive reception. [14] [15] Based on Marisol Valles García, the "Bravest Woman in Mexico," the play uses ghosts, a magic radio and other supernatural elements to give a poetic interpretation of the story of the 22-year-old woman who becomes chief of police after the previous chief of police is tortured and beheaded by the drug cartels. [16]

Olmos has stated that so go the ghosts of méxico is a three-play cycle that is thematically connected but each play features entirely different characters and circumstances. Part one's focus is on the political becoming personal. Part two hones in on the drug cartels themselves, but was played by an all-women cast as a critique on the machismo in that realm. Part three centers on U.S involvement. All three plays feature ghosts and a prominent use of music. [9]

In 2016, the Undermain Theatre, in Dallas, TX, committed to producing the entire cycle of plays over the course of three seasons, as announced in American Theatre.

Views on theatre

Olmos was interviewed by Brian James Polak for American Theater's The Subtext Podcast in January 2024 at Steppenwolf Theatre where he was in rehearsals for his play a home what howls (or the house what was ravine). [17]

Olmos has said he believes there are two categories of theater: “1. the type that “theater people” buy tickets (or get comped) to see and 2. the type that we feel comfortable taking ‘non-theater people’ to see.” [18] Olmos has issues with most theatre as being too pretentious and self-indulgent or lacking in substance. [19] Theater is too "safe" of an art form and many groups simply put on shows that have audiences sit quietly for 90 minutes, then leave, which makes theatre irrelevant. [7] Instead, Olmos hopes theatre allows itself to become more "relevant, dangerous and exciting," where any non-theater person can enjoy and have an engaging experience. [19] Olmos enjoys writing that takes risks and is not afraid to anger, challenge, confuse and engage an audience. [4] Olmos thinks it is important to create theater that is important to the world that anyone can watch and to avoid "doing art for art's sake." [9] He enjoys the works of writers like Rogelio Martinez, Mando Alvarado, Caitlin Saylor Stephens, Samuel Hunter and companies like The Assembly and The TEAM. [3]

Writing style

Many of Olmos' characters speak in a "stylized rhythm" based on how he hears Mexicans from the West Coast speak. [3] When asked about his use of lower case and punctuation, Olmos has said that he has never been especially good with grammar and has a very small vocabulary, but he loves the endless ways people can communicate casually and tries to show that in his writing. [9] Olmos focuses on writing about underrepresented, marginalized "have'nots." According to him, the majority of works in theatre are about people with social class, which he finds elitist. [19] Olmos only writes stories with political or social relevance, and often incorporates fantastical elements within them as a way to "embrace theatricality" and "expand our imaginations." [9] [3] The fantastic elements in his worlds are also a way to approach the many ridiculous, unexplainable things people do to each other in the real world. [18] Olmos hopes when writing about the underrepresented types of people that do not typically attend theater, that if they saw his play, they could connect through the theatrics or "hyper-realistic" elements in his work. [18] Olmos likes to write about the small boundaries people create around themselves and often overlook. He finds that these boundaries that separate us and cause loneliness are ridiculous and that by writing about them we can recognize them and be able to look across them. [19]

Accolades

Works

Full length plays

Essays

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References

  1. ↑ Masseron, Meg (January 9, 2024). "Steppenwolf Theatre Presenting World Premiere of A Home What Howls". Playbill.com. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "matthew paul olmos - the scripts". matthewpaulolmos.com. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Cafecito: Matthew Paul Olmos". HowlRound. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  4. 1 2 3 "People You Should Know . . . Matthew Paul Olmos" . Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  5. ↑ "Drama Alums Chosen for Prestigious New York Fellowship Program". The New School News. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  6. ↑ "Sundance Institute Announces 2009 Time Warner Storytelling Fellows". www.sundance.org. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  7. 1 2 Szymkowicz, Adam (2011-02-25). "Adam Szymkowicz: I Interview Playwrights Part 320: Matthew Paul Olmos". Adam Szymkowicz. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  8. 1 2 "BBC World Service - Arts & Culture - International Playwriting Competition 2011: Meet the winners" . Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Christopherson, Jody (2013-04-05). "Matthew Paul Olmos: so go the ghosts of mexico". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  10. 1 2 "Ucross Foundation :: Sundance Institute Theatre Program". www.ucrossfoundation.org. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  11. ↑ "Seven Artists Selected for 2013 Sundance Institute Playwrights Retreat at Ucross Foundation". www.sundance.org. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  12. ↑ BWW News Desk. "BEGINAGAIN, St. Lawrence String Quartet, AS I REMEMBER IT and More Set for BAC's Spring 2015 Season". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  13. ↑ Rosenberg, David (April 12, 2023). "Steppenwolf.org" (PDF). Steppenwolf.org. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  14. ↑ "so go the ghosts of mexico, part one - Exeunt Magazine". exeuntmagazine.com. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  15. ↑ Rampell, Catherine (2013-04-21). "Matthew Paul Olmos's 'so go the ghosts of méxico, part one'". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  16. ↑ "Matthew Paul Olmos' So Go the Ghosts of Mexico, Part One Premieres at La MaMa April 11 | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  17. ↑ Polak, Brian (March 1, 2024). "The Subtext: Matthew Paul Olmos Finds Comfort in Chaos". American Theatre. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  18. 1 2 3 "so go the ghosts of Matthew Paul Olmos". brooklynrail.org. 3 April 2013. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  19. 1 2 3 4 "Matthew Paul Olmos: The Nature of Captivity" . Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  20. ↑ "Sundance Institute Announces 2009 Time Warner Storytelling Fellows". www.sundance.org. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  21. ↑ "https://www.theatermania.com/news/sam-shepard-selects-playwright-matthew-paul-olmos-to-create-new-work-at-la-mama-e-t-c_43065/". Theatermania. October 19, 2011. Retrieved June 25, 2024.{{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  22. ↑ "2012 Princess Grace Awards Winners Announced". Backstage.com. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  23. ↑ Hetrick, Adam (November 5, 2012). "Sundance Selects Michael John LaChiusa, Stephen Wadsworth and Radha Blank for Ucross Retreat". Playbill.com. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  24. ↑ Miller, Sean (April 24, 2014). "Sundance Institute Unveils Theater Lab Slate". Backstage.com. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  25. ↑ Bartkowski, Becky (2015-07-02). "Matthew Paul Olmos Wins Arizona Theatre Company National Latino Playwrighting Award". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  26. ↑ "2017/18 L.A. WRITERS' WORKSHOP". Center Theatre Group. 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  27. ↑ Musbach, Julie (December 4, 2018). "Cherry Lane Theatre Announces Playwrights Award-Winning Mentor Project". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  28. ↑ Editors, American Theatre (November 15, 2018). "https://www.americantheatre.org/2018/11/15/actors-theatre-of-louisville-announces-43rd-humana-festival/". American Theatre. Retrieved June 25, 2024.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help); External link in |title= (help)
  29. ↑ Rabinowitz, Chloe (October 8, 2020). "Repertorio Espanol Announces Winners of 2020 Miranda Family Voces Latinx Playwriting Competition". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  30. ↑ Dmytryk, Zenon (August 3, 2020). "GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE SELECTS SIX PLAYWRIGHTS FOR 2020/2021 CYCLE OF "THE WRITERS' ROOM"". Geffen Playhouse. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  31. ↑ Wild, Stephi (July 8, 2021). "14 Playwrights Set For Ojai Playwrights Conference 2021 Season". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  32. ↑ Rabinowitz, Chloe (August 30, 2021). "Primary Stages Announces Plans for 2022 In-Person Return, Plus New Artistic Development Programs". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  33. ↑ Meyer, Dan (March 30, 2021). "Drama League Awards Announces 2021 Nominees and Special Recognition Recipients". Playbill.com. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  34. ↑ Rabinowitz, Chloe (June 24, 2022). "Ojai Playwrights Announces 2022 New Works Festival Featuring Vivian Barnes, Lyndsey Bourne, Bill Cain & More". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  35. ↑ "Playwrights' Center Welcomes Inspiring New Cohort of Core Writers". PlaywrightsCenter. June 28, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  36. ↑ Editors, American Theatre (February 10, 2023). "EST/Sloan Announces 11 New Science-Oriented Play Commissions". AmericanTheatre. Retrieved June 25, 2024.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  37. ↑ Rabinowitz, Chloe (June 27, 2023). "Playwrights' Center & Venturous Theater Fund Reveal 2023–25 Venturous Playwright Fellowships". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  38. ↑ Higgins, Molly (December 13, 2023). "Dramatists Guild Foundation Reveals Inaugural Catalyst Fellowship Recipients". Playbill.com. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
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