Matthew Paul Olmos is a Mexican-American playwright who focuses his work on the creation of space for marginalized and underrepresented communities. While his work is always personal, it is aimed at reaching across socio’political boundaries, showing the ridiculous of how separate our lives, and illuminating a potential hope for future generations.

He is a three-time Sundance Institute Fellowship/Residency recipient, Actors’ Theatre of Louisville Humana Festival Commissioned Playwright, New Dramatists Resident Playwright, Playwrights Center Core Writer, Center Theatre Group LA Playwright Workshop Writer, Geffen Playhouse Writers Room Playwright, Oregon Shakespeare Festival Black Swan Lab Playwright, inaugural Primary Stages Creative Development Grantee, Princess Grace Awardee in Playwriting, Arizona Theatre Company's National Latinx Playwriting Awardee, two-time Ojai Playwrights Conference playwright, Repertorio Español Miranda Family Nuestra Voces Playwriting Awardee, Cherry Lane Mentor Project playwright as chosen by Taylor Mac, and La MaMa e.t.c.'s Ellen Stewart Emerging Playwright Awardee as selected by Sam Shepard.

He spent two years as a Mabou Mines/SUITE Resident Artist being mentored by Ruth Maleczech and is a former New York Theatre Workshop's Emerging Artist Fellow, Baryshnikov Arts Center Artist in Residence, Dramatists Guild Fellow, Humanitas Play LA Workshop Playwright, Primary Stages' Dorothy Strelsin New American Writer, Brooklyn Arts Exchange Resident Artist, INTAR H.P.R.L Playwright, Rising Circle Collective Playwright, terraNOVA Collective's Groundbreakers Playwright; he is also an Echo Theater Company Resident Playwright, a proud Kilroys nominator, and an Ensemble Studio Theater lifetime member.

He received the Sundance Institute Time Warner Storytelling Fellowship for his play I PUT THE FEAR OF MÉXICO IN'EM, which world-premiered in Chicago at Teatro Vista; it has also been developed by INTAR Theatre, The Working Theatre, The Lark, The Kennedy Center with The Inkwell, and the Gala Theatre in Washington D.C.. It was taught at Rutger’s University by Caridad Svich. It is published by both NoPassport Press and Samuel French.

As part of his award, La MaMa e.t.c., produced his play SO GO THE GHOSTS OF MÉXICO, PART ONE, the first in his 3-play cycle about the U.S./México drug wars; directed by former Public Theater Director of Under the Radar Meiyin Wang. The production played a sold-out run and was a New York Times Critic's Pick. The Spanish version premiered in México and was also produced by Repertorio Español. The English version is published by Samuel French and had a regional premiere in 2016 at Undermain Theatre in Dallas, TX.
His work has been presented both nationally and internationally, taught in university, and is published by Samuel French and NoPassport Press. He is a proud three-time Kilroys nominator.

He is currently developing a play inspired by Samantha Power’s “The Education of An Idealist” for Geffen Playhouse’s Writers Room and Theatre For One's Solo Collective. As well a new play inspired by the Mendez v. Westminster case about the building of Mexican schools as part of segregation. He recently developed a feature with Andrew Lauren Productions and is currently developing a screenplay inspired by his play THAT DRIVE THRU MONTEREY.
www.matthewpaulolmos.com.