Drama Alum Earns a Royal Honor
Drama alum Matthew Paul Olmos (Playwriting ’04) has received the prestigious 2012 Princess Grace Award in Playwriting. Each year, the Foundation awards artists who show excellence and promise in the areas of theater, dance, and film. The Playwriting Award includes an honorarium, a residency at New Dramatists in New York City, and the opportunity for the playwright’s work to be licensed and published by Samuel French, Inc.
“On the Princess Grace application, they list the previous recipients which is filled with writers whom I so respect, as well a writer who has been a mentor for me in my career, Rogelio Martinez,” said Olmos. “I first met Rogelio over eight years ago when I was recommended by Bob Hoyt [Director of Professional Development for The New School for Drama] to be a part of INTAR’s Writer’s Lab. Since then Rogelio has helped and inspired me both with my writing and career, so it was especially meaningful to get an award that he had also received earlier in his career.
“The recognition of this award is and has been completely flattering. The financial portion of the award will allow me to take time off from my ’day jobs,’ and the time at New Dramatists provides the safety of both community and space to write as much as possible, as well push as many projects forward as I can in the coming year.”
The Awards continue the legacy of Princess Grace (Kelly) of Monaco, who helped emerging artists pursue their artistic goals during Her lifetime. Olmos will receive his Award alongside this year’s other honored artists at the 30th Anniversary Princess Grace Awards Gala, held in the presence of THS The Prince and Princess of Monaco, on October 22, 2012, at Cipriani 42nd Street, New York City.
Past Playwriting Awards have gone to Sheila Callaghan, Kara Lee Corthon, Madeleine George, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Rogelio Martinez, A. Rey Pamatmat, and Adam Rapp, among others.
In addition to this honor, Olmos was recently named by playwright Sam Shepard as the inaugural recipient of La MaMa e.t.c.’s Ellen Stewart Playwriting Award. He is a 2012-13 New York Theatre Workshop Fellow, 2011-12 terraNOVA Groundbreaker Playwright, and a 2011-12 Brooklyn Arts Exchange Resident Artist. His play, I put the fear of mexico in ‘em will have its world premiere at Teatro Vista in Chicago in November 2012 and part one of his three-play cycle, so go the ghosts of méxico will world-premiere at La MaMa e.t.c. in April 2013.
For more information, visit www.pgfusa.com and www.matthewpaulolmos.com.