KO (Karen Olivo) Supports Latiné Musical Theatre Lab And Helps Cultivate Latiné Talent Within The Arts Industry!

Latiné Musical Theatre Lab is honored to highlight KO, also known as Karen Olivo. KO is a prodigious supporter of the Lab, and the preeminent donor for 4xLatiné, one of the Lab's flagship programs which will take place on March 13, 2023 in NYC and will feature four, fifteen-minute excerpts of new musicals, all written by Latiné writers and performed for a live audience.

KO (they/them) is a multi-hyphenate previously living and working on the unceded ancestral lands of the Ho-Chunk Nation in Madison, WI. They are most widely known for their acting work that spans the last 25 years on Broadway and TV. In the Spring of 2020, KO transitioned into teaching to refocus their energy on the new generation of voices and future leaders in the industry. Currently serving as Associate Professor-Director of the Music Theatre Certificate Program at Northwestern | School of Communication. KO works at the collegiate level facilitating workshops on interpersonal communication, classroom culture, critical analysis of the Musical Theater canon, and education ethos retooling, while mentoring artists privately. They co-created the Mosaic Training, a bi-annual 8-week workshop for young artists from underrepresented identities to build community and engage in training free of charge in partnership with Project Broadway and Broadway workshops. In addition to supporting the Lab, KO supports grassroots organizations like NY-CLU, Pay Equity Standards, Collaboraction, The Industry Standard Group, PAAL, Broadway for Racial Justice, and Groundwater Arts.

Their awards and accolades include, but are not limited to: a Tony Award and nomination (2009 & 2020), a Drama Desk Award and nomination (2008 & 2009), an Astaire Award and nomination (2008 & 2009), an Outer Critic Award nomination (2009 & 2020), a Broadway.com Audience Award, and a Broadway World Theater fans Award (2009). KO's artistic and creative journey parallels our journey, mission, and vision here at Latiné Musical Theatre Lab. "I stepped away from performing full time to focus on being a voice for the next generation of creators. To educate, and influence theater creatives to not only find their voices, but feel empowered to use them." - shared KO. "The work that Latiné Musical Theatre Lab is doing to create spaces that haven't historically existed for those within the latiné community, is worth standing beside and supporting."

In 2020 alongside Eden Espinoza, KO co-founded AFECT: Artists for Economic Transparency. Their mission is centered around educating audiences about the inner workings of the theater industry, promoting discussions of institutional biases within the industry, and encouraging and advocating for diversity and inclusion within the theatrical industry. "I feel like activism is almost a calling," KO told NBC News in 2020. "We are in this strange moment in the theater, and at least we should use this time to think about ways we can equalize the playing field for everybody. I know in my heart that an informed industry is the best way to combat racial and fiscal inequity." KO's unyielding voice and support for the Lab and other marginalized artists and creatives within the industry is consequential, and deeply appreciated and lauded. From the bottom of our hearts we thank them for their support, their advocacy, their belief in the Lab, and for always seeking to create an inclusive and equitable arts industry.

4xLatiné will be a part of Teatro Fest NYC 2023, supported by KO and presented by the Lab's institutional partner, Teatro Latea. The event is a citywide extravaganza of Latin drama, dance, and music. For general information about the festival CLICK HERE!

MONDAY | MARCH 13, 2023 at 5:30 PM

MONDAY | MARCH 13, 2023 at 8:00 PM

TEATRO LATEA | 107 Suffolk St, New York, NY 10002

SEATING IS LIMITED, TICKETS ARE JUST $10! For TICKETS and more information CLICK HERE!

The Latiné Musical Theatre Lab, LLC is an organization that develops and advocates for new Latiné-written works of musical theatre in order to radically change who gets to tell musical stories on stages across the country. Our mission is to champion Latin musical theatre on a wide scale and increase equity for Latin artists in a field that hasn't always made space for them (while the Latiné population in the United States quickly approaches 20%, Latin artist representation on New York stages continues to sit around 3%.)

To learn more about the Lab, its mission, or to make a tax-deductible donation to help the Lab run its free programs for Latin writers, please visit www.latinemtlab.org.

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