Sundance Institute and Time Warner selected Drama playwriting alum Matthew Paul Olmos (’04) as a 2009 Time Warner Storytelling Fellow. The Time Warner Storytelling Advancement Fund, established in 2007, provides substantial support over four years to help fund the development and celebration of independent artists across Sundance Institute's Feature Film and Theatre Programs. Time Warner Storytelling Fellows, a talented group of Sundance film and theatre artists (up to 20 Fellows over a four-year period), receive grants to enable them to focus specifically on the advancement of the narrative and voice in their projects. Additionally, fellows receive a combination of year-round guidance, residency support, mentoring, and professional development.

"On year three of Time Warner's commitment to storytelling artists, the Sundance Theatre Program is proud to announce that Matthew Paul Olmos and [fellow award recipient] Quincy Long will receive direct artist grant support," said Sundance Institute Theatre Program Artistic Director Philip Himberg. "Both playwrights have created unique new scripts that define the Sundance independent spirit."

Olmos’ play I Put the Fear of Mexico in 'Em tells the story of an American couple visiting Mexico who stumble off the beaten path, and are accosted by a Mexican couple in an alley. What ensues is a complex encounter that challenges notions of boundary, safety, identity, and what you would do for your family. I Put the Fear of Mexico in 'Em was developed in part while in residency at INTAR Theatre, NYC.

In addition to numerous productions of his work both in NYC and regionally, he is also the co-founder and Artistic Director of woken'glacier theatre company. He is currently developing a piece about the escalating violence in México.