MISSION STATEMENT
The Latiné Musical Theatre Lab is an organization that develops and advocates for new, Latine-written musicals and the careers of their writers, for the purpose of radically expanding the tapestry of stories told in the art form of musical theatre.
VISION STATEMENT
We envision a world where true equity in the theatre industry for Latine writers creates true belonging in the world for Latine people.
We see a world where our representation on and off stage matches our representation in the general population. Where audiences, theaters, and producers embrace our stories as a fundamental, unalienable part of the art form.
We see a world where Latine writers have unprecedented levels of resources to hone their craft and where the opportunity to be a musical theatre writer, one who creates the very stories that shape our culture, is not limited to those with the right level of wealth and privilege. We see a world where these resources bring Latine writers the same freedom as white writers - to write about anything and not be limited by the expectations that Latine writers only write Latine stories.
We see a world where these stories engage the imagination and wonder of the community, reaching diverse audiences and ushering in a new age of attendance and engagement - not only in established theatre spaces - but within the very Latine communities themselves. Where theatre is a pathway for deep connection amongst artists, audiences, and communities.
And most of all, we see a world where the shows developed by the Lab become an integral part of the musical theatre canon itself, finding a home with the largest audience of all: the students of tomorrow who will perform these shows in their schools and communities. We see a world where these stories create opportunities for students and their families to transform how Latine people are seen and perceived in their communities firsthand, by participating directly in the Latine-written musicals of tomorrow.
OUR CORE VALUES
COMMUNITY
Bringing people in, because we're stronger together.
STEWARDSHIP
Championing our people and their work.
DIVERSITY
Decentering white supremacy in the musical theatre space. Embracing individual identities, as opposed to a monolith of Latinidad.
PLAY
Embracing mess, mistakes, and the creative process.
IMPACT
Measurably increasing the volume of Latiné work being produced nationally.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Though we don't own and operate a physical space of our own, the spaces we work in on the island of Manhattan are located in unceded Lenape territory. The name Manhattan derives from the Lenape word for Island, ‘Menatay’. We acknowledge the genocide and continuous displacement of indigenous people across this continent and beyond. We recognize our ability as an arts organization to perpetuate the erasure of indigenous peoples and their stories, and we are committed to honoring and championing the lives, experiences, and contributions of indigenous peoples past, present, and future.