Our Team
Ryan Morales Green
(he / him)
Founder & Executive Director
Nicole Paloma Sarro
(she / her)
Managing Director
Andrés López-Alicea
(he / him)
Director of Programs
Sofia Ubilla
(she / her)
Development Director
Daniel Mesta
(he / him)
Literary Manager / Resident Dramaturg
Desiree Montes
(she / her)
Marketing Director
Victoria Menendez
(she / her)
Development Associate
Gretta Marston-Lari
(she / they)
Literary Associate
Gineiris Garcia
(she / her)
Programs Associate
Joey Bermudez
(he / him)
Casting Coordinator
Antonio De La Vega
(he / they)
Asst. to the Executive Director
Laura Riveros-Sefair
(she / they)
Artistic Associate
Miranda Holliday
(they / them)
Associate Managing Director
Leslie Chocano Solis
(she / her)
Artistic Associate
Advisory Board
Maija García, director / choreographer
Eric Ulloa, Broadway actor / playwright
Julio Agustin, director / choreographer / Director of Musical Theatre - Elon University
Jaime Lozano, director / composer / orchestrator
Ricky Ramón, director / AEA stage manager / Howard University
Tlaloc Rivas, writer / director / dramaturg / producer / University of Connecticut
Maria Torres, choreographer / director / producer / activist
Debra Cardona, Broadway actor / dramaturg
Franki De La Vega, producer
Alex Sanchez, director / choreographer
Jason Styres, casting director
Staff Bios
Ryan Morales Green
Founder & Executive Director
Ryan is a Boricua-Italian actor, producer, and arts advocate based in NYC. His mission is to advocate for diverse works of musical theatre that challenge and expand the art form, while providing a voice to underrepresented artists on the musical stage. He works to champion new forms of musical development that eliminate systems of privilege in the kinds of work that get produced regionally, in New York, and on Broadway. The goal: revolutionize the world of musical theatre. Under his leadership, the Lab has helped to develop over 24 new Latine-written musicals in its first twelve months alone, and is set to become a force for change in our industry.
His work as an actor includes the national tour of Flashdance the Musical, numerous readings and workshops of new musicals, and dozens of contracts at regional theatres around the country throughout his decade long career in the arts. BFA Musical Theatre, Shenandoah Conservatory. www.ryanmorales.me @ryanmoralesgreen
Email: ryan@latinemtlab.org
Nicole Paloma Sarro
Managing Director
Nicole is a Chingona who wholeheartedly believes in the power of theater to change hearts and minds.
As an administrator, she brings over 15 years of experience to The Lab. Her superpowers are action and detail implemented with a splash of style. Nicole spent the last >5 years with Werq, a professional services startup, inhabiting various roles within admin and operations as the company scaled and grew.
As a mother, she works hard to end the cycle of generational trauma and support her young daughter’s physical, intellectual, spiritual, and emotional growth; doing her best to lead by example.
As an actor, Nicole graduated with a BFA in Musical Theatre at age 30. Since then, she toured with IN THE HEIGHTS, appeared in several off-broadway productions, and in numerous regional theaters across the country.
Like so many other Latinas, Nicole has done all of these things simultaneously. Chingona!
She is excited to bring all of these parts of herself to The Lab in support of the mission to create equity in the theater community and to radically change who gets to share musical stories on stages across our country.
Email: nicole@latinemtlab.org
Andrés López-Alicea
Director of Programs
Andrés López-Alicea is Puerto Rican director, actor, and teaching artist based in New York. MFA Directing from The New School. BA degree in both Architecture and Drama. His work as an artist has been seen in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Williamstown Theatre Festival, St Peter’s University NJ and Oregon Shakespeare Festival. In New York at The Tank, NYU Tisch Musical Theatre, LATEA Theater, Story Pirates, The New School for Drama, MCC Theatre, Playwrights Realm, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Cherry Lane Theater, Repertorio Español and many more. He was awarded with the 2019/2020 Clubbed Thumb Theater Directing Fellowship in New York and selected to be a part of the Roundabout Directors Group 2021-2022. Currently he is a teaching artist at Rybin Talent & Studio of Drama in Manhattan. www.andreslopezalicea.com
Email: andres@latinemtlab.org
Sofia Ubilla
Development Director
Sofia (she/her) is a South Florida-born Costa Rican director, theatre artist, and arts administrator based in New York. Her work revolves around her passion for telling untold stories and she believes in the power of representation to shape the world we live in. She graduated from Fordham University with a BA in Theatre, with a concentration in Directing, and Spanish Studies, summa cum laude. Her thesis, titled “New Methods for Translation and Performance of the Spanish Golden Age: A Case Study of a Virtual Production of Ana Caro’s Valor, agravio y mujer,” explored the ways new media and performance complete the translation act when staging a Spanish-language play to an English-speaking audience. Other directing credits include Saguaros by Angélica Herrera at JACK, Cloud Tectonics by Jose Rivera and A Butterfly Dreams... by Kiernan Westrick at Fordham University, and Emperor of 10th Ave by Carmen Rivera at INTAR. She has worked at The Latinx Playwright's Circle, Dixon Place, Syracuse Stage, Geva Theatre, INTAR, and Microteatro Miami on a variety of projects. She is the recipient of the Encaenia Spanish Achievement Award and the 2020 Dean’s Summer Research Grant. As well as her directing experience, she is currently the Individual Givings Associate at Manhattan Theatre Club. www.sofiaubilla.com
Email: sofia@latinemtlab.org
Daniel Mesta
Literary Manager / Resident Dramaturg
Mexican-American director, actor and dramaturg Daniel Mesta has received regional and national recognitions from the John F. Kennedy Center, the Association for Theatre in Higher Education and Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas. He holds a BA in Theatre Arts Studies and Russian Studies from Brigham Young University, and is pursuing an MA in International Relations at the European University at St. Petersburg conducting research in cultural diplomacy and international performance. He currently works in Eastern Europe with the Center for International Theatre Development.
Email: daniel@latinemtlab.org
Desiree Montes
Marketing Director
Desiree Montes is an AEA-Equity Singer | Actress | Dancer | Voice-Over Artist and has been a part of the professional Central Florida theatre, film, industrial, and theme park entertainment industry for over 18 years. She is also an Audition Preparation Coach, Director, Intimacy Coach and Arts Educator. In addition to theatrical stages all over Central Florida, you may have seen her at Universal Studios as Mabel (The Blues Brothers Show) and as Celestina Warbeck (Diagon Alley). As well as Coral/Peach (Finding Nemo: The Musical), and annually as a Gospel/R&B Singer (Joyful! A Celebration of the Holiday!). Some of her notable credits include “Norma Valverde” (Hands on a Hardbody), “Aida” (Aida: the Musical), “Sarah” (Ragtime: the Musical), “Daniela” (In The Heights), and “Billie Holiday” in 3 regional productions of (Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill). She made her Off-Broadway debut at the 2019 New York Musical Festival Flying Lessons.
Actively seeking to be a voice for equality, diversity and inclusion, in addition to being on the Central Florida Liaison Committee, the Equal Employment Opportunity Committee, and the WDW Negotiation Action Committee for Actors' Equity Association, Desiree serves on the executive team as the Communications & Digital Outreach Lead for Central Florida Entertainment Advocacy, where she has developed and continues to maintain the structure and functionality of CFEA’s websites. Desiree Montes also serves as Opera Orlando's Marketing Director. She holds certifications in Integrated Marketing Communications: Advertising, Public Relations, and Digital Marketing, as well as Neuromarketing & Marketing Psychology. She formally served as Director of Marketing for Garden Theatre.
Email: desiree@latinemtlab.org
Victoria Menendez
Development Associate
Victoria Menendez is a Cuban-Irish-American actor, director, and producer currently based out of Chicago, IL. Victoria recently graduated with a BFA in Performance from Ohio University, where she also explored an interest in directing and producing new work. In addition to her studies, Victoria served as a producer and Social Media Coordinator for Vibrancy Theater, a student-run collective focused on amplifying the voices of Black, Indigenous, and POC artists at Ohio University and beyond. Since moving to Chicago, she has worked to further her career in developing and performing theater within highly-collaborative, inclusive environments. Selected acting credits include: Be Head* by John Hendel, The Motherfucker with the Hat, and En Las Sombras*. Directing/producing credits include: Dry Land, Everybody, and Absentia*. *World Premiere
Email: victoria@latinemtlab.org
Gretta Marston-Lari
Literary Associate
Gretta Marston is a bilingual peruvian-american playwright and performer based in NYC and Lima, Peru. They completed a major in Theater & Dance (and Latin American Studies) at Macalester College (MN, USA), studied playwriting at the National Theater Institute (CT, USA), and trained in acting at El Taller Formación Actoral de Roberto Ángeles (Lima, Perú). Gretta creates work that centers the earth, that looks at the ephemeral nature of our existence, and that questions what the search for love can look like for indigenous and LatinX women in the world today. They are very excited to be a part of the Lab's Literary Department this year!
Email: gretta@latinemtlab.org
Gineiris Garcia
Programs Associate
Gineiris Garcia is a Bronx-born-and-based creative freelancer focused on artistic directing, producing, assisting, performing and teaching. She has assisted directors such as Jackson Gay, Awoye Timpo, Saheem Ali, Lou Moreno and Arpita Mukherjee through MCC Theater, New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW), Atlantic Theater Company, INTAR Theatre and Hypokrit Theatre Company, respectively. She was the director and co-producer of the first season of Black Women Are Scary, a radio-dramatic podcast that celebrates and produces short horror stories by BIPOC authors. She is currently one of the Artistic Producers of the Dominican Artists Collective. For more information, visit www.gineiris.com.
Email: gineiris@latinemtlab.org
Antonio De La Vega
Assistant to the Executive Director
Antonio is a Minnesota-born Mexican-American director, producer, and arts administrator based in Brooklyn, NY. They have worn many hats in the theater industry, from working as an actor to serving as a covid compliance officer, but have found a passion for arts administration; with a focus on creating opportunities for underrepresented voices to be given a platform. He also finds immense joy in directing musical theatre and new/experimental plays and has been self-producing/artistic directing since the age of 16 with his non-profit student-led theatre companies: Contra Theatre Company (MN) and Playground Theatre Company (NY). They are soon to receive their BFA in Drama with a concentration in Directing from The New School’s College of Performing Arts this Spring, along with their MA in Arts Management and entrepreneurship next year. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, playing video games, and growing out his hair. How long will it be? Only time will tell…@tony.dlv.
Email: antonio@latinemtlab.org
Joey Bermudez
Casting Coordinator
Joey Bermudez is a South Florida-born creative artist based in Queens, NY. Joey holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of the Arts and is a graduate of the Casting Society Cares Casting Assistant Training program. As a performer, he has worked with Disney Cruise Line, Theatreworks USA, Opera Naples, and others. Joey’s mission in casting is centered on inclusion and a commitment to actively working against racial/social inequities and those towards nondominant groups. He looks forward to casting new works and honing his knowledge alongside this community of artists within a field he loves. Joey is thrilled to be transitioning into the Casting field, and is grateful to be a part of the Latiné Musical Theatre Lab team.
Email: joey@latinemtlab.org
Laura Riveros-Sefair
Artistic Associate
Laura is a Colombian-Lebanese theatre, voice, and teaching artist and maker based in Brooklyn, NY. They have worked all over the 5 boroughs as a performing and visual arts educator, working with kids two years of age to high school seniors. They started their performing arts career with MISI Producciones, the premiere Colombian musical theatre company, touring all over the country as well as South America and the US. In NYC, they have worked with Ensemble Studio Theatre, INTAR, IATI, Working Theater, LaMicro Theater, among many others. If you’ve watched Sesame Street in Latin America, you’ve probably also heard Laura’s voice! Some select review quotes from top critics; “Teacher Laura, you’re the funniest!” “You’re so silly, Teacher Laura!” They are an active member of INTAR’s Unit 52, as well as HOLA - Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors. Laura is so excited to work with Latiné Musical Theatre Lab and continue to uplift Hispanic and Latinx voices. IG @lauraquenecia www.laurariveros-sefair.com
Email: laura@latinemtlab.org
Miranda Holliday
Associate Managing Director
Miranda Holliday is a playwright, vocalist and theater artist from Columbus, NJ with a passion for empowering others through art. As a performer, they have participated in several Off Broadway productions such as Ain’t Missbehavin or The Magical Journey of Arlenkina. They have received a Kennedy Center Honor for Distinguished Performance, distinguished actor, and nationally recognized performance for their role of ‘Lena Younger’ in Albright’s production of A Raisin in the Sun. In addition, they are a part of the Miranda Family Fellowship awarded to exemplary artists of color. As a playwright, their plays and songs have been performed in some emblematic New York stages such as Feinstein’s 54 Below, the Rattlestick Theater, the Black Voices Festival or the Little Fire House.
Their training in music and theatre includes time at the National Musical Theatre Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, the Westminster Musical Theatre Intensive, and Albright College where they co-majored in Theatre and Political Science with a minor in Religious studies. They are now a recent graduate of NYU Tisch’s School of Arts, receiving an MFA in Musical Theatre Writing.
Email: miranda@latinemtlab.org
Leslie Chocano Solis
Artistic Associate
Leslie Chocano is a Peruvian-American musical theatre performer and producer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Currently, she works as an administrator in Student Affairs for UCSF. When she’s not in the office, she devotes her time to her other passion-- musical theater. She’s worked with community theater companies like Broadway by the Bay, Sunnyvale Community Players, Redwood City Community Theater, West Valley Light Opera, and Stage One Theater. Some of her past production credits include In the Heights, West Side Story, Catch Me If You Can, and The Addams Family Musical. She’s also worked as a performer, producer, and social media coordinator for multiple YouTube video projects with Rise Above It Productions and Haus of Win. She hopes to continue building on her musical theater passion and work towards creating a more inclusive and diverse theater environment.
Email: leslie@latinemtlab.org