Olmos, who was recently announced to be part of terraNOVA Collective's Groundbreakers Playwrights Group, received the commission during La MaMa's Ellen Stewart Award presentation on Oct. 17.

The inaugural Ellen Stewart Award was presented to Fool for Love playwright Shepard, whose early works were nurtured by Stewart at La MaMa. As part of Shepard's honor, he was asked to select a young theatre artist to create a new work to be presented and produced at La MaMa.

"I was completely overwhelmed when I heard about this and it was quite an honor to be a part of La MaMa's 50th anniversary gala," Olmos told Playbill.com. "Sam Shepard has long been both an influence, one of the first writers that really reached me. I cannot help but feel such gratitude for the path that people like Ellen Stewart have left behind, as well as organizations, personal to me, such as La MaMa etc, Mabou Mines, Sundance, etc. who truly remember what it means to give back."

Olmos said he expects his work to be presented as part of the 2012-2013 season of the downtown experimental company.

Olmos is also a Sundance Institute Time Warner Storytelling Fellow, a two-time resident artist at Mabou Mines/Suite, an EST lifetime member, a BAX resident artist, and a “Top prize for the Americas” awardee by the BBC 2011 International Playwriting Competition. He is also part of the staff at the Lark Play Development Center. His works include i put the fear of mexico in 'em and Monkey. Olmos is the co-founder and former artistic director of woken'glacier theatre company. Visit LaMaMa.