A Classic Tale
A Modern Love Story
A Musical for Our Times
About the Project
Separated from her mother at the US-Mexican border and sent to an abusive foster home, a teenage girl escapes being trafficked into prostitution and finds a home again with the aid of a man who is fighting to stay out of prison, trying to keep his homeless shelter open and falling in love at the same time.
The play has been called a ‘cross between Oliver Twist and West Side Story’, as it shows both a child lost in a system, and a love story within a community at a crossroads.
Olivia O is a musical theatre play currently under development in Vancouver, BC and Boston, MA.
(Download the synopsis).
The Creative Team
Andrew Siañez-De La O
Book & Lyrics
Andrew Siañez-De La O is an Mexican-American playwright and writer from El Paso, Texas. Raised in the borderlands, his work has found its focus in the political and social structures of the border.
He is currently a 2019-2021 Huntington Playwriting Fellow at the Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, MA. He has been a Scratchpad Playwright with The Playwrights Realm in New York City, and had developed his plays through the Pipeline Theatre Company's PlayLab, Milagro Theatre's INGENIO Program, Echo Theater Company’s National Young Playwright in Residence program, and Company One Theatre’s 2018 PlayLab Fellows program.
Diane Currie Sam
Book & Lyrics
Diane Currie Sam is a bestselling author, speaker, educator and book/lyricist for Olivia O.
An emerging playwright with a multi-decade career in communications, counselling and educating, she is known for her passion for understanding, deep listening skills and creative writing work.
A natural storyteller, she has written about, taught and developed programs covering critically important social issues like mental health, sustainability, and the prevention of domestic violence.|
Diane lives in Coquitlam, BC with her husband and two children.
Gil Yaron
Music
Gil Yaron is an award-winning composer/performer/director/producer and composer for “Olivia O”.
Career highlights include second national tour of Les Miserables (Mirvish Productions), Canadian Premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins and Jesse Richardson Award’s (Best Director/ Best Production) for the premiere of Barbara Nickel’s SchumannBrahmSchumann.
Gil recently collaborated on the score for a new musical Power. He lives in Vancouver, Canada with his two children.
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