Olga Sanchez has dedicated her career to creating, directing and teaching theatre that amplifies underrepresented voices. Now a professor at Middlebury College in Vermont, Sanchez says her time in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Theatre Arts doctoral program played a big part in shaping her artistic and academic journey.

“When I went to UO, I already had 20 years of professional experience in theatre — as an actor, director, writer, producer and artistic director in Portland, Oregon,” Sanchez said. “I was ready to make a shift. I wanted to share via higher ed what I’d been working on for decades.”

She said CAS’s Theatre Arts doctoral program was a perfect fit, teaching contemporary theatre focused on representation from Latinx theatre, African American drama, Native American drama and Middle Eastern American drama. What made the program particularly meaningful for Sanchez was its emphasis on the “scholar-maker” model. 

“I didn’t have to put aside making art to become an academic. The program encouraged me and my peers to continue creating while developing as scholars,” she said.

She credits Theresa May, now retired, as a transformative mentor. 

“Dr. May is a brilliant scholar in climate theatre, Latinx theatre and Native American theatre,” Sanchez said. “She’s also an intersectional feminist who doesn’t teach or work in a hierarchical way. Her approach to academia and mentorship deeply influenced how I teach and engage with my students.”

As a professor, Sanchez integrates her global experiences and UO training into her teaching. 

“At Middlebury, I focus on Latinx playwrights, African American drama and Native American drama, as well as acting, directing and the creative process. My experiences at UO — teaching, directing and learning in diverse areas — helped prepare me for this role.”

Her international theatre work in Peru, Venezuela, Honduras and Cuba also influences her teaching style. 

“I was inspired by the physicality, poetry and metaphorical nature of Latin American theater. It’s different from the realism we often see in the US, and I aim to bring those elements into my own work.”

Sanchez has also continued her work at the intersection of scholarship and creative practice, including co-editing The Routledge Companion to Latino Theatre and Performance (2024) and contributing chapters to Shakespeare and Latinidad (2021) and the forthcoming Fornés in Context (2025). Her devised play, ¡O Romeo! is published in The Bard and the Borderlands (2023). 

Sanchez also translated La Viuda by María Irene Fornés, a landmark work in Latinx theater. 

“I began the project at UO in 2019 and finished it in 2024. It’s been an incredible journey, from translation to directing the play in New York City through its production with the Dogteam Theatre Project, supported by Middlebury College, where I serve as Co-Producing Artistic Director,” she said.

Additionally, Sanchez is working to publish her translation and adaptation of the 18th-century Spanish play, Tricks to Inherit, another project she began at UO with the guidance of Pedro García-Caro (Spanish and Latin American Studies).

Throughout her career, Sanchez has prioritized storytelling that authentically represents Latine communities. 

“I hope my work provides a mirror for people to see themselves respectfully, while also serving as a bridge for others to deepen their understanding of what it means to be Latina/o/e/x.”

As she looks to the future, Sanchez is excited to continue directing and publishing. Her upcoming projects include a workshop of The Journey of the Saint, a Peruvian play by César De María, and further research on her translations.

For Sanchez, the mission remains clear: “I want to tell stories that are beautiful, entertaining and deeply human, while challenging stereotypes and fostering understanding.”

—By Harper Wells, College of Arts and Sciences