Larry Ortiz is a theatrical and dance lighting designer originally from El Paso, Texas and currently based in New Haven, Connecticut. He has received his BFA in Theatre from the University of Texas at El Paso and is currently a lighting design candidate at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. 

My name is Larry Stephan Ortiz. An El Paso native, my experiences in my life have been shaped by this border town. 15 minutes North and I am in Fort Bliss, heading south I find myself in the city of Juarez, Mexico. A being with two identities. I am a proud American citizen, but I carry the color of my heritage in my personality and work. In all reality, I am a person who performed as an actor all the way up through undergrad and found a love for technical theatre and lighting design. I love theatre; I love to put on a beautiful display of art and to entertain an audience. My passion has always carried me throughout my entire life. There is no greater field to work in my opinion. The combination of fun and excitement you experience in theatre is only matched by the joy experienced by an audience who connects to a project you have work on. After traveling across the United States I have come to realize the importance of being a Hispanic artist in the industry. There is a stark difference between the theatre that I have become accustomed to in El Paso versus the remainder of the United States. I am a minority with a majority group outlook on life in the United States and that became ever so apparent on my travels. I am a part of a new generation of latin designers who take pride in their color and look to bring a new perspective to the culture of theatre making.