Mateo Hernandez (he/they) is a queer, Latinx theatre maker, applied theatre practitioner, pedagogue and scholar currently residing on the ancestral lands of the Tonkawa, Lipan-Apache, Karankawa, Comanche and Coahuiltecan peoples, also known as central Texas. They are a M.F.A. in Theatre candidate with a specialization in drama and theatre for youth and communities at The University of Texas at Austin, where their research interests include queering pedagogies and performance through transgender epistemologies, queer feminist critique and abolitionist art-making practices. As a playwright, his play spayce boys has been chosen for the 2020 INGENIO New Play Festival (Milagro Theatre, Teatro Vivo, Cara Mía Theatre) and the 2021 New Plays for Young Audiences: BIPOC Initiative (New York University Steinhardt). Their creative writing revolves around topics of gender and sexuality within Latinx/Chicanx culture. As an actor, Hernandez has performed with companies such as UrbanTheatre Company, Filament Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre and Lifeline Theatre. As a facilitator, they have worked with companies such as Goodman Theatre, Chicago Children’s Theatre, Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health and Creative Action. Hernandez is the 2023 recipient of the Don and Elizabeth Doyle Fellowship from the American Alliance for Theatre & Education as well as a 2023 Point Foundation BIPOC Scholar. They have served in service organizations such as the Alliance of Latinx Theater Artists of Chicago (ALTA) and the Latinx Theatre Commons (LTC). Hernandez is a company member with For Youth Inquiry (FYI), a performance company in Chicago, Illinois making participatory theatre around issues of reproductive justice. They are also a member of the Board of Directors for Teatro Vivo in Austin, Texas, a theatre company focused on showcasing Latinx experiences. He holds a B.F.A. in Theatre Studies from The University of Texas at Austin.