Jon Lawrence Rivera is the Founding Artistic Director of Playwrights’ Arena and recipient of the first Career Achievement Award from Stage Raw. He directed the following world premieres for Playwrights’ Arena: APARTMENT LIVING by Boni B. Alvarez, A HIT DOG WILL HOLLER by Inda Craig-Galván, SOUTHERNMOST by Mary Lyon Kamitaki, BABY EYES by Donald Jolly, @THE SPEEDOFJAKE by Jennifer Maisel, CINNAMON GIRL by Velina Hasu Houston and Nathan Wang, THE ANATOMY OF GAZELLAS by Janine Salinas Schoenberg, and Euripides’ HELEN by Nick Salamone (at the Getty Villa). Other recent work includes: KIM’S CONVENIENCE by Ins Choi, ANNA IN THE TROPICS by Nilo Cruz, THE JOY LUCK CLUB by Susan Kim, THE LAST FIVE YEARS by Jason Robert Brown, CRIERS FOR HIRE by Giovanni Ortega, BINGO HALL by Dillon Chitto, FAIRLY TRACEABLE by Mary Kathryn Nagle, STAND-OFF AT HWY #37 by Vickie Ramirez, REFERENCES TO SALVADOR DALI MAKE ME HOT by José Rivera, FLIPZOIDS by Ralph Peña (LA and Manila) and the landmark Los Angeles Premiere of DOGEATERS by Jessica Hagedorn at SIPA and Krik Douglas Theatre. Rivera is the recipient of a NY Fringe Festival Award (for directng HILLARY AGONISGTES), and an LA Weekly Award (for directing SEA CHANGE).