MEET MICHAEL!

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Michael Ortiz grew up in Orlando, FL and is currently based in New York City. He is a performer, producer, and director. He currently produces and hosts SERIALS, The Tank's flagship late-night short play competition series in Midtown. Under Michael's direction, SERIALS has served as an incubator for new work and developed over 10 full length plays in the last 5 years, many of which have gone on to have further developmental workshops and productions at Off-Broadway theaters around NYC.

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Michael has performed and directed from New York to LA and Williamstown to Edinburgh. He was a member of the Amnesty International Award nominated cast of Gator Tales at the Edibnurgh Fringe Festival. Much of Michael's proudest work has been as an understudy, working as a swing in ms. estrada at The Flea Theater and a swing in Puffs; or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic at New World Stages. 

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Michael is passionate about the cultivation of new work and creating opportunities for underrepresented artists. He is a founding leader of The former Fled Collective, a non-profit dedicated to creating anti-racist theatre and paying non-union artists fair wages. Michael is also a proud former Artistic Director of Breaking & Entering Theater Collective, dedicated to showcasing emerging artists in the New York area.  

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Michael is an avid gamer and loves scary movies, craft beer, Dungeons & Dragons, home cooking, and trash TV (shoutout to Riverdale and Real Housewives of Salt Lake City!) Hit him up if you’re ever in the mood to listen to some corny celebrity impressions or if you want to learn how to play spoons! 

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