Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew MacDermid.
Hi Matthew, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up on the east coast of Florida in New Smyrna Beach after being born in New Jersey.
I always had a flare for the dramatic, but I had no idea that it was in my blood until I started actively craving theatrical opportunities after seeing the final cast of the original production of A CHORUS LINE on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre. My aunt took me on a day trip into New York City, bought us tickets at the famed TKTS booth in Times Square, and then schlepped me to FAO Schwartz where I searched for the giant piano I had seen Tom Hanks play in the film BIG. From my seat in the balcony of the Shubert, I watched a group of strangers sing and dance and tell stories I didn’t fully comprehend until I was older–but I was so entranced by the whole thing, I actually got onto my knees in front of my seat because I thought somehow I could get closer. I didn’t know until that moment that performing live onstage was something someone could do for a living–and yet, from that moment on it was my dream to do so.
I soon discovered that theatre and the arts were a vital part of my make up. My maternal grandfather had been a child actor, including a brief stint as one of the first LITTLE RASCALS, and his mother and brothers had performed in the national tour of the megahit LIFE WITH FATHER. It really is “in the blood,” as they say.
I became a kid obsessed with theatre.
As I grew up, I spent any free time I had reading plays and learning everything I could about my obsession. I was active in high school theatre and community organizations, making a professional debut at 11. I attended college for musical theatre, taught high school and worked professionally.
But my biggest accomplishment–after years of directing productions of musical comedies that often left me cold–was founding and leading The Ensemble Company, a critically-acclaimed repertory company that has performed in what is now called Imagine Performing Arts Center (located in the Oviedo Mall) for seven seasons since 2019. After a particularly mindless musical, I was determined to produce more important works for the stage–with plays featuring strong characters with a point of view with the potential to change the world.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Starting a theatre company is not an easy thing to do.
It requires patience and tenacity I didn’t always have in big supply.
Theatre relies on people coming to see it, and it has been often challenging to get people to recognize that great work can happen in a black box space in a repurposed store at a shopping mall.
I’m proud to say that in the seven years The Ensemble Company has been in operation, we’ve made ourselves known as a company who focuses on contemporary plays and new productions of classic works. I won’t lie and say I wish more people would take the plunge and come on out to see a show, but our work is often included on the Orlando Sentinel’s best-of lists each year, which means we are making a meaningful impact on the community.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I feel like I’ve covered this slightly in the previous questions, but I’m the founder and producing artistic director of The Ensemble Company, an award-winning repertory theatre in residence at Imagine Performing Arts Center.
I am proud of so much, but I’m probably proudest of our productions of THE NICETIES which was the piece that made people realize we were a company to watch, the epic two-part play THE INHERITANCE which was presented in rotating rep featuring a brilliant ensemble of deeply dedicated actors, and last season’s APPROPRIATE which actually ran concurrently with the Tony Award-winning revival of the play on Broadway.
I think what sets us apart is that where many companies focus on the tried and true titles, including audience favorite musicals, we are presenting challenging work that forces audiences to think and learn in the process of being entertained.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
There are lots of struggles within the arts industry as a whole, and I won’t lie by saying many are not frightened by the attack on the arts by our state and national governments. Theatre has always been intended to serve as a mirror to social situations, so I do think we will survive it (we’ve survived much worse since the Greeks began all those years ago)–but it’s going to be tough.
The Ensemble Company is a self-producing organization that doesn’t rely on grant or funding from the state, but we do rely on ticket sales. While we won’t have to worry about a loss of income from budget cuts in our state, we still have to continue to rely on word of mouth to get interested butts in seats.
I would like to think that the challenges of our current political climate will amount to some amazing pieces of theatre in the years to come, but right now I think people are simply uncertain and a little scared of it all. Here’s hoping The Ensemble Company will still be around to tell those stories on the other side.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theensemblecompany.com
- Instagram: @theensemblecompany
- Facebook: @theensemblecompany
