SHPIDER IMAGES!
Barbra Dillon just did an interview with Matt for the upcoming Force of Nature production of SHPIDER!
Read HERE!
And embedded you can find the first..... TRAILER!!!
Read HERE!
And embedded you can find the first..... TRAILER!!!
SHPIDER!
OMG
UCLA HEALTHCARE PHOTO SHOOT!
"CREATIVITY IS THE CURE" PODCAST
Matt is featured on Malcolm Moore's new podcast "Creativity Is The Cure," a podcast about how creativity influences people in their daily lives and work.
Available on the WEBSITE and SPOTIFY!
Available on the WEBSITE and SPOTIFY!
PURE CINEMA wins BEST OF ASYLUM at the HOLLYWOOD FRINGE FESTIVAL
MATT'S BEEN MARRIED TWICE IN 2024!
2024 has been great for commercials, with two avails and two bookings! First up was AWKWARD IS OKAY for the State of Maine warning teens about weed. Next was two spots for SYNCHRONY BANK! Matt was fortunate enough to be paired with Anich D'Jae and Zola Cruz (directed by Javier Fernandez) in the first and Angie DeGrazia in the second (directed by Ed Barnes)!
PURE CINEMA at Hollywood Fringe 2024!
Matt will be directing David Neipris' new play PURE CINEMA, about the three (vaguely fictionalized) lunch meetings between Alfred Hitchcock and Mel Brooks before the filming of "High Anxiety." With a tremendous cast featuring Bill Chott, Aaron Caponigro, and Lindsay Seim, this story of Hollywood legacy is full of drama, heart, and comedy.
What a great year! Directed two shows at Fringe ("Befok" and "Dime Store Detective Stories"), one at the Odyssey, booked two commercials, started full-time at Larchmont, took a class with Actor's Gang and performed in front of Tim Robbins (!), attended my Dad's Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony in Texas, wrote a new screenplay with Mike, ghostwrote a stage play which got consistent "Excellent" comments on two Coverages, was awarded "Best Editing" at the Italian Absurd Film Festival for the movie "LIFELESS," directed MATT LIBS with my 5th grade improv class in February and my 7th/8th class in December, "A Christine Carol" and "Oh My Goddess" - both Storycrafting shows - played New York City, took an amazing trip to Monterey and Carmel by the Sea, took another to Julian, saw some First Folios at the Frick, checked out the Basquiat exhibit and the Endeavor, recorded a radio play, attended Jenny's wedding, and helped out on the "Pam and Casper Pet Friendly Hotels" pitch. And yet, 2024 will just get better. ;)
OMG!
Christine Hauer's new musical "OH MY GODDESS" got a great write-up in the New York magazine AMNY Newsletter! With fabulous photos, the interview focuses on Christine's journey, the recent performance, and what the future holds!
RING airing, INGREZZA wrapped, RADIO PLAY streaming!
November was big! Matt's "Holidays" RING commercial started running, he booked and shot a commercial for the medication Ingrezza, and the OpenDoor Playhouse radio play "Willy" premiered!
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SO, THIS IS PRETTY COOL...
Maria Sundeen's "LIFELESS," the short film Matt edited in 2021, won BEST EDITING in the ABSURD FILM FESTIVAL, a bi-monthly online festival in Italy!
The Technical Awards list the Director, but yes, I just won an award for Editing in Italy. Typical Thursday.
The Technical Awards list the Director, but yes, I just won an award for Editing in Italy. Typical Thursday.
OCTOBER PROJECTS!
This October, Matt will be re-directing his Fringe show "BEFOK" at the Odyssey Theater! Meanwhile, in New York, in the same week, Christine Hauer will be celebrating her birthday by debuting "OH MY GODDESS," a cabaret show up[date on the story of Venus, Cupid, and Psyche, Storycrafted by Matt!
RING!
Look for Matt as "Road Dad" in a new commercial from RING, airing this holiday season!
Late-night Fringe show "DIME STORE DETECTIVE STORIES" opens!
Matt is directing four 15-minute serial plays - each being written the week before they are performed! - for Theatre Unleashed's "DIME STORE DETECTIVE STORIES." 'Rick Diamond and the Secret of the Green Covenant," by TU Artistic Director Greg Crafts, focuses on 1940's detective noir with a hint of Lovecraft. It plays every Saturday night in June at 11:30pm!
"BEFOK (..or the desperate attempt to impress Inarritu)"
opens at Hollywood Fringe 2023!
Matt is directing and Storycrafting Asta Leigh's new one-woman show "BEFOK" based on the six-episode TV series "Dear Alejandro." The show revolves around Lola Luvv, a South African actress living in Hollywood who is desperate to get into a new Alejanadro Gonzalez Inarritu TV show before her 40th birthday - in a week. The dark comedy is in rehearsals and is coming along very well! Previews begin June 1!
A CHRISTINE CAROL is going to the New York Theater Festival in April! Woooooo!!!
THAT'S A WRAP ON 2022!
So many amazing things in 2022. If there was a word that should go in here, it's STORYCRAFTING, as that's what really flourished this year! Among the many images are reminders of some of 2022's highlights:
Radio ad for "Loan Falcon," booked "Paycom" commercial and filmed in Oklahoma City, finished editing a short film, met my "Advent" Producers IN PERSON, won the Ugly Ornament Contest, Went on a Disney Cruise with my amazing family, wrote and directed some amazing Henson puppeteers and the incredible Malcolm Moore in MR. MALCOLM'S MUSIC FACTORY at Fringe, took my first painting class (the pier helps), Mom and Hols visited for Spring Break and we did Disneyland and Harry Potter... after I got COVID..., saw CAGES and TAMBO & BONES, went to the Dark Crystal convention, attended Puppet Up!, got to hang with RADA pals at the Shockheaded Peter signing, started working at a new school, began a MAD LIBS improv class, hung with Adrian and the Mahoney clan in L.A., saw the incredible ANGKOR exhibit, taught a day class on Shakespeare at College of the Desert (thank you Janet!), did some great writing with my fantastic writing partner Mike, saw the original Ghostbusters vehicle, helped a reading of some new screenplays, was KISSED BY A DOLPHIN (please let this be prep for an otter encounter next year!), some of my Storycrafting clients got awards and had some useful readings, I paid off my car, did six months of Invisalign, and I made a really solid financial chunk from Storycrafting.
Feeling super grateful.
And even better things on the horizon.....
Radio ad for "Loan Falcon," booked "Paycom" commercial and filmed in Oklahoma City, finished editing a short film, met my "Advent" Producers IN PERSON, won the Ugly Ornament Contest, Went on a Disney Cruise with my amazing family, wrote and directed some amazing Henson puppeteers and the incredible Malcolm Moore in MR. MALCOLM'S MUSIC FACTORY at Fringe, took my first painting class (the pier helps), Mom and Hols visited for Spring Break and we did Disneyland and Harry Potter... after I got COVID..., saw CAGES and TAMBO & BONES, went to the Dark Crystal convention, attended Puppet Up!, got to hang with RADA pals at the Shockheaded Peter signing, started working at a new school, began a MAD LIBS improv class, hung with Adrian and the Mahoney clan in L.A., saw the incredible ANGKOR exhibit, taught a day class on Shakespeare at College of the Desert (thank you Janet!), did some great writing with my fantastic writing partner Mike, saw the original Ghostbusters vehicle, helped a reading of some new screenplays, was KISSED BY A DOLPHIN (please let this be prep for an otter encounter next year!), some of my Storycrafting clients got awards and had some useful readings, I paid off my car, did six months of Invisalign, and I made a really solid financial chunk from Storycrafting.
Feeling super grateful.
And even better things on the horizon.....
CONGRATULATIONS to Jill Morley on her screenplay BLOODY BURLESQUE winning BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY in the Hollywood Blood Horror Festival! Matt and Jill Storycrafted this script early in 2022 and it deserves the win!
WE ARE TRAFFIC in EDINBURGH!
Jonathan Tipton Meyers WE ARE TRAFFIC: An Uber Rideshare Adventure, first conceived at the Maryland International Film Festival and originally directed and workshopped by Matt at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, is IN EDINBURGH FRINGE!!! Massively expanded and honed by Jonny and Harry Kakatsakis, the show has been getting great reviews! Jonathan gave a brief early-days shoutout to Matt in threeweeksedinburgh.com:
CM: What made you decide to write a show about these experiences? What made you think it would work as a piece of theatre?
JTM: This solo show is an accident. It was originally going to be a TV pilot – a la HBO’s ‘High Maintenance’ or ‘Fleabag’. I started a blog and was asked to read from it aloud with other fiction authors, and a friend of mine – the director Matthew Ritchey – said, “Okay, so you’re gonna do that live – just you and a chair”. From that, I became a ‘storyteller’, which I didn’t know was even a thing.
CM: What made you decide to write a show about these experiences? What made you think it would work as a piece of theatre?
JTM: This solo show is an accident. It was originally going to be a TV pilot – a la HBO’s ‘High Maintenance’ or ‘Fleabag’. I started a blog and was asked to read from it aloud with other fiction authors, and a friend of mine – the director Matthew Ritchey – said, “Okay, so you’re gonna do that live – just you and a chair”. From that, I became a ‘storyteller’, which I didn’t know was even a thing.
MR. MALCOLM a success!
The 2022 Hollywood Fringe premiere of MR. MALCOLM'S MUSIC FACTORY, the kid's musical for social/emotional learning, was a huge success! Full houses, stellar reviews, happy kids, who could ask for anything Moore? ;)
Getting to work with professional puppeteers who also happen to be talented and nice people was a dream! And now on to sell the show to TV!
Getting to work with professional puppeteers who also happen to be talented and nice people was a dream! And now on to sell the show to TV!
COD Workshop and MR. MALCOLM Photos!
Matt taught a great class on Shakespeare and Improvisation at College of the Desert - thanks to Janet Miller for suggesting him! And rehearsals for MR. MALCOLM'S RHYTHM FACTORY are well underway and going swell!
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COLLEGE OF THE DESERT hosts
Shakespeare Workshop
Matt will be teaching his Shakespeare Workshop at the College of the Desert in May, 2022.
"MR. MALCOLM'S MUSIC FACTORY"
coming to Hollywood Fringe this Summer!
MR. MALCOLM’S MUSIC FACTORY is an all-ages puppet show devoted to social/emotional learning and having fun! Mr. Malcolm and his friends – Lord Boom Boom Stick the cat, Willow the garden weasel, and Sandewanda the lizard – create music and rhythms in their lighthouse factory. But something has been happening: Strange blotches have been attaching to the lighthouse lamp, making the light dimmer and changing everyone’s mood! As things get darker, Malcolm and his pals have to discover what they can do to bring back the light!
2021
"ON DECK!"
Matt just filmed a commercial spot for "On Deck" loan company, complete with a trip to Mexico City and hanging out with a Loan Falcon! Directed by Dave Laden, the shoot was great fun and should be out in a few months.
"FRIENDLY FACE FROM SPACE"
Matt has teamed up with musician Malcolm Moore to create the kid's musical "Friendly Face From Space" - a show about friendship, learning how to get along, prejudice, the environment, and goofy dancing! Based in part on the first short film Matt ever made (in third grade), it follows Pat (an homage to Patrick Emswiler, Matt's childhood friend who starred in the original short film), a lonely kid who wants a friend. Pat sends a message into space using morse code and gets a message back to come visit! Pat enlists the help of three other kids who are good with video games and electronics and they fly off to an alien planet. But they soon find that the aliens don't trust humans because of the mess they've made of Earth, and the kids are thrown in alien jail! It's up to Pat's Friendly Alien Friend to help get them out! With music by Moore and a book and lyrics by Matt, the first workshop will go up as part of Larchmont Charter Schools Afterschool Program in December 2021!
A "BROADWAY WORLD" FEATURE:
THE MOST IMPORTANT THEATER CONVERSATION THIS YEAR
The prestigious site Broadway World has posted a Feature article on STORYCRAFTING and Matt's connect ion to Tom Cavanaugh and the hit show "NOW, NOW, NOW..." This links to an upcoming talk on August 15th (PAGE TO STAGE: HOW TO PULL IN AN AUDIENCE) where Ritchey and Cavanaugh will have a conversation on YouTube Live and Facebook Live about the current state of theater and how to navigate the post-pandemic world.
"NOW, NOW, NOW..."
Matt is joining the talented cast of Tom Cavanaugh's supernatural thriller "Now, Now, Now..." at the 2021 Hollywood Fringe Festival!
WINNER – BEST NATIONAL SHOW at the 2021 PITTSBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL and WINNER – BEST LIVESTREAM SHOW at the 2021 BIG SKY FRINGE FESTIVAL, "Now, Now, Now..." follows characters that receive a mysterious email, a children’s song with a series of numbers at the end. The song places the readers in a trance-like state causing strange people and events to enter their lives. People are being kidnapped and their loved ones are left behind to solve the mystery and fight back, but will they? Matt will be playing the part of EX, a smart, talented DJ, Hacker and Conspiracy Theorist!
"Now, Now, Now..." started last fall during the lockdown, performed Covid safe, live from the homes of 19 actors on both coasts!
WINNER – BEST NATIONAL SHOW at the 2021 PITTSBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL and WINNER – BEST LIVESTREAM SHOW at the 2021 BIG SKY FRINGE FESTIVAL, "Now, Now, Now..." follows characters that receive a mysterious email, a children’s song with a series of numbers at the end. The song places the readers in a trance-like state causing strange people and events to enter their lives. People are being kidnapped and their loved ones are left behind to solve the mystery and fight back, but will they? Matt will be playing the part of EX, a smart, talented DJ, Hacker and Conspiracy Theorist!
"Now, Now, Now..." started last fall during the lockdown, performed Covid safe, live from the homes of 19 actors on both coasts!
SHOUTOUTLA Feature!
"DREAD OF DREAMING" short!
(WARNING: graphic)
I just finished a small role in a horror short called "The Dread Of Dreaming" as a Dad who, well, gets his head... hurt. This is the second major on-screen special effects work I've done, the first being when I was a ghost/zombie in 2007. This was, thankfully, far less involved but it looks like it was equally as effective!
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2020
Every year, I do a photo collage of all the things I have accomplished, experienced, taken part in, or great moments that have happened in the previous year. I was seriously considering skipping this one, as 2020 has just been an absolute disaster for the world. But enough truly great things happened this year that I could actually fill up a page and honestly, I'm impressed by that.
Things started off great with getting nominated for Best Director and Best Ensemble for 2019's ROMEO AND JULIET IN HELL, prepping for Fringe with multiple Storycrafting projects as well as a Storycrafting seminar, reviewing theater and continuing the theater podcast, writing ADVENT with Mike Onofri, doing some photo shoots for the new MATT: THE GATHERING and acting as photographer for a Morra Designs shoot.
Once the pandemic hit, I thought it'd be over. But no! Mike and I did three drafts of ADVENT, got two producers and scored a MANAGER as well as writing a pilot and prepping two new screenplays, I acted in a short film called KARINFECTION for Ragtag Cowboys Prods, directed part of a Fringe show (MOTHER TRIALS) online and fully completed another (A CHRISTINE CAROL) going so far as to film and edit it! SHPIDER had a zoom staged reading, Biden won the Presidency (74 times), I worked as a dishwasher which helped me lose 15 pounds, then as an online art instructor which put them back on.
My parents are a lord and lady in Scotland now, thanks to a few bucks, Mom turned 70 for which I rewrote our kid's book, THURSTON FOR ADVENTURE, and most of a sequel, took a lot of walks and a lot of pictures of flowers, prepped and abandoned a stage play with puppets about living paintings, saw a lot of my fam online, waved to the National Guard from across the street, stayed at home for Christmas and stayed as 6-feet-away from people as possible. This is a godsend for this of us who don't like people in the first place. I got the original Star Wars series on BluRay, ending a decades-long hunt, watched some great series, helped out with lunches at Larchmont school, co-created an Emotional Acting Workshop with Merritt Minnemeyer, and ate too many sweets.
Let's all get vaccinated and moving. I predict 2021 to be much, much better.
Things started off great with getting nominated for Best Director and Best Ensemble for 2019's ROMEO AND JULIET IN HELL, prepping for Fringe with multiple Storycrafting projects as well as a Storycrafting seminar, reviewing theater and continuing the theater podcast, writing ADVENT with Mike Onofri, doing some photo shoots for the new MATT: THE GATHERING and acting as photographer for a Morra Designs shoot.
Once the pandemic hit, I thought it'd be over. But no! Mike and I did three drafts of ADVENT, got two producers and scored a MANAGER as well as writing a pilot and prepping two new screenplays, I acted in a short film called KARINFECTION for Ragtag Cowboys Prods, directed part of a Fringe show (MOTHER TRIALS) online and fully completed another (A CHRISTINE CAROL) going so far as to film and edit it! SHPIDER had a zoom staged reading, Biden won the Presidency (74 times), I worked as a dishwasher which helped me lose 15 pounds, then as an online art instructor which put them back on.
My parents are a lord and lady in Scotland now, thanks to a few bucks, Mom turned 70 for which I rewrote our kid's book, THURSTON FOR ADVENTURE, and most of a sequel, took a lot of walks and a lot of pictures of flowers, prepped and abandoned a stage play with puppets about living paintings, saw a lot of my fam online, waved to the National Guard from across the street, stayed at home for Christmas and stayed as 6-feet-away from people as possible. This is a godsend for this of us who don't like people in the first place. I got the original Star Wars series on BluRay, ending a decades-long hunt, watched some great series, helped out with lunches at Larchmont school, co-created an Emotional Acting Workshop with Merritt Minnemeyer, and ate too many sweets.
Let's all get vaccinated and moving. I predict 2021 to be much, much better.
"A CHRISTINE CAROL"
First Project from STORYCRAFTING coming to Streaming this Season!
Christine Hauer's one-woman show "A CHRISTINE CAROL, or CHRISTINE HAUER YOU, a play film" will be debuting online this holiday season at achristinecarol.com. It is the first official project under Matt Ritchey's STORYCRAFTING banner.
Originally intended for 2020's Hollywood Fringe Festival, "A Christine Carol" follows Hauer's journey of redemption as she is visited by "ghosts" of her past self who tell her she is no longer being true to herself and must change before she makes a commitment that could send her life in a drastic direction.
Filled with character monologues, songs, and movement, the show was conceived by Hauer and brought to life through many Storycrafting sessions, discussing characters, moments, and stories that she wanted to include, while zeroing in on the theme and purpose of the show. Rather than perform on Zoom in her living room, Ritchey suggested using the downpayment that Hauer already had at the Broadwater theater (for her Fringe show, cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic), and hire Ritchey's long-time collaborator Matt Kamimura to film her doing a full production with theatrical lighting, stage management, costumes, editing, and quality cinematography.
Hauer even hired a professional band to record original music and even a new song for the production: "Eyes Closed." The soundtrack will be available on the website, which includes a paywall to see the show, debuting December 11th.
Originally intended for 2020's Hollywood Fringe Festival, "A Christine Carol" follows Hauer's journey of redemption as she is visited by "ghosts" of her past self who tell her she is no longer being true to herself and must change before she makes a commitment that could send her life in a drastic direction.
Filled with character monologues, songs, and movement, the show was conceived by Hauer and brought to life through many Storycrafting sessions, discussing characters, moments, and stories that she wanted to include, while zeroing in on the theme and purpose of the show. Rather than perform on Zoom in her living room, Ritchey suggested using the downpayment that Hauer already had at the Broadwater theater (for her Fringe show, cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic), and hire Ritchey's long-time collaborator Matt Kamimura to film her doing a full production with theatrical lighting, stage management, costumes, editing, and quality cinematography.
Hauer even hired a professional band to record original music and even a new song for the production: "Eyes Closed." The soundtrack will be available on the website, which includes a paywall to see the show, debuting December 11th.
"SHPIDER!" online reading!
Jen Craft's "Love In The Time of COVID-19" play reading series recently had a reading of Matt's B-Movie Stage Play "SHPIDER!" It went incredibly well, great feedback was given, and there are now more fans of the show. Will this ever lead to a production?
ROMEO AND JULIET IN HELL
nominated x FOUR at the
VALLEY THEATRE AWARDS!
First STORYCRAFTING seminar a success!
The first Storycrafting Seminar was held at Theater Asylum in preparation for the Hollywood Fringe 2020. Breaking down structure, personalization, direction, and services, the three-hour seminar helped with some immediate breakthroughs in projects and was a great foundation for upcoming projects from participants! Thanks to Michael Willer for videography - trailers and excerpts available soon!
"MOTHER TRIALS" becomes first STORYCRAFTING project at HOLLYWOOD FRINGE 2020!
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Victor Sotomayor's "Mother Trials," a two-person show about one man's attempt to escape his enmeshment with his mother, is the first project booked under the Storycrafting banner. Starring Victor and Cara Lopez Lee, the show will debut at studio/stage during the 2020 Hollywood Fringe Festival. Matt will direct as well as consult and craft the project's story. 2020 is starting off with a bang!
LOOKING BACK AT 2019 AND FORWARD TO 2020!
Matt was featured in a Better-Lemons lookback and lookFORWARD of eight LA artists!
https://better-lemons.com/eight-artists-reflect-on-2019-inspired-for-2020/
https://better-lemons.com/eight-artists-reflect-on-2019-inspired-for-2020/
2019!
EXTENSION IN HELL!
ROMEO AND JULIET IN HELL has been extended for one special performance, by popular demand!
VOYAGE, L.A. ARTICLE!
NOVEMBER 5, 2019
Meet Matt Ritchey
Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Ritchey.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Matt. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve been a performer my entire life. I liked entertaining my family and friends, but really I was just entertaining myself. I was the kid who made the 8 mm version of ET in his backyard wearing a Halloween “Yoda” mask when I was in third grade. I had a one-man-band called Slime which consisted of me playing air guitar and singing songs like “Gag Me With A Mushroom“ in friends basements like it was a tour. I was that kid.
My family moved to Morgantown, West Virginia when I was in fifth grade – I had a great upbringing and it was a small college town, but I felt I was missing out on bigger “city things.” It’s why I applied to NYU – one of the best decisions and experiences of my life.
I was at the Playwright’s Horizons Studio studying everything from acting and directing to dramaturgy and how to run a not-for-profit theatre company. There were a lot of opportunities to create your own work and all of those things fed my desire to know a little bit about everything – including film and TV.
I got an assistant directing/teaching gig in Shakespeare at St. Paul’s School’s Summer Program in New Hampshire the year after I graduated, I became a Shakespeare Moderator at Theatre West when I moved to Los Angeles, I attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and then Director’s Lab West, where I later became an Associate Producer.
I’m a big fan of schooling – knowing how much I don’t know has always made me more tentative to really “go big” with my own work. I always assumed others knew way more than I did.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I don’t think anybody has a smooth road. I’m not sure they exist. I always thought you were only “allowed” to do one thing. The whole time I’m growing up, I’m writing my own scripts, directing people in plays or short movies, acting in them, having a very clear idea of the bigger picture of how to tell a story. But I’ve also always had the belief that I had to do it by myself. (That’s probably a perfectionism thing.) So when I didn’t have the money to put up my own productions, I would write plays that had very few props, people, costumes. And no real scenery. Stuff just happens in a black box. Why? It would be easy to produce. That’s actually how and why I wrote “Romeo and Juliet in Hell.”**
I was just taking stuff that I loved – comedy, Shakespeare – and turning it into a ridiculous thing that I would want to see. There’s a lot of ridiculous stuff that I would like to see. But I’ve been told my entire life that my jokes are corny, puns are the lowest form of humor, intellectual literary stuff isn’t popular, etc.. All of which I read as “you need to do something other than being yourself.” Sadly, I listened to that. Spent a lot of time trying to figure out what the rules were and how to play by them so that I could be successful. This, of course, led to me getting so frustrated and upset that I quit, got suicidal, and had no idea what I was gonna do.
I won’t go into how or why, but I got a gig with a theater company that needed a director for a goofy Star Trek comedy homage in 2014. I had such a blast with them that I wanted to keep rolling and use the 14+ character cast to perform a play that I had written back in college – one of those “punny, too literate, niche, goofy” plays I’d written about Romeo and Juliet forced to live in a Personal Hell where Tony from West Side Story sings “Maria” for Eternity and the only way they can escape is to watch Shakespeare’s dead characters (Hamlet, Lady M, Lear) perform the play “Romeo and Juliet.” I just wanted to do it, and I assumed it would fail because of what everyone had told me, but I didn’t care. Fortunately, I was wrong. The show oversold, I actually made money on the production, and that was the beginning of my starting to believe that I might actually have a unique voice worth listening to.
Please tell us more about your work. What do you do? What do you specialize in? What sets you apart from competition?
As a director, I tend to specialize in new works and comedies. I call my work “Daffy Duck” directing sometimes because the specificity of movement in animated cartoons when applied to live actors onstage makes me outrageously happy. I wallow in Shakespeare and Poe (I’m a huge fan of horror and the gothic), but my writing is often over-the-top comedy with a very serious message that drops right before the end.
I have a service called STORYCRAFTING. I’ve spent the last 20 years working on the story as a screenwriter and playwright, as an actor, and as a director of stage and screen, so I know there’s no “right way” to tell a story, but there are a lot of ways “in.” Through STORYCRAFTING, I help people realize the story they want to tell in the way they want to tell it, through a mixture of brainstorming, structure, history, and most importantly, what about the story makes it theirs.
A good example is Jonathan Tipton Meyers’ one-man show WE ARE TRAFFIC. He and I were sitting around eating waffles at a film festival in Maryland and he was telling me these truly crazy stories about how he drove to L.A. I mentioned that just watching and listening to him tell stories like this should be his one-man show – just simple, telling the story. Over the next few months, we worked together to refine the show into a bigger concept. The work is 100% Jonny, I was just there as an outside eye giving objective thoughts and ideas on what he wanted to get across and how. That’s the process I use in STORYCRAFTING. (Jonathan’s show was a hit, by the way, and he still does a lot of storytelling across Los Angeles.)
It’s always gratifying to see a show I’ve worked on go up, but as an educator as well, being involved in someone else’s process of creativity and discovery is just heart-bursting.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
“Romeo and Juliet In Hell” is now playing at Force of Nature Productions and a music video for my song “Smellay Lahk A Turkay” just dropped online (tinyurl.com/smellayturkay)! It’s from the play BLACKBOXING which I wrote and performed for the 2019 Hollywood Fringe Festival. I was fortunate to have it resonate with a lot of people and the folks at For The Love of Parody Productions awarded “Turkay” as “Standout Song” – the award came with a music video which looks fantastic!
I wrote that song in my Sophomore year of college in about half an hour as I sat on my bed in my dorm room. Twenty-some years later, I was walking around the streets of Hollywood carrying an engraved award for it. I took a big leap this year and it has been paying off in amazing, wonderful ways. I have big changes on the horizon…
… I’m just not sure what they are yet.
Contact Info:
Meet Matt Ritchey
Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Ritchey.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Matt. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve been a performer my entire life. I liked entertaining my family and friends, but really I was just entertaining myself. I was the kid who made the 8 mm version of ET in his backyard wearing a Halloween “Yoda” mask when I was in third grade. I had a one-man-band called Slime which consisted of me playing air guitar and singing songs like “Gag Me With A Mushroom“ in friends basements like it was a tour. I was that kid.
My family moved to Morgantown, West Virginia when I was in fifth grade – I had a great upbringing and it was a small college town, but I felt I was missing out on bigger “city things.” It’s why I applied to NYU – one of the best decisions and experiences of my life.
I was at the Playwright’s Horizons Studio studying everything from acting and directing to dramaturgy and how to run a not-for-profit theatre company. There were a lot of opportunities to create your own work and all of those things fed my desire to know a little bit about everything – including film and TV.
I got an assistant directing/teaching gig in Shakespeare at St. Paul’s School’s Summer Program in New Hampshire the year after I graduated, I became a Shakespeare Moderator at Theatre West when I moved to Los Angeles, I attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and then Director’s Lab West, where I later became an Associate Producer.
I’m a big fan of schooling – knowing how much I don’t know has always made me more tentative to really “go big” with my own work. I always assumed others knew way more than I did.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I don’t think anybody has a smooth road. I’m not sure they exist. I always thought you were only “allowed” to do one thing. The whole time I’m growing up, I’m writing my own scripts, directing people in plays or short movies, acting in them, having a very clear idea of the bigger picture of how to tell a story. But I’ve also always had the belief that I had to do it by myself. (That’s probably a perfectionism thing.) So when I didn’t have the money to put up my own productions, I would write plays that had very few props, people, costumes. And no real scenery. Stuff just happens in a black box. Why? It would be easy to produce. That’s actually how and why I wrote “Romeo and Juliet in Hell.”**
I was just taking stuff that I loved – comedy, Shakespeare – and turning it into a ridiculous thing that I would want to see. There’s a lot of ridiculous stuff that I would like to see. But I’ve been told my entire life that my jokes are corny, puns are the lowest form of humor, intellectual literary stuff isn’t popular, etc.. All of which I read as “you need to do something other than being yourself.” Sadly, I listened to that. Spent a lot of time trying to figure out what the rules were and how to play by them so that I could be successful. This, of course, led to me getting so frustrated and upset that I quit, got suicidal, and had no idea what I was gonna do.
I won’t go into how or why, but I got a gig with a theater company that needed a director for a goofy Star Trek comedy homage in 2014. I had such a blast with them that I wanted to keep rolling and use the 14+ character cast to perform a play that I had written back in college – one of those “punny, too literate, niche, goofy” plays I’d written about Romeo and Juliet forced to live in a Personal Hell where Tony from West Side Story sings “Maria” for Eternity and the only way they can escape is to watch Shakespeare’s dead characters (Hamlet, Lady M, Lear) perform the play “Romeo and Juliet.” I just wanted to do it, and I assumed it would fail because of what everyone had told me, but I didn’t care. Fortunately, I was wrong. The show oversold, I actually made money on the production, and that was the beginning of my starting to believe that I might actually have a unique voice worth listening to.
Please tell us more about your work. What do you do? What do you specialize in? What sets you apart from competition?
As a director, I tend to specialize in new works and comedies. I call my work “Daffy Duck” directing sometimes because the specificity of movement in animated cartoons when applied to live actors onstage makes me outrageously happy. I wallow in Shakespeare and Poe (I’m a huge fan of horror and the gothic), but my writing is often over-the-top comedy with a very serious message that drops right before the end.
I have a service called STORYCRAFTING. I’ve spent the last 20 years working on the story as a screenwriter and playwright, as an actor, and as a director of stage and screen, so I know there’s no “right way” to tell a story, but there are a lot of ways “in.” Through STORYCRAFTING, I help people realize the story they want to tell in the way they want to tell it, through a mixture of brainstorming, structure, history, and most importantly, what about the story makes it theirs.
A good example is Jonathan Tipton Meyers’ one-man show WE ARE TRAFFIC. He and I were sitting around eating waffles at a film festival in Maryland and he was telling me these truly crazy stories about how he drove to L.A. I mentioned that just watching and listening to him tell stories like this should be his one-man show – just simple, telling the story. Over the next few months, we worked together to refine the show into a bigger concept. The work is 100% Jonny, I was just there as an outside eye giving objective thoughts and ideas on what he wanted to get across and how. That’s the process I use in STORYCRAFTING. (Jonathan’s show was a hit, by the way, and he still does a lot of storytelling across Los Angeles.)
It’s always gratifying to see a show I’ve worked on go up, but as an educator as well, being involved in someone else’s process of creativity and discovery is just heart-bursting.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
“Romeo and Juliet In Hell” is now playing at Force of Nature Productions and a music video for my song “Smellay Lahk A Turkay” just dropped online (tinyurl.com/smellayturkay)! It’s from the play BLACKBOXING which I wrote and performed for the 2019 Hollywood Fringe Festival. I was fortunate to have it resonate with a lot of people and the folks at For The Love of Parody Productions awarded “Turkay” as “Standout Song” – the award came with a music video which looks fantastic!
I wrote that song in my Sophomore year of college in about half an hour as I sat on my bed in my dorm room. Twenty-some years later, I was walking around the streets of Hollywood carrying an engraved award for it. I took a big leap this year and it has been paying off in amazing, wonderful ways. I have big changes on the horizon…
… I’m just not sure what they are yet.
Contact Info:
- Website: mattritchey.net
- Phone: 213-840-1582
- Email: mattritchey1974@gmail.com
- Instagram: mattritcheyla
LINK
"SMELLAY LAHK A TURKAY"
THE MUSIC VIDEO!
"ROMEO AND JULIET IN HELL" RAVES!
Force of Nature's production of "Romeo and Juliet in Hell" is a hit! Check out the rave reviews from across the interwebs!
"Romeo and Juliet in Hell is a swift, silly romp in which the characters take turns stealing center stage and chewing the scenery. Playwright Matt Ritchey has deftly raided Shakespeare and modern theatre, from Stoppard to Lloyd-Webber, for this delightful pastiche. And as director, he keeps his 14 actors (and two dozen characters) in balance, in motion, and in focus." - THEATRE GHOST
"Playwright/director Matt Ritchey finds a steadily paced 60 minutes of clever stupidity and never pushes the action or tempo to extremes. Romeo and Juliet in Hell is a fast moving, lighthearted hour of odd encounters that are filled to the brim with theater jokes." - STAGE RAW
"This mash up is patently outrageous and undeniably, groanably funny, with a cast that is having the time of their life and the audience gets sucked in like a doomed ship in a whirlpool. Don’t think, just enjoy the fun." - PAUL MYRVOLD'S THEATER NOTES
"Everything that happens in this play could have made it into a mess of a production that failed across the board. But that is not what happens here. Romeo and Juliet in Hell offers a delightfully dark comedic tale. It blasts from joke to joke with a bravery that becomes infectious and without any shame for its absurd premise. On one level, the show is simply interested in giving an audience an enjoyable hour of entertainment and it does that quite well. On a second level, Romeo and Juliet in Hell is a commentary on Shakespeare’s penchant for slaughtering his best characters, and on the very nature of theater itself." - HAUNTING.NET
"Who knew Hell could be so funny? Although the plot of Romeo and Juliet in Hell sounds like a premise for a wacky five-minute Monty Python sketch, it actually sustains a full-length play thanks to consistently funny dialogue and the unflagging energy of the performers. Probably the most fun you will ever have in Hell." - Hollywood Gothique
"Romeo and Juliet in Hell is a swift, silly romp in which the characters take turns stealing center stage and chewing the scenery. Playwright Matt Ritchey has deftly raided Shakespeare and modern theatre, from Stoppard to Lloyd-Webber, for this delightful pastiche. And as director, he keeps his 14 actors (and two dozen characters) in balance, in motion, and in focus." - THEATRE GHOST
"Playwright/director Matt Ritchey finds a steadily paced 60 minutes of clever stupidity and never pushes the action or tempo to extremes. Romeo and Juliet in Hell is a fast moving, lighthearted hour of odd encounters that are filled to the brim with theater jokes." - STAGE RAW
"This mash up is patently outrageous and undeniably, groanably funny, with a cast that is having the time of their life and the audience gets sucked in like a doomed ship in a whirlpool. Don’t think, just enjoy the fun." - PAUL MYRVOLD'S THEATER NOTES
"Everything that happens in this play could have made it into a mess of a production that failed across the board. But that is not what happens here. Romeo and Juliet in Hell offers a delightfully dark comedic tale. It blasts from joke to joke with a bravery that becomes infectious and without any shame for its absurd premise. On one level, the show is simply interested in giving an audience an enjoyable hour of entertainment and it does that quite well. On a second level, Romeo and Juliet in Hell is a commentary on Shakespeare’s penchant for slaughtering his best characters, and on the very nature of theater itself." - HAUNTING.NET
"Who knew Hell could be so funny? Although the plot of Romeo and Juliet in Hell sounds like a premise for a wacky five-minute Monty Python sketch, it actually sustains a full-length play thanks to consistently funny dialogue and the unflagging energy of the performers. Probably the most fun you will ever have in Hell." - Hollywood Gothique
L.A. THEATRE BITES INTERVIEW
FOR "ROMEO AND JULIET IN HELL"!
Matthew Robinson of LA THEATRE BITES interviewed Matt about his directing career, BLACKBOXING, and the upcoming ROMEO AND JULIET IN HELL! LISTEN HERE!
Talking "Hell"
Matt is back with Italo discussing the upcoming production of "Romeo and Juliet In Hell."
www.blogtalkradio.com/italoproductions/2019/09/30/matt-ritchies-romeo-and-juliet-in-hell?fbclid=IwAR0m8D8RQefZiljGU1OAIUYpdBUBx7uzzOa63A-uxoCIrqbwWoizcox7zQI
www.blogtalkradio.com/italoproductions/2019/09/30/matt-ritchies-romeo-and-juliet-in-hell?fbclid=IwAR0m8D8RQefZiljGU1OAIUYpdBUBx7uzzOa63A-uxoCIrqbwWoizcox7zQI
BACK TO HELL!
"ROMEO AND JULIET IN HELL" COMING FROM FORCE OF NATURE PRODUCTIONS!
"Romeo and Juliet In Hell" is coming back to the stage from Producer Sebastian Munoz at Force of Nature Productions,! First produced for Hollywood Fringe in 2014, "R&JINHELL" is about Romeo and Juliet, dead, stuck in their Personal Hell of listening to Tony from WEST SIDE STORY sing "Maria" for Eternity. To get out, they must watch the sins of their life story performed in front of them by the inhabitants of Hell - Shakespeare's other dead characters!
Matt will once again direct his play with a fantastic new cast and some character changes. The production is shaping up to be another huge hit!
https://fonprods.tix.com/schedule.aspx?orgnum=5227
Matt will once again direct his play with a fantastic new cast and some character changes. The production is shaping up to be another huge hit!
https://fonprods.tix.com/schedule.aspx?orgnum=5227
ANOTHER "48 HOURS"!
M3 Productions has created "The Apartment at Gower Gulch," a new short film made for the 48 Hour Film Festival in Los Angeles for August! The category chosen was "Western" and needed to involve a landlord named Joe or Jane Davidson and include a hairdryer.
The whole crew (Michael Willer directing Matt, Kelley Pierre and Tyler Richmeier with a script by Donald Marshall and Michael Onofri and RIDICULOUSLY good music by Alex Hall and indispensable work by Karin Gumbinner) worked tirelessly and came up with an AMAZING film!
The whole crew (Michael Willer directing Matt, Kelley Pierre and Tyler Richmeier with a script by Donald Marshall and Michael Onofri and RIDICULOUSLY good music by Alex Hall and indispensable work by Karin Gumbinner) worked tirelessly and came up with an AMAZING film!
Hometown?
“Hometown’s” weird for me - I was born in Baltimore, Maryland and lived around Connecticut until I was in fifth grade, then Morgantown, West Virginia ‘til college, and my parents live in Pittsburgh now so that’s where I go home to visit family.
Please tell me where I’m from.
Where are you now?
That’s easier. I’m in Los Angeles, California.
What’s your current project?
I’m doing a one-man show called Blackboxing that I wrote for the Hollywood Fringe. It’s my tenth show in five years at Fringe, and this is the first one that I’ve acted in – the other nine I’ve directed. I also just completed an edit on a short I directed called “Perception” and finished helping out as Associate Producer at Director’s Lab West.
Why and how did you get into theatre?
I’m one of those “came out tap-dancing” kinda kids. My first memories of theater are when I did an after school class where I wrote, directed, and played the lead in a detective noir called LAGOON: A Detective’s Job. That was second grade. It hasn’t stopped.
What is your directing dream project?
I have a few: I’d love to write and direct a post-apocalyptic otherworldly jukebox musical using the music of My Chemical Romance; I have an Avenue Q type puppet/human musical about a haunted hotel that I need to write/direct; and a farce about B-movies called Shpider. At some point I’ll do that all-black-and-white ode to German Expressionism. Sorry, did you say ONE dream project?
What kind of theatre excites you?
First, when it’s done well and surprises me – then it almost doesn’t matter what it’s about. But if I’m looking through brochures and I see something with multi-media, masks, locations, great production design, I’m in.
As far as my own work, I’m excited by funny, gothic, scary, Shakespearean, cinematic creations with a message.
What do you want to change about theatre today?
I want theatre to appeal to a wider, younger audience. And I think escape rooms and immersive are a big part of that starting to happen. I spent years in Los Angeles scoffing (as many do) at the idea of L.A. theatre but since I’ve been doing Fringe and seeing shows around town, I’m kind of dumbstruck. This is not just a film town. There are some amazing artists doing stellar work out here. I’m a big fan of younger generations being culturally literate and taking classic plays and stories and adapting them in a more “modern way” is a good start – I personally love to see well-done Shakespeare in Elizabethan garb, but if you can do a Tempestor a Hamlet as a partially immersive piece which uses forms of media that younger generations are more connected to (using apps on their phone as PART of the storytelling process rather than “off” or “silent”), I think you can grab a whole new crop of theater devotees.
What is your opinion on getting a directing MFA?
Why, are you giving them away? I’ll take two, please!
I applied for my MFA so I could teach directing – this was when I had “given up” on being an actor. I didn’t get into any programs and I’m ultimately glad I didn’t, as I started to just direct instead. And I got better every time I worked. I sometimes even got paid. All that being said, I also teach and would like a steady income at some point (like… now?) and getting an MFA is the pre-requisite. So is it vital for your art? Hell no. It’s an expensive, I’m sure hugely rewarding, few years learning and creating work to find out who you are. If I had money to burn I’d do it twice. But if you’re looking to get a teaching gig, it’s important.
Who are your theatrical heroes?
Travis Preston, one of my directing and acting teachers at NYU, is one. I just remember some of the jobs he TOLD us about and I’m envious of them right now. He also really helped shape my ideas of what theatre I enjoy – if I can watch something on stage and it’s just the same as if I saw it on TV, I guess that’s fine. But he embraced what was DIFFERENT about theatre – over-the-top, deeply cerebral, bizarre, something that won’t come across well on a screen. We even did some film noir and movie scenes in his class, which is probably why I’m so enamored with the idea of making theatre that incorporates and celebrates film.
Juli Crockett is another who does amazing outside-the-box work which always knocks me out.
And Sam Mendes. I want to be Sam Mendes.
Any advice for directors just starting out?
Learn everybody’s job and respect them. You don’t have to know how to DO everybody’s job, but learn what it’s about. Directors captain the ship and knowing what someone is going through emotionally as an actor, or the technical issues that may be happening for crew, even understanding why house can’t open on time, all of it is important to understand and lead effectively.
After that, just do it. Make mistakes, learn from them, do it again.
Plugs!
www.mattritchey.net
www.hottopic.com/accessories/body-jewelry/plugs/
ORIGINAL LINK: https://theatredirectors.tumblr.com/post/185588321726/matt-ritchey
“Hometown’s” weird for me - I was born in Baltimore, Maryland and lived around Connecticut until I was in fifth grade, then Morgantown, West Virginia ‘til college, and my parents live in Pittsburgh now so that’s where I go home to visit family.
Please tell me where I’m from.
Where are you now?
That’s easier. I’m in Los Angeles, California.
What’s your current project?
I’m doing a one-man show called Blackboxing that I wrote for the Hollywood Fringe. It’s my tenth show in five years at Fringe, and this is the first one that I’ve acted in – the other nine I’ve directed. I also just completed an edit on a short I directed called “Perception” and finished helping out as Associate Producer at Director’s Lab West.
Why and how did you get into theatre?
I’m one of those “came out tap-dancing” kinda kids. My first memories of theater are when I did an after school class where I wrote, directed, and played the lead in a detective noir called LAGOON: A Detective’s Job. That was second grade. It hasn’t stopped.
What is your directing dream project?
I have a few: I’d love to write and direct a post-apocalyptic otherworldly jukebox musical using the music of My Chemical Romance; I have an Avenue Q type puppet/human musical about a haunted hotel that I need to write/direct; and a farce about B-movies called Shpider. At some point I’ll do that all-black-and-white ode to German Expressionism. Sorry, did you say ONE dream project?
What kind of theatre excites you?
First, when it’s done well and surprises me – then it almost doesn’t matter what it’s about. But if I’m looking through brochures and I see something with multi-media, masks, locations, great production design, I’m in.
As far as my own work, I’m excited by funny, gothic, scary, Shakespearean, cinematic creations with a message.
What do you want to change about theatre today?
I want theatre to appeal to a wider, younger audience. And I think escape rooms and immersive are a big part of that starting to happen. I spent years in Los Angeles scoffing (as many do) at the idea of L.A. theatre but since I’ve been doing Fringe and seeing shows around town, I’m kind of dumbstruck. This is not just a film town. There are some amazing artists doing stellar work out here. I’m a big fan of younger generations being culturally literate and taking classic plays and stories and adapting them in a more “modern way” is a good start – I personally love to see well-done Shakespeare in Elizabethan garb, but if you can do a Tempestor a Hamlet as a partially immersive piece which uses forms of media that younger generations are more connected to (using apps on their phone as PART of the storytelling process rather than “off” or “silent”), I think you can grab a whole new crop of theater devotees.
What is your opinion on getting a directing MFA?
Why, are you giving them away? I’ll take two, please!
I applied for my MFA so I could teach directing – this was when I had “given up” on being an actor. I didn’t get into any programs and I’m ultimately glad I didn’t, as I started to just direct instead. And I got better every time I worked. I sometimes even got paid. All that being said, I also teach and would like a steady income at some point (like… now?) and getting an MFA is the pre-requisite. So is it vital for your art? Hell no. It’s an expensive, I’m sure hugely rewarding, few years learning and creating work to find out who you are. If I had money to burn I’d do it twice. But if you’re looking to get a teaching gig, it’s important.
Who are your theatrical heroes?
Travis Preston, one of my directing and acting teachers at NYU, is one. I just remember some of the jobs he TOLD us about and I’m envious of them right now. He also really helped shape my ideas of what theatre I enjoy – if I can watch something on stage and it’s just the same as if I saw it on TV, I guess that’s fine. But he embraced what was DIFFERENT about theatre – over-the-top, deeply cerebral, bizarre, something that won’t come across well on a screen. We even did some film noir and movie scenes in his class, which is probably why I’m so enamored with the idea of making theatre that incorporates and celebrates film.
Juli Crockett is another who does amazing outside-the-box work which always knocks me out.
And Sam Mendes. I want to be Sam Mendes.
Any advice for directors just starting out?
Learn everybody’s job and respect them. You don’t have to know how to DO everybody’s job, but learn what it’s about. Directors captain the ship and knowing what someone is going through emotionally as an actor, or the technical issues that may be happening for crew, even understanding why house can’t open on time, all of it is important to understand and lead effectively.
After that, just do it. Make mistakes, learn from them, do it again.
Plugs!
www.mattritchey.net
www.hottopic.com/accessories/body-jewelry/plugs/
ORIGINAL LINK: https://theatredirectors.tumblr.com/post/185588321726/matt-ritchey
BLACKBOXING won BIG at the Hollywood Fringe Festival! It was nominated for eight awards and won SIX including BEST CABARET/VARIETY and STANDOUT SONG for "Smellay Lahk A Turkay" - which will now get a music video!!
This show was a huge leap of faith, trust, gall, whatever you want to call it, and while the process was fun, scary, and emotional, the result was exactly what I had said I wanted it to be: yes, it won awards, but a lot of people "GOT IT" and were touched and entertained.
CONGRATULATIONS to my brothers in this, my director Matthew Martin and my stage manager/co-star Jim Niedzialkowski, for bringing it. It was an absolute pleasure.
This show was a huge leap of faith, trust, gall, whatever you want to call it, and while the process was fun, scary, and emotional, the result was exactly what I had said I wanted it to be: yes, it won awards, but a lot of people "GOT IT" and were touched and entertained.
CONGRATULATIONS to my brothers in this, my director Matthew Martin and my stage manager/co-star Jim Niedzialkowski, for bringing it. It was an absolute pleasure.
"MATT: The Gathering" at Fringe!
In 2018, there were at least seven guys named Matt who worked at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. That year, they all wound up together at the closing night party and decided to do something fun in 2019.
"MATT: The Gathering" is that thing. Each Matt has a special card that can only by procured by speaking to and requesting it. Once all seven cards have been collected, Fringers can post a photo of themselves on Instagram holding all seven cards and using the hashtag #mattthegathering. This will give the collector entrance to a Special Event on Monday June 24th and a special prize.
"MATT: The Gathering" is that thing. Each Matt has a special card that can only by procured by speaking to and requesting it. Once all seven cards have been collected, Fringers can post a photo of themselves on Instagram holding all seven cards and using the hashtag #mattthegathering. This will give the collector entrance to a Special Event on Monday June 24th and a special prize.
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"HOW TO DIRECT A FRINGE SHOW" PODCAST INTERVIEW
Matt was honored with an interview on Blog Talk Radio about his "How To Direct A Fringe Show" Workshop. Victor Sotomayor covered questions about the class, some history, and the Fringe! Check it out here:
BLOG TALK RADIO - ITALO PRODUCTIONS
RAVE REVIEWS FOR "HOW TO DIRECT A FRINGE SHOW" WORKSHOP!
I’m so glad I took this workshop. Matt has a sensibility and charisma that allows you to explore different options with my project. Not only did I learn about blocking, marketing, working with actors, subtext and a few techniques but I learned how to stand back and watch how he interpreted my work in a different way that I would have never imagined when I wrote it. I liked his patience and ease when giving directions with sensitivity and his own vision being respectful of your work and your vision. I recommend this class to first time Directors and actors who would like to work on their respective projects and leave this workshop accomplished and excited about taking it to the next level. - Victor Sotomayor
Matt’s experience in not only directing, but directing for theater specifically (which in LA is less common than you’d think) shows in this class. He has great instincts backed up by tons of experience, so what can you lose? I am absolutely happy with the time we spent in this class. Matt is engaging, energetic, and an enthusiastic teacher with a natural style that only comes from years of experience. If you’re a beginner and need to know what the heck a director does, or you’re a vet and need a refresher in the world of theater (me), this course is a no-brainer. Take it! - Michael Willer
The best part of the workshop was Matt himself. He told us to enter the theater with a positive, collaborative energy and our cast would pick up on the vibe. That’s exactly what he brought to class. I could have spent double the time with Matt, but the three hours were enough to get a good sense. A thorough and thoroughly helpful crash course on directing. Matt Ritchey brought a wealth of experience and a conversational tone to the workshop, making it informative without ever bogging down in detail. The introduction and Q&A portions were great, but the second half, where we co-directed our scenes with Matt, was exactly what I needed. - Eric Depriester
Matt’s experience in not only directing, but directing for theater specifically (which in LA is less common than you’d think) shows in this class. He has great instincts backed up by tons of experience, so what can you lose? I am absolutely happy with the time we spent in this class. Matt is engaging, energetic, and an enthusiastic teacher with a natural style that only comes from years of experience. If you’re a beginner and need to know what the heck a director does, or you’re a vet and need a refresher in the world of theater (me), this course is a no-brainer. Take it! - Michael Willer
The best part of the workshop was Matt himself. He told us to enter the theater with a positive, collaborative energy and our cast would pick up on the vibe. That’s exactly what he brought to class. I could have spent double the time with Matt, but the three hours were enough to get a good sense. A thorough and thoroughly helpful crash course on directing. Matt Ritchey brought a wealth of experience and a conversational tone to the workshop, making it informative without ever bogging down in detail. The introduction and Q&A portions were great, but the second half, where we co-directed our scenes with Matt, was exactly what I needed. - Eric Depriester
BEST OF LOS ANGELES THEATRE 2018!
TheTVolution.com gave a shoutout to Matt's directing and his Fringe show in their "Best of Los Angeles Theatre 2018" review!
"Of course the busiest month of my year, as well as my favorite, was June, due entirely to The Hollywood Fringe Festival 2018. I was able to attend 78 other productions. As in prior years, it was my privilege to experience works of the highest caliber.
Matt Ritchey deftly directed American Conspiracy an intelligent delving into political violence by Playwright Benjamin Schwartz, which gave David Garver a launching pad to blast off his wickedly fun outing as a coked out conspirator."
"Of course the busiest month of my year, as well as my favorite, was June, due entirely to The Hollywood Fringe Festival 2018. I was able to attend 78 other productions. As in prior years, it was my privilege to experience works of the highest caliber.
Matt Ritchey deftly directed American Conspiracy an intelligent delving into political violence by Playwright Benjamin Schwartz, which gave David Garver a launching pad to blast off his wickedly fun outing as a coked out conspirator."
Matt and Mike's screenplay CHRISTMAS ACADEMY has placed in both the Fresh Voices and Studio 32 screenplay competitions and now has won the Scriptshadow Amateur Friday Holiday Edition Screenplay Contest, wining a review on the site! With generally good things to say and some quality notes, it's time for a new draft in 2019!
"HOW TO DIRECT A FRINGE SHOW -
KNOW EVERYBODY'S MOTIVATION"
Learn the unique challenges and benefits to directing a production at the Hollywood Fringe Festival! As the person guiding the project, you need to understand everyone’s position, how you can assist them to do their best work, and how you can bring your vision to life at Fringe.
Using a case study, the workshop will explore:
Sign up at hollywoodfringe.org.
Using a case study, the workshop will explore:
- Budgets
- Venues
- Casting
- Handling Time and Tech
- Building an Audience
- Working with Actors
- Navigating Fringe and Optimizing Your Audience
Sign up at hollywoodfringe.org.
48 and VAMPIRES!
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Matt just finished working on "The Small Print" - a 48 Hour Film Festival project! In addition to helping to write the script, he was impromptu Sound Guy! The film came out incredibly well and screens at LA Live downtown in Los Angeles in August!
"Hollywood Vampire" is in its final stages with picture wrap and MUSIC! Edwin Telford is creating the soundtrack for the show and is writing an amazing score! Expect it on FUNNY OR DIE in October!
"Hollywood Vampire" is in its final stages with picture wrap and MUSIC! Edwin Telford is creating the soundtrack for the show and is writing an amazing score! Expect it on FUNNY OR DIE in October!
DIRECTING HONOR!
Matt received a "Best Director" honor for AMERICAN CONSPIRACY by TheTVolution!
FINAL FRINGE DAYS!
A sold-out run of "AMERICAN CONSPIRACY" at Hollywood Fringe Festival 2018 ended with some great reviews:
“Ritchey does the greatest service any director can do for a show which is to let the truth of the characters shine forth. Ritchey has mad skills at his craft and could easily have thrown a bunch of pomp and bombast to the staging but his sensitive ear to Schwartz’s tale seems to insist on commitment to character first, to the point where “direction” is almost imperceptible and we are just free to experience the world as it is.” - Michael Shaw Fisher, Fringe Reviewer
“Ritchey's staging and direction is succinct and keeps things to the point--so when the climax hits you, it feels like a brick.” – Reagan Osbourne, Fringe Reviewer
"American Conspiracy still holds our attention thanks to Ritchey’s strong direction, some good humor, and some fine performances.” – FringeReview.com
“The operation and engagement of such a paradoxical Rube Goldberg would be the undoing of a lesser director but Matt Ritchey enjoys the fortunate fusion of skill and clarity which this work calls for.” – TheTVolution.com
"GIA" reviews!
Matt's been one of three theater reviewers for the 2018 Hollywood Fringe Festivals, seeing over 40 shows! LINK:
"AMERICAN CONSPIRACY" previews to sold-out Hollywood Fringe crowd!
HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRE WRAP!
THAT IS A WRAP ON PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY FOR "HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRE!" A web series that began about a year ago has now been completely shot (save one day of pick-ups) and mostly edited, requiring only some Post and will then be ready to show to the world! Check out some behind-the-scenes of the last day of shooting, ending with a scene at the beach at sunset.
FRINGE IS HERE
The Hollywood Fringe Festival 2018 begins in two weeks! Matt's two plays, AMERICAN CONSPIRACY by Benjamin Schwartz (who Matt collaborated with for 2016's Award Winner ANGEL'S FLIGHT), and NIC AND BROOKE'S KARAOKE PARTY, another fun song-and-skit show from the team who did 2017's nominee N&B'S COMEDY DANCE PARTY.
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8 APRONS PICKING UP SPEED!
Matt's production company, 8 Aprons, is churning out tons of ideas and product this year! Thus far, they've shot and done a first cut on the tentatively titled "PURPLE FLOWERS" (written by Bob Telford and Tom Cavanaugh and team directed by Tom and Matt) Matt has Assistant Directed Tom Cavanaugh's debut as Director/Producer/Writer on the We Make Movies endowment winning script "I''M FAT," and the 12 episode web series "HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRE" is nearing completion! Images and video soon!
GIFFT HILL MINI-MESTER IN ST. JOHN!
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Matt just returned from St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, where he helped teach a fast and furious four-day short filmmaking mini-mester at the amazing Gifft Hill School! Nine kids, grades 6-11, created three short films - the theme was the 2017 Hurricanes Irma and Maria which, sadly, really pounded the USVI. But the kids (and the residents of the island!) were incredibly welcoming, high-spirited, and giving! "One of the high-points in my life. I hope I can go back SOON!"
JUST LIKE VELVET - Director's Cut
"POKER NIGHT" NOMINATED FOR
CONNECT FILM FESTIVAL'S "APOLLO AWARD"!!
POKER NIGHT has been nominated for an APOLLO AWARD at the Los Angeles Connect Film Festival in December 2017!
"The Apollo award celebrates a film whose story includes a compelling exploration of masculinity. These films illuminate an aspect of the human condition from camaraderie to violence, horror to comedy, told through the lens of compelling male characters. In celebrating the specific, these stories enhance the universal-- this exploration of identity is told within an inclusive story framework that welcomes expanded understanding from every gender. "
This is the first time the award has been offered.
*Bro Hug*
**this is totally not the image for the Apollo Award.
"The Apollo award celebrates a film whose story includes a compelling exploration of masculinity. These films illuminate an aspect of the human condition from camaraderie to violence, horror to comedy, told through the lens of compelling male characters. In celebrating the specific, these stories enhance the universal-- this exploration of identity is told within an inclusive story framework that welcomes expanded understanding from every gender. "
This is the first time the award has been offered.
*Bro Hug*
**this is totally not the image for the Apollo Award.
"POKER NIGHT" FESTIVAL PREMIERE!
"POKER NIGHT" will have it's Festival premiere at the New York/Los Angeles International Film Festival on October 25, 2017!
Gia On The Move ‘Poker Night’ Screens at the NY/LA International Film Festival
Poker Night, the first cinematic project from the partnership of local Los Angeles film and theatrical producers/writers, and Hollywood Fringe veterans Tom Cavanaugh (Inland Empress, Under The Jello Mold, The Shift) and Matt Ritchey (Angel’s Flight, Martha Washington Killed A Redcoat, Matt & Mike’s Movie Mangle) , will have its film festival premiere at The 7th Annual New York/Los Angeles International Film Festival on October 25, 2017, at 6:00 pm, at the Whitefire Theatre, Sherman Oaks, CA. The short film was co-produced by Cavanaugh and Ritchey.
A weekly buddy’s poker night goes sideways when a secret emerges and threatens to tear apart friendships. Featuring Steven Richard Harris, Jon Christie, Jonathan Tipton Meyers, Gabriel Rissa, and Ashley McGee.
“I’m so happy to be part of the NYLA International Film Festival! It feels great to have a film in a festival at these two venues that I call home! I’ve spent many hours creating in The Whitefire Theatre of L.A. and The Producers Club of NYC and to have film in a festival that is connected to both…. it’s a Home Coming in many ways for many reasons!” ~Tom Cavanaugh
“Tom had a play called Poker Night which I thought was great – he suggested making it into a short film that we shoot at his house. Our DP dropped out at the last-minute. Best thing that happened to us. I sent the script to another DP, Luc Nicknair, who is fantastic, and he said “This is an award-winning script.” …Oh, there are stories…. Some good ones…[like coming] to fisticuffs [with some of the actors and landing in jail…on the sound-stage next door. (Alas. The other soundstage was a bar and that would have been far more fun.) Tom’s a really great producer. We’ve got lots of future plans – both theatre and film. I love the idea of blending theatre and film – something done a lot in stage shows now with projection – finding ways for stories that begin as small theatre shows to grow into filmed content…I think is exciting.” ~Matt Ritchey
Paris Avenue Productions and Imaginary Reality present
A Matt Ritchey Film
Poker Night
Written by Tom Cavanaugh
Produced by Tom Cavanaugh and Matt Ritchey
Directed by Matt Ritchey
Cinematography by Luc Nicknair
Run Time: 10 minutes, 40 seconds
Gia On The Move ‘Poker Night’ Screens at the NY/LA International Film Festival
Poker Night, the first cinematic project from the partnership of local Los Angeles film and theatrical producers/writers, and Hollywood Fringe veterans Tom Cavanaugh (Inland Empress, Under The Jello Mold, The Shift) and Matt Ritchey (Angel’s Flight, Martha Washington Killed A Redcoat, Matt & Mike’s Movie Mangle) , will have its film festival premiere at The 7th Annual New York/Los Angeles International Film Festival on October 25, 2017, at 6:00 pm, at the Whitefire Theatre, Sherman Oaks, CA. The short film was co-produced by Cavanaugh and Ritchey.
A weekly buddy’s poker night goes sideways when a secret emerges and threatens to tear apart friendships. Featuring Steven Richard Harris, Jon Christie, Jonathan Tipton Meyers, Gabriel Rissa, and Ashley McGee.
“I’m so happy to be part of the NYLA International Film Festival! It feels great to have a film in a festival at these two venues that I call home! I’ve spent many hours creating in The Whitefire Theatre of L.A. and The Producers Club of NYC and to have film in a festival that is connected to both…. it’s a Home Coming in many ways for many reasons!” ~Tom Cavanaugh
“Tom had a play called Poker Night which I thought was great – he suggested making it into a short film that we shoot at his house. Our DP dropped out at the last-minute. Best thing that happened to us. I sent the script to another DP, Luc Nicknair, who is fantastic, and he said “This is an award-winning script.” …Oh, there are stories…. Some good ones…[like coming] to fisticuffs [with some of the actors and landing in jail…on the sound-stage next door. (Alas. The other soundstage was a bar and that would have been far more fun.) Tom’s a really great producer. We’ve got lots of future plans – both theatre and film. I love the idea of blending theatre and film – something done a lot in stage shows now with projection – finding ways for stories that begin as small theatre shows to grow into filmed content…I think is exciting.” ~Matt Ritchey
Paris Avenue Productions and Imaginary Reality present
A Matt Ritchey Film
Poker Night
Written by Tom Cavanaugh
Produced by Tom Cavanaugh and Matt Ritchey
Directed by Matt Ritchey
Cinematography by Luc Nicknair
Run Time: 10 minutes, 40 seconds
"STREETCAR" IN ARCADIA
-Postponed indefinitely-
"The great American classic A Streetcar Named Desire comes to life with Hollywood’s dramatic writer/director Matt Ritchey at the helm featuring TV and theatre sensation Lucas Alifano as Stanley. New Orleans sensuality invites the audience through a vortex of desire as southern belle Blanche regresses into madness. The immense multi-level wrought-iron stage set in the Black Box Theatre is meticulously constructed over a four-week period by Martyn Tyler, Keith DeLuca and the Stagecraft class. www.mattritchey.net Due to extremely limited capacity of 70 tickets per show, early purchases are highly recommended for this immersive event."
So, yeah, I'm dircting Streetcar with some awesome people at the Arcadia Performing Arts Foundation's Black Box next year. :)
So, yeah, I'm dircting Streetcar with some awesome people at the Arcadia Performing Arts Foundation's Black Box next year. :)
SHORT & SWEET - HOLLYWOOD!
FRINGE AWARDS!!!
MARTHA WASHINGTON KILLED A REDCOAT nominated for BEST FRINGE COMEDY and for the SHORT&SWEET AWARD!
NIC AND BROOKE'S COMEDY DANCE PARTY nominated for BEST CABARET/VARIETY!
NIC AND BROOKE'S COMEDY DANCE PARTY nominated for BEST CABARET/VARIETY!
FRINGE HAS ARRIVED!!
All three shows have Previewed and Opened to great acclaim and houses!
MARTHA WASHINGTON KILLED A REDCOAT
All three shows have Previewed and Opened to great acclaim and houses!
MARTHA WASHINGTON KILLED A REDCOAT
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WE ARE TRAFFIC
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NIC AND BROOKE'S COMEDY DANCE PARTY
Matt has been accepted into the 2017 DIRECTOR'S LAB WEST taking place in Pasadena and Los Angeles in May! The Lab is an eight day intensive of theater workshops, seminars, and productions "for mid-career directors."
UPDATE!! 5/28! Director's Lab was one of the greatest times of my life! It was a sleepless week, what with working every night and rehearsing until midnight for Fringe, but I met some truly amazing people, the fire was rekindled, I learned a ton, and I wish I could go back in a week.
UPDATE!! 5/28! Director's Lab was one of the greatest times of my life! It was a sleepless week, what with working every night and rehearsing until midnight for Fringe, but I met some truly amazing people, the fire was rekindled, I learned a ton, and I wish I could go back in a week.
FRINGE HAS ARRIVED!
"So, after abandoning a follow-up project to 'ANGEL'S FLIGHT' and opting against producing the pricey and time-sucking premiere of 'SHPIDER!,' I thought I'd just go see a couple of shows this year at Fringe. Then, my 'HOMESCHOOL REUNION' partner Jonny decided to do the one-man show we talked about last year at a Waffle House during our premiere at the Maryland Int'l Film Festival. Soon after, Tom Cavanaugh suggested we work together on some short skit/scenes for a fun new project with two up-and-coming talents. Then a lovely lady I met at a Fringe meeting sent me her very funny script that I asked to collaborate on and by the end of a script meeting, I was offering my services as Director. And by this Saturday, I may be Directing the aforementioned skit project! More images as they become available!!"
2014: Wrote, directed, produced my own project
2015: Directed someone else's project
2016: Wrote, directed, produced my own project AND directed someone else's project
2017: Directed THREE other people's projects
2018: Sleep?
"So, after abandoning a follow-up project to 'ANGEL'S FLIGHT' and opting against producing the pricey and time-sucking premiere of 'SHPIDER!,' I thought I'd just go see a couple of shows this year at Fringe. Then, my 'HOMESCHOOL REUNION' partner Jonny decided to do the one-man show we talked about last year at a Waffle House during our premiere at the Maryland Int'l Film Festival. Soon after, Tom Cavanaugh suggested we work together on some short skit/scenes for a fun new project with two up-and-coming talents. Then a lovely lady I met at a Fringe meeting sent me her very funny script that I asked to collaborate on and by the end of a script meeting, I was offering my services as Director. And by this Saturday, I may be Directing the aforementioned skit project! More images as they become available!!"
2014: Wrote, directed, produced my own project
2015: Directed someone else's project
2016: Wrote, directed, produced my own project AND directed someone else's project
2017: Directed THREE other people's projects
2018: Sleep?
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"SERIAL DATER"
Matt is Assistant Directing the new short "Serial Dater," written and directed by Gabe Romero!
Matt is Assistant Directing the new short "Serial Dater," written and directed by Gabe Romero!
ACTING OUT INKFEST 2017!
Matt will be directing the brilliant short play "Be Prepared" by Brittny Roberts for 2Cents Theatre Group's 2017 Acting Out InkFest at the Hudson Theater in Hollywood March 17 - 19! http://2centstheatre.wix.com/kboulepictures
Matt will be directing the brilliant short play "Be Prepared" by Brittny Roberts for 2Cents Theatre Group's 2017 Acting Out InkFest at the Hudson Theater in Hollywood March 17 - 19! http://2centstheatre.wix.com/kboulepictures
"JUST LIKE" FINISHED!
The three-day shoot for Matt's first music video is complete and it went off better than anticipated! A great crew, a talented cast, a star in the making (Bevin Bru!), and amazing footage (embargoed until the video is released)!
The three-day shoot for Matt's first music video is complete and it went off better than anticipated! A great crew, a talented cast, a star in the making (Bevin Bru!), and amazing footage (embargoed until the video is released)!
THAT'S A WRAP!
"Poker Night" shot December 18th and 19th and is headed into the Editing Room! A great time was had by all and a great movie is there, mixed up in the raw footage! The first collaboration between Matt and Tom Cavanaugh and Luc Nicknair will not be the last!
"JUST LIKE VELVET"!
Matt will be directing the music video for "Just Like Velvet," an 80's throwback song originally meant for Madonna and now the centerpiece of the musical "REWIND"! Auditions are complete, cast and crew are in prep!
"POKER NIGHT," Matt's new short film, shoots December 18th and 19th, closing out 2016 with a bang!
"Poker Night" shot December 18th and 19th and is headed into the Editing Room! A great time was had by all and a great movie is there, mixed up in the raw footage! The first collaboration between Matt and Tom Cavanaugh and Luc Nicknair will not be the last!
"JUST LIKE VELVET"!
Matt will be directing the music video for "Just Like Velvet," an 80's throwback song originally meant for Madonna and now the centerpiece of the musical "REWIND"! Auditions are complete, cast and crew are in prep!
"POKER NIGHT," Matt's new short film, shoots December 18th and 19th, closing out 2016 with a bang!
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ELAN VITAL HITTING FESTIVALS!!
Shot in 2009, "ELAN VITAL" is a 47-minute "short film" by Jason Loya that has a very Lynchian bent. It has been previously submitted for Festivals but has recently been re-edited and accepted into its first Festival - the LOS ANGELES CINEFEST! Here's to more Festivals with screenings! (If all goes well, this may make FOUR films Matt's involved in - HOMESCHOOL REUNION, POKER NIGHT, ELEN VITAL and the upcoming TAKE A HIKE - will be in Festivals at the same time!) |
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GREAT REVIEWS FOR NEVERMORE!
"Check out Nevermore, worth seeing for its clever script (Poe aficionados will relish its referential bits) and effective performances." - Steven Stanley, STAGE SCENE LA
"The whole play, design and blocking and writing and performances, felt very much not like an Edgar Allan Poe story so much as a story taking place in the same world as one. A tricky and very entertaining balancing act to achieve!" - David McDowell Blue, NIGHT-TINTED GLASSES
“Ritchey's play is true to its genre and creed…. (his) language pokes and prods us… It is not afraid of being different and original, and proves it throughout. If Poe is of the slightest interest to you, you cannot miss this testament to the power and talent of his writing.This is not a work for the faint of heart.” - Radomir Luza, NOHO ARTS DISTRICT
"Check out Nevermore, worth seeing for its clever script (Poe aficionados will relish its referential bits) and effective performances." - Steven Stanley, STAGE SCENE LA
"The whole play, design and blocking and writing and performances, felt very much not like an Edgar Allan Poe story so much as a story taking place in the same world as one. A tricky and very entertaining balancing act to achieve!" - David McDowell Blue, NIGHT-TINTED GLASSES
“Ritchey's play is true to its genre and creed…. (his) language pokes and prods us… It is not afraid of being different and original, and proves it throughout. If Poe is of the slightest interest to you, you cannot miss this testament to the power and talent of his writing.This is not a work for the faint of heart.” - Radomir Luza, NOHO ARTS DISTRICT
- ANGEL'S FLIGHT will be having it's EXTENDED RUN (Meaning that the show will be about ten to fifteen minutes longer!) at Three Clubs During the month of September!
- Matt is directing the short film "POKER NIGHT" written by Tom Cavanaugh!
- Matt is directing the short film "POKER NIGHT" written by Tom Cavanaugh!
NEW PRODUCTION OF "NEVERMORE!"
- THEATRE UNLEASHED will be producing Matt's thriller "NEVERMORE" as their Fall MainStage September 29 - November 6!
This will be the FIRST time it's been produced in the Halloween season and the first time Poe's deathday (October 7) can be celebrated by coming to see a show about ... about.... well, I really don't want to spoil things.....
- THEATRE UNLEASHED will be producing Matt's thriller "NEVERMORE" as their Fall MainStage September 29 - November 6!
This will be the FIRST time it's been produced in the Halloween season and the first time Poe's deathday (October 7) can be celebrated by coming to see a show about ... about.... well, I really don't want to spoil things.....
"ANGEL'S FLIGHT!"
Nominated! - TOP OF THE FRINGE
Nominated! - LUMPY-CRAMP© SPIRIT OF THE FRINGE, NEVER IN THE BOX AWARD
Nominated for Directing Excellence! - THE ROGUE SHAKESPEARE AWARD FOR ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE
WON!! - BEST IN CABARET & VARIETY
Nominated! - TOP OF THE FRINGE
Nominated! - LUMPY-CRAMP© SPIRIT OF THE FRINGE, NEVER IN THE BOX AWARD
Nominated for Directing Excellence! - THE ROGUE SHAKESPEARE AWARD FOR ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE
WON!! - BEST IN CABARET & VARIETY
"SLIGHTLY DRAMATIC!"
Nominated! - TRACEY COLLINS FUNNY GIRL AWARD
WON! - ENCORE PRODUCER'S AWARD
Nominated! - TRACEY COLLINS FUNNY GIRL AWARD
WON! - ENCORE PRODUCER'S AWARD
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- "ANGEL'S FLIGHT," the film noir comedy co-written and directed by Matt, is a SOLD OUT HIT in the middle of it's run at the Hollywood Fringe Festival!
- "HOMESCHOOL REUNION" was accepted into the MINI-MOVIE FEST, happening MAY 29-31!
- Matt will be directing "SLIGHTLY DRAMATIC," a great comedic cabaret starring Emily Clark for this year's Hollywood Fringe Festival!
- "HOMESCHOOL REUNION" just had a FANTASTIC response at the Maryland International Film Festival in Hagerstown AND is now an Official Selection of the 2016 MINI MOVIE FEST Int'l Film Festival!
- "HOMESCHOOL REUNION" was accepted into the MINI-MOVIE FEST, happening MAY 29-31!
- Matt will be directing "SLIGHTLY DRAMATIC," a great comedic cabaret starring Emily Clark for this year's Hollywood Fringe Festival!
- "HOMESCHOOL REUNION" just had a FANTASTIC response at the Maryland International Film Festival in Hagerstown AND is now an Official Selection of the 2016 MINI MOVIE FEST Int'l Film Festival!
- Matt just signed with OMNIUM ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, LLC!
- Matt is teaming with Benjamin Schwartz and Cherry Poppins Caburlesque (www.cherrypoppinsproductions.com) for his new show ANGEL'S FLIGHT - a film noir burlesque show planned for the 2016 Hollywood Fringe Festival!
- Matt was recently a guest speaker at the 2016 MAGIC CASTLE UNIVERSITY Web Series Writer's Retreat discussing story structure, style, and ideas. He's expecting to direct an episode or two in the next few months!
- "HOMESCHOOL REUNION" has been accepted into the Los Angeles CineFest Film Festival and Nominated in The Depth Of Field Film Festival!
- Matt is teaming with Benjamin Schwartz and Cherry Poppins Caburlesque (www.cherrypoppinsproductions.com) for his new show ANGEL'S FLIGHT - a film noir burlesque show planned for the 2016 Hollywood Fringe Festival!
- Matt was recently a guest speaker at the 2016 MAGIC CASTLE UNIVERSITY Web Series Writer's Retreat discussing story structure, style, and ideas. He's expecting to direct an episode or two in the next few months!
- "HOMESCHOOL REUNION" has been accepted into the Los Angeles CineFest Film Festival and Nominated in The Depth Of Field Film Festival!
PAST PROJECTS
ANGEL'S FLIGHT
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“Playwright Matt Ritchey and Benjamin Schwartz’s sweet and utterly insubstantial film noir spoof provides just the sorbet to clear your palate before the next “important” show. In truth, Ritchey and Schwartz’s comedy is feather light and breeze slight —but the production boasts some good gags and, with the involvement of the Cherry Poppins Burlesque dance troupe, some delightful and quite ambitious dance interludes by a chorus of sultry dancers.” -Stage Raw RECOMMENDED
“Director Matt Ritchey took a small stage with a lot of actors and burlesque girls and transformed it into a high-octane, action-packed, cinematic, beauty of a Fringe show.”-Hollywood Fringe review ANGEL’S FLIGHT
“Ritchey’s direction is superb, the script is entertaining, all in all a beautiful, edgy & engaging show.”-Hollywood Fringe review ANGEL’S FLIGHT
“The direction was spot on, every single moment seemed so thought out and specific, there was never a moment of doubt or insecurity, the piece was directed and acted with complete confidence and determination.” -Hollywood Fringe review ANGEL’S FLIGHT
“Matt Ritchey has done an excellent job orchestrating quite a large cast and playing to all of their strengths. Also, there is much movement, and it is all purposeful. None of it is extraneous. Ben Schwartz and Matt Ritchey have written a very witty, exciting script and story.”-Hollywood Fringe review ANGEL’S FLIGHT
“Right off the bat you know you’re in for a good time and it never stops. Matt Ritchey deserves a lot of credit for this, as his clear and precise direction is evident in every cracking scene. The talent is great across the board and the production values are high.”-Hollywood Fringe review ANGEL’S FLIGHT
“Directing: There is a sharp skipper behind the scenes of this show and it makes a tremendous difference. This particular script could have very quickly become a mess and the fact that it does not is a testament to the skill of the director. Scenes flow well and quickly and easily. The space is very well used. The story makes sense spatially and time-wise. It all feels very clearly under the control and guidance of someone who knows what they are trying to create and the tones, style and substance all work in the same vein very well together.”-Hollywood Fringe review ANGEL’S FLIGHT
"The sexiest surprise this year at Hollywood Fringe filled the Three Clubs on Vine with the worst campy one-liners of all time, goofy gags, a ridiculous premise, smokin’ hot “I’ve been a bad, bad” bad girls in sparkly costumes, dazzling over-the-top burlesque, a dead guardian angel and a pathetic ending. It was AWESOME!" - Gia On The Move
“Director Matt Ritchey took a small stage with a lot of actors and burlesque girls and transformed it into a high-octane, action-packed, cinematic, beauty of a Fringe show.”-Hollywood Fringe review ANGEL’S FLIGHT
“Ritchey’s direction is superb, the script is entertaining, all in all a beautiful, edgy & engaging show.”-Hollywood Fringe review ANGEL’S FLIGHT
“The direction was spot on, every single moment seemed so thought out and specific, there was never a moment of doubt or insecurity, the piece was directed and acted with complete confidence and determination.” -Hollywood Fringe review ANGEL’S FLIGHT
“Matt Ritchey has done an excellent job orchestrating quite a large cast and playing to all of their strengths. Also, there is much movement, and it is all purposeful. None of it is extraneous. Ben Schwartz and Matt Ritchey have written a very witty, exciting script and story.”-Hollywood Fringe review ANGEL’S FLIGHT
“Right off the bat you know you’re in for a good time and it never stops. Matt Ritchey deserves a lot of credit for this, as his clear and precise direction is evident in every cracking scene. The talent is great across the board and the production values are high.”-Hollywood Fringe review ANGEL’S FLIGHT
“Directing: There is a sharp skipper behind the scenes of this show and it makes a tremendous difference. This particular script could have very quickly become a mess and the fact that it does not is a testament to the skill of the director. Scenes flow well and quickly and easily. The space is very well used. The story makes sense spatially and time-wise. It all feels very clearly under the control and guidance of someone who knows what they are trying to create and the tones, style and substance all work in the same vein very well together.”-Hollywood Fringe review ANGEL’S FLIGHT
"The sexiest surprise this year at Hollywood Fringe filled the Three Clubs on Vine with the worst campy one-liners of all time, goofy gags, a ridiculous premise, smokin’ hot “I’ve been a bad, bad” bad girls in sparkly costumes, dazzling over-the-top burlesque, a dead guardian angel and a pathetic ending. It was AWESOME!" - Gia On The Move
HOMESCHOOL REUNION
HOMESCHOOL REUNION is a short film written by Jonathan Tipton Meyers and starring Charlie Weirauch ("The Newsroom") about Dan, a shy homeschooled guy who gets jealous looking at his friend's high school reunion photos and decides to throw one for himself.
ROMEO AND JULIET IN HELL
"Matt Ritchey's knee-slapper of a comedy places the Bard's star-crossed lovers in the infernal domain for some devilish punishment and an hour plus of solid fun and laughs." - Lovell Estelle III, STAGE RAW
"This is definitely not the Shakespeare you studied in high school. It is a lot better." - All About The Stage
"If you know a little Shakespeare, you'll really like this. If you know a lot of Shakespeare, you will love this. If you've... had to endure a formal theatre education, you'll be doubled over in hysterical giggles." - Hollywood Fringe review
"This is definitely not the Shakespeare you studied in high school. It is a lot better." - All About The Stage
"If you know a little Shakespeare, you'll really like this. If you know a lot of Shakespeare, you will love this. If you've... had to endure a formal theatre education, you'll be doubled over in hysterical giggles." - Hollywood Fringe review
Romeo and Juliet wake up to discover that they are in their Personal Hell – listening to Tony from WEST SIDE STORY sing “Maria” for eternity. To escape into Eternal Hell, they must endure watching a production of their life story performed by Shakespeare’s other dead characters – Hamlet, Othello, Lady Macbeth and King Lear – who butcher the story in hysterical ways! Full of theatre-goer inside jokes, Broadway show tunes, and madcap madness!
NEVERMORE
"Playwright / Director Matt Ritchey pays homage to Poe’s style, effecting planned tension or a feeling of discomfort which adds to the mood. With many clever twists and turns, Nevermore will keep you guessing and second-guessing through the final curtain." - Ethan Silver, RIVETING RIFFS (2011 Hollywood production)
"Like Edgar Allan Poe, Ritchey’s Nevermore tells a story of mystery and darkness. Its juicy plot is a delight to watch unfold as an outrageously talented ensemble delivers a thrilling performance." - Sarah Happel, SOCAL (2011 Hollywood production)
“What makes this wonderful play work so smoothly and is always on point are the characters and the marvelous writing. Ritchey's writing flows without missing any beats. Ritchey has the touch of putting our fears out in the open and see what the hell happens.” - Danny Margolies, SHOWMAG (2011 Hollywood production)
“Blurring the line twixt his text and life, the play unfolds like forgotten lore. It isn’t merely a waltz through Poe’s work. It functions on a couple levels with its mystery and character work while also featuring ample use of Poe’s motifs, elements, characters and iconography to excite and draw in the author’s more hardcore fans. And while its roots dig deep into the collected works of Poe, it still retains a level of accessibility for those not fully versed in his life and stories.” - Stewart Smith, TYLER MORNING TELEGRAPH - NEVERMORE (2014 Tyler, Texas production)
"Nevermore is not so much a play as it is an experience....a truly haunting and nail-biting experience." - THE DRUMBEAT - NEVERMORE (2014 Tyler, Texas production)
“Enough laughs and thrills to make for ‘60s thriller movie-style fun. Check out Nevermore, worth seeing for its clever script (Poe aficionados will relish its referential bits) and effective performances.” - Steven Stanley, STAGE SCENE LA (2016 Theatre Unleashed production)
“Ritchey's play is true to its genre and creed…. (his) language pokes and prods us… It is not afraid of being different and original, and proves it throughout. If Poe is of the slightest interest to you, you cannot miss this testament to the power and talent of his writing.This is not a work for the faint of heart.” - Radomir Luza, NOHO ARTS DISTRICT (2016 Theatre Unleashed production)
“A tasty dark pastry laced with humor, happily free from dull historical accuracy. It is, however, very accurate to the early 19th-century America Poe inhabited. It’s also studded with Easter eggs for those who know the horror master’s tortuous bio and full bookshelf.” - THEATREGHOST (2016 Theatre Unleashed production)
"Like Edgar Allan Poe, Ritchey’s Nevermore tells a story of mystery and darkness. Its juicy plot is a delight to watch unfold as an outrageously talented ensemble delivers a thrilling performance." - Sarah Happel, SOCAL (2011 Hollywood production)
“What makes this wonderful play work so smoothly and is always on point are the characters and the marvelous writing. Ritchey's writing flows without missing any beats. Ritchey has the touch of putting our fears out in the open and see what the hell happens.” - Danny Margolies, SHOWMAG (2011 Hollywood production)
“Blurring the line twixt his text and life, the play unfolds like forgotten lore. It isn’t merely a waltz through Poe’s work. It functions on a couple levels with its mystery and character work while also featuring ample use of Poe’s motifs, elements, characters and iconography to excite and draw in the author’s more hardcore fans. And while its roots dig deep into the collected works of Poe, it still retains a level of accessibility for those not fully versed in his life and stories.” - Stewart Smith, TYLER MORNING TELEGRAPH - NEVERMORE (2014 Tyler, Texas production)
"Nevermore is not so much a play as it is an experience....a truly haunting and nail-biting experience." - THE DRUMBEAT - NEVERMORE (2014 Tyler, Texas production)
“Enough laughs and thrills to make for ‘60s thriller movie-style fun. Check out Nevermore, worth seeing for its clever script (Poe aficionados will relish its referential bits) and effective performances.” - Steven Stanley, STAGE SCENE LA (2016 Theatre Unleashed production)
“Ritchey's play is true to its genre and creed…. (his) language pokes and prods us… It is not afraid of being different and original, and proves it throughout. If Poe is of the slightest interest to you, you cannot miss this testament to the power and talent of his writing.This is not a work for the faint of heart.” - Radomir Luza, NOHO ARTS DISTRICT (2016 Theatre Unleashed production)
“A tasty dark pastry laced with humor, happily free from dull historical accuracy. It is, however, very accurate to the early 19th-century America Poe inhabited. It’s also studded with Easter eggs for those who know the horror master’s tortuous bio and full bookshelf.” - THEATREGHOST (2016 Theatre Unleashed production)
A young Edgar Allan Poe visits the crumbling estate of his old childhood friend Monty to keep him company over the weekend as the house is shuttered up for sale. But Poe hasn't come to reminisce. He soon finds himself caught up in a web of secrets and lies from the past. In a series of encounters – which mirror such classics as "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "The Raven" – Poe must discover the truth and come face to face with his dark past.
PAST SHOWS
GEARHEAD AND THE REALBOT
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ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD
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BOSS: THE UNTOLD TONY DANZA STORY
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THIS IS OUR YOUTH
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A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
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