I am a director, producer and educator. I am a Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre at Lycoming College. I am one of the founders of the DC Queer Theatre Festival in Washingtion, DC and was the former Producing Artistic Director of Doorway Arts Ensemble.  

 

Recent directing credits include the Helen Hayes Recommended THE WAR BOYS at Ally Theatre Compay. Other credits include the Helen Hayes Recommended MACK, BETH at Keegan Theatre Company in Washington, DC. With Doorway Arts Ensemble, where I was the Producing Artistic Director, I directed the world premieres of MORNING, MIRANDA, SEX & EDUCATION and GODIVA DATES & ONE NIGHT STANDS. At Forum Theatre, I directed WE TIRESIAS, which won DC City Paper's choice for Best New Play in 2013 and TheatreMania's audience award for Best Drama at the 2012 Capital Fringe Festival.  At Catholic University, I directed 12 ANGRY JURORS, THE LARAMIE PROJECT, and OUR TOWN which received MD Theatre Guide's Audience Choice Award for Best Educational Theatre Production.

 

I have directed at companies throughout the Washington region, including Imagination Stage, Forum Theatre, Pinky Swear Productions, Rorschach Theatre Company, Doorway Arts Ensemble, Landless Theatre Company and Traveling Players Ensemble. In 2010, I was awarded a Creative Community Fund grant to write and direct a production in collaboration with choreographer Jane Franklin and composer Brad Linde. The result, A GREAT(ER) DEPRESSION, in which I also performed, was featured at the Source Festival in 2010.

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As an educator, I have over 15 years experience teaching students grades K through college. Currently, I am the Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre at Lycoming College in Williamsport, PA. I teach courses in theatre history, introduction to theatre, and script analysis. Formerly, I served as  the Operations Coordinator and lecturer at The Catholic University Department of Drama (where I received my M.F.A. in Directing). I teach undergraduate courses in directing, theatre production/management, and acting, as well as courses in the Masters of Theatre Education Program.  For the Performing Arts Training Studio, I taught improvisation, lead workshops in auditioning with the National Conservatory for the Dramatic Arts and The Actor's Center. For 7 years I taught drama to students with language based learning disabilities at the Katherine Thomas School in Rockville, MD and at The Kingsbury Day School in Washington, DC.  While a teaching artist with Imagination Stage, I taught improvisation, acting, and directing and directed the Pegasus Performing Company. I was a Creativity Consultant for Wicomico County Public Schools and took teams to the international championships for Destination Imagination. 

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Contact me at matt@matt-ripa.com