Matthew Earnest is an American

theater director A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...

. He has also written plays, as well as adapted plays from novels, non-fiction books, short stories, and essays, and he has translated works in other languages for his direction.

Early life and education

He grew up in

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

and began his career under

Richard Hamburger Richard Hamburger (born 1951) is an American theater director. He has directed an extensive range of plays in theaters nationwide, and from 1987 to 1992 was Artistic Director of the Portland Stage Company before being named the first Artistic D ...

Dallas Theater Center The Dallas Theater Center is a major regional theater in Dallas, Texas, United States. It produces classic, contemporary and new plays and was the 2017 Tony Award recipient for Best Regional Theater. Dallas Theater Center produces its original w ...

. He graduated with a BA in Drama fro
The University of North Texas
and he holds an MFA in Theatre Directing fro
York University in Toronto
A skilled writer, Matthew's first job after graduating from college at age 21 was writing the monthly newsletter for ''

The Dallas Buyer's Club ''Dallas Buyers Club'' is a 2013 American biographical drama film written by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack, and directed by Jean-Marc Vallée. The film tells the story of Ron Woodroof ( Matthew McConaughey), an AIDS patient diagnosed in ...

'', working alongside eccentric founder

Ron Woodroof Ron is a shortening of the name Ronald. Ron or RON may also refer to: Arts and media * Big Ron (''EastEnders''), a TV character * Ron (''King of Fighters''), a video game character *Ron Douglas, the protagonist in ''Lucky Stiff'' played by Joe A ...

Career

Relocating to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

, Earnest spent a season as assistant director to

Lee Breuer Esser Leopold Breuer (February 6, 1937 – January 3, 2021) was an American playwright, theater director, academic, educator, filmmaker, poet, and lyricist. Breuer taught and directed on six continents. Career Breuer was a founding co-artistic ...

Mabou Mines Mabou Mines is an experimental theatre company founded in 1970 and based in New York City. Founding and history Mabou Mines was founded by David Warrilow, Lee Breuer, Ruth Maleczech, JoAnne Akalaitis, and Philip Glass, at the house of Akalaitis a ...

. With a fellowship from

The Drama League The Drama League is an American theatrical association based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1910, in Chicago, as the Drama League of America, and chapters were established throughout the United States. In 1911, the organization b ...

, he gained the position of assistant director to legendary American Artistic Director Adrian Hall, a position he held for many years. Earnest was Founding Artistic Director of New York City’s deep ellum ensemble. With them, he created original works and adapted classics and literary works that garnered international acclaim from 1995 until the company disbanded in 2007. Since 1999, he has been an associate artist at Germany’s English Theatre Berli

where he was the company's first Director in Residence, directing the European premiere of

Suzan-Lori Parks Suzan-Lori Parks (born May 10, 1963) is an American playwright, screenwriter, musician and novelist. Her 2001 play '' Topdog/Underdog'' won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2002; Parks was the first African-American woman to receive the award for ...

' ''Venus''. Since 2001, he has been associated with the University of Delaware’s PTTP/REP theatre company. Earnest has also worked as an independent director around the United States and abroad. He has directed his own plays, as well as plays he adapted from literature, and his own translations of foreign playwrights. In 2012, he co-founded an international touring company
The Lunar Stratagem
His productions have been seen across the U.S., Europe and in Africa.

Selected works directed

(Original plays and adaptations are also indicated.) 2016: '' The Tempest'' by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

, Independent Shakespeare Company, Griffith Park, Los Angeles. 2015: ''The Quixotic Days and Errant Nights of the Knight Errant Don Quixote'' by

Brenda Withers Brenda Withers is an American playwright and actress. Withers grew up in Long Island, New York, and graduated from Dartmouth College in 2000. She is close friends with Mindy Kaling, whom she met when they were both attending Dartmouth. In 2001, ...

. Amphibian Stage Productions, Fort Worth, Texas. 2013: ''

The Threepenny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a " play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, ''The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with music ...

'' by

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a ...

. REP Delaware, Newark, DE. 2010: ''Wanderlust: A History of Walking'', adapted and directed by Earnest from the book by

Rebecca Solnit Rebecca Solnit (born 1961) is an American writer. She has written on a variety of subjects, including feminism, the environment, politics, place, and art. Early life and education Solnit was born in 1961 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to a Jewish f ...

. Ice Factory 2010 at the Ohio Theater, NYC following world premiere at

Cleveland Public Theatre Cleveland Public Theatre is a theater and arts complex in Cleveland, Ohio, founded in 1981 by James Levin. It is located at 6415 Detroit Avenue on Cleveland's west side in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. Cleveland Public Theatre’s mission i ...

. 2009: ''Himmelweg'' by

Juan Mayorga Juan Antonio Mayorga Ruano (born 1965 in Madrid) is a Spanish dramatist. He is best known in English-speaking countries for his 2004 play ''Himmelweg (Way to Heaven)'', which was brought to the London stage in June 2017 as part of the Festiva ...

, translated by David Johnston. Directed New York City premiere at ''Teatro Círculo'' following US premiere at

Burning Coal Theatre Company Combustion, or burning, is a high-temperature exothermic redox chemical reaction between a fuel (the reductant) and an oxidant, usually atmospheric oxygen, that produces oxidized, often gaseous products, in a mixture termed as smoke. Combu ...

, Raleigh, North Carolina. Transfer Off-Broadway to

Repertorio Español Repertorio Español was founded in 1968 by Producer Gilberto Zaldívar and Artistic Director René Buch to introduce the best of Latin American, Spanish, and Hispanic American theater to broad-ranging audiences in New York City and around the co ...

. 2008: ''

The Caucasian Chalk Circle ''The Caucasian Chalk Circle'' (german: Der kaukasische Kreidekreis) is a play by the German modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht. An example of Brecht's epic theatre, the play is a parable about a peasant girl who rescues a baby and becomes a b ...

'' by

, translated and directed by Earnest. Roe Green Visiting Director,

Kent State University Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio. The university also includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in A ...

. 2007: ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...

, or The boy who would not grow up by

J.M. Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succ ...

,'' adapted and directed by Earnest, Porthouse Theatre,

Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio Cuyahoga Falls ( or ) is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 51,114. The second-largest city in Summit County, it is located directly north of Akron and is a suburb of the Akron metro ...

. 2007: ''We Were Civilized Once'' by

, from ''365 Days/365 Plays.'' NYSF/Public Theater 2006: ''

A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' ( Danish and nb, Et dukkehjem; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having be ...

'' by

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential pla ...

, English version by Matthew Earnest. The Warehouse Theatre, Greenville, SC 2005: ''The Josephine footnote,'' written and directed by Matthew Earnest, score by

Joseph Troski Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the m ...

, choreography by Tina Fehlandt. deep ellum ensemble at Daniel Arts Center, Great Barrington, Massachusetts (The Berkshire Fringe) and Hartshorn Theatre, University of Delaware (2006) 2003: ''Doctor Tedrow's Last Breath'' by Matthew Earnest, score by

, choreography by Tina Fehlandt. deep ellum ensemble at Trinity River Arts Center,

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County wi ...

and The Ice Factory, Ohio Theater, NYC (2005) 2002: ''Ch’ien-nü leaves her body.'' by M.E., after a play by Chêng Teh-hui. deep ellum ensemble at The

Ontological-Hysteric Theater Richard Foreman (born June 10, 1937 in New York City) is an American avant-garde playwright and the founder of the Ontological-Hysteric Theater. Achievements and awards Foreman has written, directed and designed over fifty of his own plays, b ...

, NYC 2002: ''

The Two Gentlemen of Verona ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1589 and 1593. It is considered by some to be Shakespeare's first play, and is often seen as showing his first tentative steps in laying ...

'' by

. Shakespeare Festival of Dallas, Dallas, Texas 2001 : ''

Saints and Singing In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern O ...

'' by

Gertrude Stein Gertrude Stein (February 3, 1874 – July 27, 1946) was an American novelist, poet, playwright, and art collector. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the Allegheny West (Pittsburgh), Allegheny West neighborhood and raised in Oakland, Calif ...

. deep ellum ensemble at Washington Square Church, NYC; The Present Company Theatorium, NYC; Midtown International Theatre Festival, NYC; The Bridge (Dance-Theater series) at WAX, Brooklyn, NY (excerpts), (2002) 2001: ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict ...

'' by

. deep ellum ensemble at The DStv Performing Arts Festival in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 2000: ''

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...

'' by

. English Theatre Berlin, Germany 1999: ''blood pudding'' by M.E. (premiere). deep ellum ensemble at English Theatre Berlin, Germany; and Dublin Festival Fringe,

Dublin, Ireland Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

. 1998: '' Puntila and his servant Matti'' by

, English version by M.E. deep ellum ensemble at The Ohio Theater, NYC; and Brecht Centennial/NY Internat’l Fringe Festival (1998) 1998: ''

Amahl and the Night Visitors ''Amahl and the Night Visitors'' is an opera in one act by Gian Carlo Menotti with an original English libretto by the composer.Menotti, Gian-Carlo: ''Amahl and the Night Visitors (piano-vocal score)'', G. Schirmer, Inc., 1997. It was commissi ...

'' by

Gian-Carlo Menotti Gian Carlo Menotti (, ; July 7, 1911 – February 1, 2007) was an Italian composer, librettist, director, and playwright who is primarily known for his output of 25 operas. Although he often referred to himself as an American composer, he kept h ...

, with

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of '' American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her de ...

, Arlington Opera Association. 1997: ''

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall" is a short story written by the American writer Katherine Anne Porter. It was published in 1930 as part of Porter's short story collection ''Flowering Judas, and Other Stories''.Katherine Anne, Porter. “The Co ...

,'' adapted and directed by Matthew Earnest (premiere) from the story by

Katherine Anne Porter Katherine Anne Porter (May 15, 1890 – September 18, 1980) was an American journalist, essayist, short story writer, novelist, and political activist. Her 1962 novel '' Ship of Fools'' was the best-selling novel in America that year, but her sh ...

. deep ellum ensemble at The New York International Fringe Festival: BIFF Award; and English Theatre Berlin, Germany (1998); and The FIT Festival, Dallas, TX and University of Texas, Arlington 1997: ''

The Purification This is a list of the one-act plays written by American playwright Tennessee Williams. 1930s ''Beauty Is the Word'' ''Beauty Is the Word'' is Tennessee Williams' first play. The 12-page one-act was written in 1930 while Williams was a freshman a ...

'' & ''

The Two-Character Play ''The Two Character Play'' (also known as ''Out Cry'' in one of its alternate versions) is an American play by Tennessee Williams that premiered in London at the Hampstead Theatre in December 1967. Williams himself had great affection for the pla ...

'' by

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...

. deep ellum ensemble at Chelsea Arts Theater, NYC, The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival, New Orleans, LA, English Theater Berlin, Germany 1996: ''Wolf at the Door'' by

Erik Ehn Erik Ehn is an American playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The ...

(NY premiere). deep ellum ensemble at One Dream Theatre, NYC 1995: ''

Troilus and Cressida ''Troilus and Cressida'' ( or ) is a play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1602. At Troy during the Trojan War, Troilus and Cressida begin a love affair. Cressida is forced to leave Troy to join her father in the Greek camp. M ...

'' by

. deep ellum ensemble at NADA, Inc., NYC

Awards

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federa ...

"Access to Artistic Excellence" grant (2010): "Wanderlust: A History of Walking" (

, Cleveland, OH) *

Cleveland Scene The ''Cleveland Scene'' is an alternative weekly newspaper based in Cleveland, Ohio. The newspaper includes highlights of Cleveland-area arts, music, dining, and films, as well as classified advertising. The first edition of the newspaper was pub ...

Best Director (2007): Peter Pan (Porthouse Theatre, Cuyahoga Falls, OH) * ''

Raleigh News & Observer ''The News & Observer'' is an American regional daily newspaper that serves the greater Triangle area based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The paper is the largest in circulation in the state (second is the ''Charlotte Observer''). The paper has bee ...

'' Top 10 of 2007: '' Elizabeth: Almost by Chance a Woman'' (Still Water Theatre, Raleigh, NC) * Roe Green Visiting Director,

, 2008 * ''

'' Outstanding revival: ''

Our Town ''Our Town'' is a 1938 Metatheatre, metatheatrical Three act structure, three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Cor ...

'' (Porthouse Theatre, Cuyahoga Falls, OH), 2007 * ''

'' Top 10 of 2005: '' Lipstick Traces'' (Burning Coal Theatre, Raleigh, NC) * ''

Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the '' Galvest ...

'' Top 10 of 2002: ''

Coriolanus ''Coriolanus'' ( or ) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1605 and 1608. The play is based on the life of the legendary Roman leader Caius Marcius Coriolanus. Shakespeare worked on it during the same ye ...

'' Coriolanus – Review – Apr 18, 2002
/ref> (Kitchen Dog Theater, Dallas, Texas) * Audience Favourite Award to deep ellum ensemble (''blood pudding''), Dublin Festival Fringe, 1999 * BIFF Award: Excellence in Ensemble Acting, deep ellum ensemble (''

''), NY Fringe Festival, 1997 * Special Interest Residency Grant from The Drama League of New York, 1995 * Dallas Theater Critics’ Forum Award for Outstanding Direction: '' On the Verge'' (or The Geography of Yearning) by

Eric Overmyer Eric Ellis Overmyer (born September 25, 1951) is an American writer and producer. He has written and/or produced numerous TV shows, including ''St. Elsewhere'', '' Homicide: Life on the Street'', '' Law & Order'', ''The Wire'', '' New Amsterdam'' ...

(Moonstruck Theatre Co, Dallas, TX), 1994 * ''

Dallas Observer ''Dallas Observer'' is a free digital and print publication based in Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan ...

'' Best of Dallas Award for Outstanding Production: ''

Fen A fen is a type of peat-accumulating wetland fed by mineral-rich ground or surface water. It is one of the main types of wetlands along with marshes, swamps, and bogs. Bogs and fens, both peat-forming ecosystems, are also known as mires. T ...

'' by

Caryl Churchill Caryl Lesley Churchill (born 3 September 1938) is a British playwright known for dramatising the abuses of power, for her use of non- naturalistic techniques, and for her exploration of sexual politics and feminist themes.

(Moonstruck Theatre Co), 1993

References

The New York Times

The K of D at Adirondack Theatre Festival , Adirondack Theatre Festival

English Theatre Berlin

The Village Voice

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20070926222852/http://www.clevescene.com/2007-07-11/culture/nothing-lost-on-this-boy Cleveland Scene
Coriolanus – Review – Apr 18, 2002

External links

MatthewEarnest.com

The Lunar Stratagem

English Theatre Berlin

University of Delaware Theatre Guest Artists
{{DEFAULTSORT:Earnest, Matthew Living people 1969 births American theatre directors University of Delaware faculty