Matthew Freeman & Jessi D. Hill of “The Ask”

Theatre Accident, in association with The Flying Carpet Theatre Company, present THE ASK, written by Matthew Freeman, directed by Jessi D. Hill, at The Wild ProjectListen in as The Ask playwright Matthew Freeman, and director Jessi D. Hill, discuss generational divides, pitching runtimes, writing from what you know in real life, finally getting to work together, what can happen when you see yourself onstage, failing and messing up and misspeaking, seeing both sides from the middle, flawed arguments, and writing for what the play needs.

“Every debate in the show is not some secret argument that’s only happening in the ACLU. Everyone talks about this stuff…”

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Matthew Freeman, Robert Honeywell, & David Cote of “The Sea The Mountains The Forest The City The Plain”

Theater Accident presents THE SEA THE MOUNTAINS THE FOREST THE CITY THE PLAIN by Matthew Freeman, directed by David Cote, performed by Robert Honeywell, at The BrickListen in as The Sea The Mountains The Forest The City The Plain playwright Matthew Freeman, along with director David Cote & performer Robert Honeywell, discuss how to discover your character, propulsive changes & musicality, abstract simplicity, friendship and aging, moving through the words, finding your collaborators, embracing your influences, and moving on to the next thing on your journey.

“…change is a constant, and change can come with a sense of loss…you hit this sort of middle part of your life, and you look around, and you miss the things that came before, even if you love the life that you have. So I think that feeling is inspiring the piece a little bit…”

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Matthew Freeman, Kyle Ancowitz, Moira Stone, David DelGrosso, and Mick O’Brien of “That Which Isn’t”

Theater Accident presents Matthew Freeman's THAT WHICH ISN'T at The Brick, directed by Kyle AncowitzThat Which Isn’t is not an easy play to describe—but it is one that will make you lean forward in your chair. Through two acts, each featuring just two characters, mostly only talking, this brilliant production will draw you in with it’s beautiful simplicity.

Playwright Matthew Freeman and director Kyle Ancowitz, last heard together on GSAS! when they discussed their collaboration on Why We Left Brooklyn, provide all the tools needed for the wonderful actors Moira Stone, David DelGrosso, and Mick O’Brien to take you on a journey that I think will get you the way it got me. Or, as David says in the interview, they will “catch you feeling,” like they did me.

Listen in as the team discusses misdirection vs. tricks, the feeling of being cast out into space while onstage, individualized receptions by the audience, helpful stage directions, and “the distance between what we hope is true and what is true.”

“…as conventional of a structure as the play has…what to me is exciting about it is that it’s not a play that tells you what to feel about people. It leaves a lot of room for people to be inconsistent within their own characters, to have moments that are out of character for them, to do things that surprise themselves. It doesn’t make it easy on the audience to always know if there’s a side, or what side to pick, or…how to judge someone moment to moment…”

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Matthew Freeman, playwright of “The Listeners”

The Brick Theater presents The Listeners, by Matthew FreemanWhen you walk in to The Brick to see Matthew Freeman‘s play The Listeners, directed by Michael Gardner, you’re seeing the back of scenic flats—you might think you came in the stage door.

But you didn’t. Follow those flats around, and you won’t get to your seat “in front of” the set. Your seat is right there at the back of those flats; you’re intentionally on the outside, looking in on a lovely set through a small slit in the wall (or through a one-way mirror, if you’re lucky).

It’s a unique way to see a unique play, and, as the title would suggest, this restriction on your sight highlights the sounds. Listening to those sounds, along with your own private window into the world, you follow the story of a man and a woman who’ve arrived to a house, and the people who were already there—and all the while, time seems to be running out, for something, as an unknowable sound bears down on the people in the box you’re peering into.

This is quite a different show from what we discussed last time Matt was on the podcast, but he’s just as awesome to talk to as last time. Listen in as he discusses the translation from improvisation to page to stage, the sound of his play, creating nameless fear, and letting your influences be what you are.

“It wears all its influences on its sleeve; I think if you just don’t fight that stuff…the piece of it that is uniquely me will come through anyway…” Continue reading

Matthew Freeman, playwright, and Kyle Ancowitz, director of “Why We Left Brooklyn”

Theater Accident, in association with Blue Coyote Theater Group, present the world premiere of WHY WE LEFT BROOKLYN, written by Matthew Freeman and directed by Kyle AncowitzDoubt.

As someone in the theatre, it’s impossible not to get smacked in the face by doubt—about your career, your abilities, your life choices in general—every now and again. Maybe even daily.

The characters in Matthew Freeman‘s new play, Why We Left Brooklyn, are Brooklyn-ites wrestling with the choices they’ve made. And the choices they’ve made look a lot like the choices a lot of young artists living in New York City in 2013 have made, or are making, or are looking at making in the near future. So for a podcast devoted to looking at the off-off-Broadway landscape of the present, there was a lot of resonance felt by your humble producer while watching this show.

Listen in as Matthew & director Kyle Ancowitz discuss disappointment, growing up and getting a real job, hiding Matthew’s real address in the play, having a conversation with the theatrical community via a play, freshness, and reflecting your personal experience and the experience of your friends onstage.

“…this question about, how hard should we try, how long should we continue, how long should we continue the struggle, it gets asked of everybody in the play…”

“…you must believe in yourself. And that’s a tremendous effort, it’s a tremendous effort every day…”

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