Matt Schatz is a playwright, bookwriter, lyricist and composer who was a finalist for the 2009 Fred Ebb Award for excellence in musical theatre songwriting. Matt’s plays and musicals include The Tallest Building in the World (Luna Stage, spring 2011), Love Trapezoid (Developed with EST/Sloan and p73, Finalist for O’Neill and Yale Musical Theater Conferences), Pinning Hope (Creative Destruction’s “Obama Drama” Festival) The Baby is Blue (Incumbo Theater Company/Midtown International Theatre Festival) and Hearing Things. He has written music and lyrics for Roanoke (Actors Theater of Louisville, Heideman Finalist, published as part of Humana Festival 2009: The Complete Plays), Co-op (EST), Before the Moment (EST/Sloan, 2008 AFI Sloan Summit in Los Angeles), book and lyrics for Exchanges (music by Michael Kooman, commissioned for the American Cancer Society's "Evening of Elegance" in Altoona, PA) and lyrics for Oh My! (IRT Theater’s Artist in Residence Program) and music for Me First! The Pioneer Plays (The 52nd Street Project).   Matt is a three-time recipient of an EST/Sloan Commission, a two-time Shubert Fellow, and has been a finalist/semi finalist for the Page 73 Playwriting Fellowship, the Princess Grace Playwriting Fellowship and the Magic Theatre’s Sloan Initiative. Member: the BMI Advanced Musical Theatre Workshop and the Dramatist Guild. Alumnus: P73’s “Interstate 73,” Youngblood Playwrights Residency at EST. MFA: Carnegie Mellon University.

 

 

List of Plays and Musicals

 

FULL-LENGTH PLAYS & MUSICALS:

 

LOVE TRAPEZOID, a Musical

Book music and lyrics by Matt Schatz

• Finalist, O’neill Music Theatre Conference
• Finalist, Yale Institute for Music Theatre

• Workshop and reading with Page 73 Productions at Manhattan Theatre Club, July 2009
• Concert Reading presented at the Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan FIRST LIGHT FESTIVAL, January, 2009
• Commissioned and developed by EST/Sloan
• Ensemble Studio Theatre/Sloan Commission 2008

 

THE TALLEST BUILDING IN THE WORLD, a Play

• World premier production with Luna Stage, spring 2011

• October 2009 Reading with Luna Stage
• Semi-finalist for 2009 Princess Grace Award
• EST’s First Light Festival 2007, workshop and staged reading
• EST’s Octoberfest 2006, staged reading
• Pittsburgh Summer New Play Festival 2006, residency, workshop and staged reading
• Developed and workshopped at the Lexington Center for the Arts residency
• Ensemble Studio Theatre/Sloan Commission 2006

 

EXCHANGES, a original young adult musical
Book and lyrics by Matt Schatz, Music by Michael Kooman

• Presented at “An Evening of Elegance” Altoona, PA, April 2010
• Reading at Manhattan Theatre Club’s space, April 2010

• Commissioned  by the American Cancer Society, Altoona PA

 

OH MY!

Music by Lily Maase, Lyrics by Matt Schatz, book by Maggie Surovel

Directed by Jordan Young

• Lyrics commissioned by Maggie Surrovel

Fall 2009 Workshop at Interborogh Repertory Theatre

 

HEARING THINGS, a Musical

• Presented as part of Youngblood’s Bloodworks Reading Series at the Landmark Tavern, June, 2008
• Developed through Youngblood at Ensemble Studio Theatre

 

HEARING THINGS, a Play

• Developed with Page 73 Productions “Interstate 73” writers group 2009

·       Presented as part of Youngblood’s Bloodworks Reading Series at the Landmark Tavern, June, 2007

• Developed through Youngblood at Ensemble Studio Theatre

 

THE BABY IS BLUE, a Play

• Produced by the Incumbo Theater Company in association with Emileena Pedigo and the Midtown International Theater Festival, 2005
• Produced by as part of Carnegie Mellon University’s Playground Festival, 2003
• Pittsburgh Summer New Play Festival 2003, residency, workshop and staged reading

 

HEIRLOOM, a Play

• Carnegie Mellon University MFA Thesis
• Nominated for  Mentor Project 2005 at the Cherry Lane Theatre
• Showcase reading at Primary Stages in New York, 2004
• Produced at Carnegie Mellon University as part of the 2004 Spring Festival of New Plays

 

THE PHILADELPHIA DRUGGIST, a Play

• Developed through Youngblood at Ensemble Studio Theatre
• Developed through Interstate 73 with Page 73

 

BEFORE THE MOMENT, a musical (just commissioned)

Music and Lyrics by Matt Schatz, book by Jihan Crowther

• Ensemble Studio Theatre/Sloan Commission 2009

 

SECRETS & LIES, a Musical (in progress)

Book and Lyrics by Matt Schatz, Music by Dina Pruzhansky, based on the film written and directed by Mike Leigh, written on spec (have not secured film rights).

• Finalist, 2009 Fred Ebb Award
• Developed with the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop

 

BANVARD’S FOLLEY

A new musical by Matt Schatz and West Hyler (in progress).

UNTITLED MUSICAL

A new musical by Zakiyyah Alexander, Lucas Papaelias and Matt Schatz (in progress).

 

SCREENPLAYS

DOUBLE BOGEY, a sports comedy
Written by Marc Cantone, Matt Schatz and Robert Yula, Jr.

 

THE TALLEST BUILDING IN THE WORLD, based on actual events

Written by Matt Schatz

 

THE INTERNSHIP OF HAMAN PLAINT, a coming of age film noir

Written by Matt Schatz

 

NOTABLE SHORTER PLAYS & MUSICALS:

 

THE SHOT

Book by Diana Grisanti, music and lyrics by Matt Schatz

IN A MINUTE

Book, music and lyrics by Matt Schatz

Directed by West Hyler (Jersey Boys)

• Part of the “One Minute Play Festival” at Here Arts September, 2009

 

ROANOKE

A play by Michael Lew

Music and Lyrics by Matt Schatz

• Heideman Award Finalist
• Presented at the Actors Theatre of Louisville (Humana Festival Ten Minute Plays) April, 2009
• Presented at the Actors Theatre of Louisville (Apprentice Tens) January, 2009.
• Published in 2010

 

PINNING HOPE, a Musical

Book, music and lyrics by Matt Schatz

·       Commissioned by Creative Destruction as part of Obama Drama (a collection of ten-minute plays about the democratic nominee).

• Produced as an Equity Showcase at The Gallery at Access Theater in October, 2008.
• Remounted at The Tank 45th Street Theater, January 15-17, 2009.
• Included in the inaugural edition of The New York Times, January 2009

 

AND YOU’LL GET YOURS MRS. ROBINSON…, a Play

• Written for and produced by Ensemble Studio Theatre as part of Asking For Trouble 2008

 

…BEFORE THE MOMENT, a Musical

• Music and Lyrics by Matt Schatz, Book by Jihan Crowther
• Featured at the AFI Sloan Summit in Los Angeles, November, 2008
• Presented at Cabaret Scientifique, the closing event of EST/Sloan’s First Light Festival 2008
• Produced by Ensemble Studio Theatre at The Youngblood Sunday Brunch 2008
• Ensemble Studio Theatre/Sloan Commission 2008

 

A MINOR INCONVENIENCE, a Musical

Lyrics by Matt Schatz, Book by Rehana Mirza, Music by Naomi Lee, additional music by Matt Schatz

• Commissioned by Desipina & Company
• Produced at the Richmond Shepard Theater as part of Desipina’s Seven.11 Convenience Theatre 2008

 

FOR SALE BY OWNER, a Musical

Book and Lyrics by Matt Schatz, Music by Phillip Chernyak

• Developed and presented at the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop

 

 

 

CO-OP, a Musical

Music and lyrics by Matt Schatz, Book by Courtney Brooke Lauria

• Produced by Ensemble Studio Theatre as part of Youngblood’s Thicker Than Water 2008
• Produced by Ensemble Studio Theatre at The Youngblood Sunday Brunch 2008

 

BEHIND THE HOME FOR THE BLIND, a Play

Produced by EST/Youngblood as part of Asking For Trouble