Matthew Gardiner Discusses Signature Theatre & Being a Product of DC Theatre
Kevin Ray Johnson
I would like you to meet the amazingly talented Matthew Gardiner! Matthew serves as Associate Artistic Director at Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA which was Recipient of the 2009 Regional Theatre Tony Award. He is also a multiple-time Helen Hayes Award Winner for Outstanding Director of a Musical. At Signature, he has directed and choreographed shows such as A Chorus Line, Billy Elliot, Passion, Girlfriend, Jelly's Last Jam, and See What I Wanna See. He also directed the world premieres of Paul Downs Colaizzo’s Really Really, Nick Blaemire's Soon, Matt Conner and Hunter Foster’s The Hollow, and Josh Schmidt and Royce Vavrek’s Midwestern Gothic, just to name a few! Matthew also recently choreographed a new production of Titanic and directed/choreographed Doctor Zhivago for OD Musical Company in Seoul, Korea.
During these crazy times in our society, I was wanting to reach out and interview an artist who has inspired me throughout my career. Matthew at his age has accomplished what people two times his age wish they could. I remember first meeting Matthew at Signature Theatre when I was apart of their Overtures program back in 2007! He is someone I have admired for many years and a true visionary on and off the stage and a true positive beacon for the Washington DC Area Theatre Community. I was very happy and honored to have the chance to interview Mr. Gardiner!
1.) How old were you when you knew you wanted to have a career in the performing arts?
I can’t remember a time that I didn’t want to have a career in the performing arts in some capacity. When I was maybe 6 or 7 I wanted to be a movie director like Steven Spielberg, then I wanted to be a Broadway dancer, and then for a long time, I was very serious about being a ballet dancer. Directing and choreography was a late discovery in high school. But I don’t think there was ever a time I thought of doing something outside the performing arts. Even to this day when asked what else I’d want to do I have no answer. I’ve always wanted to tell stories and share them with audiences in some way.
2.) Where did you study? Are there any mentors who helped you on your journey?
I started acting at a very young age with my twin brother James. My first professional production was a production of Merry Wives of Windsor when I was 7 years old, directed by Michael Kahn. Soon after I was in A Christmas Carol at Fords Theatre. I very much feel like I am a product of the DC Theatre community. I learned about theatre seeing and performing in shows at Arena Stage, The Kennedy Center, Ford’s Theatre, etc. When it came time to go to college I was lucky enough to get my BFA in Directing from Carnegie Mellon University. Those professors laid the groundwork for me to enter this field with confidence and a strong foundation. During my time at Carnegie Mellon, I met Eric Schaeffer, who is without a doubt the person I consider my mentor. I met him in the summer of 2002 after his wildly acclaimed Sondheim Celebration at The Kennedy Center, so we’re getting close to 20 years of knowing each other and working together. I am very grateful for his guidance and support.
3.) We are living in an unprecedented time. As an Associate Artistic Director, what is your daily routine like now and days?
We are definitely living in crazy times. I will say that the director side of me has taken over in my home life. I’ve discovered that when I have little control over my career I become obsessive over other things. My apartment has never been cleaner and my routine has never been more consistent, to be honest. I’m reading a lot more (books and plays), I’m watching a lot more films that I’ve long wanted to see. While I may not be able to be in a rehearsal room directing right now, my job as Signature’s Associate Artistic Director hasn’t stopped. Signature’s staff is still very much hard at work from their various corners of the world. We are spending our days in zoom meetings, making plans for when we can reopen our doors, and also how to stay connected to our audiences at this moment in time.
4.) You have been at the helm of some amazing productions at Signature Theatre. Are there any that stick out to you that will always be near and dear to your heart?
I’ve had so many amazing experiences at Signature. Directing "West Side Story” is an experience I’ll never forget. It was just the most perfect room and everyone was so focused and driven to make it the best it could be. “Jelly’s Last Jam” was also a show I feel so humbled to have been able to direct. But I think the experiences that stick with me the most are the new plays and musicals I’ve been able to direct. There is nothing like breathing life into new work and having the playwrights and composers there in the room to continue to hone the work. It’s an incredibly exciting experience and also terrifying. So all those projects (“Really, Really”, “Soon”, “Midwestern Gothic” to name a few) stand out the most to me.
5.) What advice would you give any young aspiring performer during these times?
We’ll be back in the theatre. We don’t know how long it will take but theatre is not going away. You may not be able to hone your skills right now in a class or a rehearsal room. If it brings you joy to continue to create you should do that. But you don’t need to. Take this time to expand your mind. Read more, learn what you love outside of performing… not to find another career but to figure out who you are outside of being a performer. Be intellectually curious. Taking the time to get to really get to know yourself and the world around you will only make you a better artist when we come out of this.
To learn more about Matthew make sure you visit his website at https://www.matthew-gardiner.com, and to learn more about Signature Theatre please visit their official website at https://www.sigtheatre.org