Matthew Read is an actor and performer from Spokane, WA, studying theatre at Marquette University

I am a deeply passionate person and I feel that I have a fire inside of me, and theatre is what ignites that fire the most. I want to make a living as an actor, and ideally, perform professionally in a large market like New York or Chicago. I want to be able to create art that people are able to connect with and not only entertains but inspires people. This is a big business filled with a lot of people who do similar things, but I think I could be able to bring something new and exciting to performing.

Throughout my experiences as an actor, I think that I have tended to perform comedy more than anything else. I am a very outgoing and gregarious person, with a huge personality, so that lends itself to comedy very well. I select materials based on what makes me laugh a lot of the time. But I also think that I choose my material and what I work with based on how easily I can connect with the characters. Bringing part of myself to a character is huge for me when I act, and I always try to find ways to incorporate some aspect of who I am into the character I am portraying. I think that this is the best way to possibly enter my work, because that way my performance has truth in it. I bring my fiery passion to everything I do, and I think this part of my personality makes me a better actor. I put 100% of myself into everything I do.

I am currently studying theatre at Marquette University, to try and improve my acting ability and what I can bring to the field. I have done a lot of comedy work and worked with a lot of characters that are present in the show for comic relief. I have been able to work to find more depths with these characters and I think my time at Marquette has helped me to become a more well-rounded actor. I know that there is more to me than just comedy though. I think I can embrace and take on more dramatic roles here at Marquette because I believe that is essential to my growth as an actor.

Artist Statement