Blog
- January 14, 2020
Meet the Playwright: Matthew Doherty
Get to know Matthew Doherty, whose play Brothers Play is one of six being featured in the 2020 LAB RESULTS and whose taste in jokes is NSFW.
What book/play do you reread over and over?
Rilke’s Letters to A Young Poet. The Spirituality of Imperfection: Storytelling and the Search for Meaning by Ernest Kurtz & Katherine Ketcham.
What was the first play you wrote?
After The Flood.
Do you have a favorite playwright?
August Wilson
Do you prefer writing comedy or drama?
I like to mash up both and make people feel uncomfortable and question whether it is okay to laugh.
Is your workspace pristinely organized or cluttered?
Depends on where I am in process but working in kitchens I like the clean as you go mentality / don’t cross contaminate.
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Breakfast scrambles. With fresh herbs and toast.
Do you collect anything?
Sports cards. Outdoor gear.
What is one of your favorite smells?
Night-blooming jasmine
What is the best compliment you’ve received?
I was recently told my meatballs were some of the best a certain person I love ever had and she’s had both Swedish and Italian. Oh and I am told I am an expert in contingencies.
Do you like surprises?
Depends on the surprise.
Create your perfect ice cream sundae.
Bananas foster with vanilla extract cinnamon. Some roasted walnuts. Real whipped cream. And vanilla ice cream.
What song always gets you on the dance floor?
Anything funky or by James Brown. But also “As” by Stevie Wonder.
Do you have a go-to joke?
Too many. And none are appropriate to tell.
Road trips or planes?
Road trips. I know all the roads.
