BWW Interviews: Matthew Carlton, A Life in the Theater

During his 20-plus years as a part of the theater community in Nashville, Matt Carlton has become known as one of its hardest working - and most loved - members, winning countless fans with his superb stage work while gaining a reputation among actors, directors and producers as a hard-working, creative and multi-faceted personality. And he's shown that talent in a wide variety of roles while working for practically every company in town, including Tennessee Rep, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, People's Branch Theatre, Nashville Shakespeare Festival and Actors Bridge Ensemble.

A longtime stalwart of Tennessee Repertory Theatre productions, this year he became a part of the company's Ingram New Works Project as a playwright-in-residence, and his newest play was among the fresh scripts given staged readings during this spring's festival. Currently, he's onstage - and contributing music - in Tennessee Shakespeare Festival's production of Two Gentlemen of Verona in beautiful and bucolic Bell Buckle, Tennessee. And he continues to be an integral part of Nashville's home-grown theatrical phenomenon Doyle and Debbie.

Recently, Matt "bit the bullet," so to speak (and in his own words), and sat down to answer our questions to give Nashville.BroadwayWorld.com readers a glimpse into his "Life in the Theater." Read and enjoy...

What was your first taste of theater? In my hometown of Spartanburg, South Carolina, the local community theatre put on a production of Peter Pan using young people. I was going to play a pirate but then they decided to go with an all youth orchestra as well. I was drafted as the percussionist, since I had been an all-state band and orchestra member. During rehearsals, if someone was out, I would jump from the pit and fill in whatever part was missing. But even then I didn't know I was fated to work in the theater. It just seemed like the most natural thing to do. Eventually, after auditioning for a play on a lark, my first week at college, the theater professor basically told me I was going to be an acting student. I hadn't planned for it, but I said alright and became the first one to sign-up for the brand new theater department. That was that.

What was your first real job or responsibility in the theater? My first paying gig was as the "Tin Man" at The Land of Oz theme park. We also had a small repertory theater made up of the park actors, that ran shows at night at a small theater there on Beech Mountain. Play it again, Sam was my first "legit" show that summer.

When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in theater? I was blessed with two passionate and dedicated teacher/mentors (Steve Brannon at Spartanburg Methodist and Hayward Ellis at Converse College) who passed on a love and respect for theater and the craft. They showed me how, through theater, we can connect with our true human nature and share that humanity with an audience. After a couple of years of summer stock and a slight detour with a rock band, I went to New York City. My first week there, I auditioned for a small tour of Godspell and was hired. That was over 30 years ago.

Why do you pursue your art in Nashville? What are the best parts of working here? After a dozen or so years in New York City, I found myself writing and composing as much as I was acting. I had composed two off-Broadway musicals and a children's musical with Tony Kushner. Some song publishing business brought me here for a meeting and I instantly loved the town. I convinced my wife, Sandra, to visit Nashville without me so I wouldn't prejudice her opinion. It would be a huge move and we didn't know a soul here. She and her mom came down for a few days and she loved it, too. I thought that I would be spending most of my time in music, so we moved here just four weeks after my first visit. Little did I know that I would meet Mac Pirkle and all the wonderful folks at Tennessee Rep. I didn't even know that there was a professional theatre in town. I ended performing in about three dozen shows with that company alone. I've worked with just about every professional company and performing arts group in Nashville and have only had to go out of town a handful of times for stage work in the last 20 years.

This sounds corny, but the best part of working here is the wonderful friends I've made over the last two decades.

If you could play any role, direct any work, design any production, mount any production...what would it be and why? I've always wanted to play "Sweeney Todd" since I saw the first Broadway production. As for producing, it's self- serving, I know, but anytime I can see something I wrote or composed on stage, I'm thrilled.

Who would play you in the film version of your life story? The love child of Soupy Sales and Robert DeNiro.

What's your favorite play/musical? I don't have a fave, but pretty much anything that Sondheim had a hand in, I marvel at.

If you could have dinner with any three figures (living or dead, real or fictional) who are a part of the theater, who would you choose and why? Typical choices I guess: Shakespeare for the conversation and wit, Sondheim to pick his brain, and Phillip Bosco because he has been one of the greatest, mostly unsung, stage actors of our time. He is what being an actor is all about.

Imagine a young person seeing you onstage or seeing a production in which you played a major role coming up to you and asking you for advice in pursuing their own theatrical dream...what would you say? Don't do it because you want to, do it because you have to.

 

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