Interview: Shelby Maticic of PETER AND THE STARCATCHER at Brelby Theatre Company

I interviewed Shelby Maticic and her husband, Brian at Papa Ed's Ice Cream parlor in Historic Downtown Glendale. I was enchanted by the two of them and wanted to hear more from Shelby about her upcoming role in Brelby Theatre Company's Peter and the Starcatcher, set to open January 20th.

Maticic is a Phoenix native and grew up in a West Valley suburb. I asked her when and how she got into theatre.

SM: I started taking dance lessons when I was 5, and I continued on for many years, trying out a lot of styles and some gymnastics along the way. I did the occasional school play in elementary school, but I really became interested in theatre in middle school. I went to a tiny charter school, and when they offered a drama club I dove in headfirst and never looked back. Thanks Mr. Drago!

When did you know you wanted to make theatre your life's work?

In high school. I spent about a year thinking that I wanted to be on Broadway. After I wised up to my actual talent level for performing, I decided that I wanted to be a high school theatre teacher. I eventually changed my mind after being exposed to many different possibilities at NAU (Northern Arizona University), but it was in high school that I knew I'd end up tying it into my life somehow.

Do you prefer acting over directing/choreographing?

I actually prefer directing/choreographing. I enjoy acting, but I love directing. I love being the architect of the whole picture. I love helping to bring different aspects of a show together. I love guiding artists to make discoveries about themselves, their characters, their designs...

How do you work? What's your process?

It depends on the show and the role. I like to do my homework about a character, and that always begins with the script for me. I want to find out as much as I can about the playwright's vision for a character before I begin to layer my own intentions onto it. I usually accumulate a playlist during the rehearsal process of a show. It might be songs that help me connect to a character, or it might be songs that paint the picture of the show for me as a director. Music always helps me.

What are your dream roles?

Molly has been a dream role of mine ever since Brian and I saw the original cast on Broadway. Celia Keenan-Bolger is one of my artist inspirations, and the way she brought Molly to life was inspirational. Typically as an actor, I hunger for the new roles. I'm not someone who has longed to play Lady Macbeth, I want to help create a character that has never been seen before.

As a director, I'm drawn to contemporary musical theatre. I have shows that I would love to direct, and my list gets longer every year that new and innovative pieces are being produced around the country. I love new musical theatre.

What about Molly do you love best - in terms of the role, itself. The songs? The nature of the character? What about the writing of her in the show do you love? Do you know what I mean? As she relates and is related to the whole.

Molly is fierce. She's a brassy know-it-all, but she's always fighting for the greater good. She lost a parental figure at a very young age, and it's shaped her into a different person than she might have been otherwise. She's also at a turning point in her life during the course of this play. She's learning about what it means to be an adult, and to make the difficult decisions, even if you don't feel ready to. She has some of the wittiest lines in the show, and gets to be unapologetically confident. Especially when it comes to putting boys in their place.

How is it to play onstage with your husband? Do you find it difficult, ever, to shake off your domestic life and stay focused on the work?

We've been doing it for so long now, that it's not really an issue. We play off of one another well, although we rarely seem to get cast together... even in this show we're not sharing scenes much. I think he's incredibly gifted as a performer, so I feel lucky that I get to watch him bring his energy and physicality to the role.

Without giving too much away, what can you tell us about your production?

The beauty of Peter and the Starcatcher is in the simplicity and magic of the storytelling. The play literally invites you in the first few lines to imagine - to imagine that ropes and fabric can become something else, can create new worlds with the aid of a scrappy ensemble of talented actors. That's what we're doing. We're telling a story about adventures, magic, growing up, staying young, and fighting for what you want. And we're doing it with ropes and fabric and crates and music and maybe just a little bit of magic.

You're working with a guest director whom I know you respect and admire. How is that - what is the advantage to you, the show and your theatre?

We are! Louis Farber is known around the valley for his work with Stray Cat Theatre, a group that Brian and I are big fans of. Over the past couple of years we started supporting one another's artistic endeavors, and the next natural step was to invite him to come play at Brelby. He has been such a good fit for this show, and it's been a wonderful advantage to have someone new open our MainStage season, and allow Brian and me to drop into the roles of actors for this show that we've dreamed about for so long. We're also having a ridiculous amount of fun bringing the show to life.

What do you hope your patrons will take away from Peter and the Starcatcher?

I want patrons to get swept up in the show and let their imaginations run wild. I want them to remember what it was like to be younger than they are now with endless possibilities ahead of them, and perhaps feel inspired to chase some new adventures in 2017.

The theatre seats just 75, and the run is limited. Tickets will go fast, so call the box office (623) 282-2781 or buy them online. Brelby's ShowGo program is the best deal in town - $12 per month allows patrons to attend any Brelby produced show or event at no additional charge as many times as they wish as long as their Brelby ShowGo subscription is current. You're welcome. Happy holidays!!!

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