About Me...
Matt Fotis is currently a doctoral candidate at the
University of Missouri studying theatre, where he holds the Raymond White Dissertation Fellowship. He holds a Master of Arts from
Illinois State University where he received the James L. Fisher Outstanding Thesis Award, and a BA from Monmouth College. He has
published or presented on various topics, including improvisational
theatre, new play development, political theatre, arts administration, solo-performance,
folklore studies, popular culture studies and more. His work has
appeared in Theatre Journal, Theatre Topics, and The Encyclopedia of American Studies
among others. He is also the founder and executive director of Shantz
Theatre in Chicago. He has won numerous awards in various fields and
pursuits, but balances these accolades with his social awkwardness.
He is also an award winning playwright whose plays have seen stages from coast to coast. He is a Playwrights’ Center Core Apprentice Grant Recipient, a two time Illinois Arts Council Grant recipient for his work with Shantz Theatre, and a fellowship recipient for a residency at Lark Play Development Center at New York Stage & Film. His plays have won The Mark Twain Prize for Comic Playwriting (The Book of Adam), The Sonoma County Repertory Theatre’s SCRipts Festival (The Zebra Baby), the Minnesota Shorts Play Festival (A Casket Gal), The Fancy Pants Director's Festival (58 & 59), and the Claire Donaldson Short Play Festival (The Crying Club). He is a National Finalist for the KC/ACTF National Ten Minute Play Award (58 & 59) as well as a National Finalist for the John Cauble Outstanding Short Play Award (Nights on the Couch). His work has been a finalist for numerous other awards including the Guthrie Theatre Fringe Encore (A Year in the Life of 25 Strangers Living in a City by the Lake) and Robert J. Pickering Award for Playwriting Excellence (Lincoln's Lagoon). His other plays include The Van Gogh Exhibit, The Candid Biography of a Single Chess Table Chosen at Random on an Ambiguous Spring Day in Central Park, Pittsfield and Burying Mom. He is also the author of two solo performance pieces, Potpourri Potluck Kitchen Sink Meatloaf and My Fragile Family Tree. His works have been published by Original Works Publishing, JAC Publishing & Promotions, Smith & Kraus, and Meriwether Press. Among others, his plays have been produced by Emerging Artists Theatre (NYC), Ten Grand Productions (NYC), Curan Rep (NYC), The Kennedy Center, Theatre on the Square, The Sonoma County Repertory Theatre, Shantz Theatre, The Bryant Lake Bowl Theatre, Anvilhead Theatre, The Pegasus Theater Co., The Chameleon Theatre Circle, Acme Theatre Works, The Pittsburgh Summer Company, The Claire Donaldson Short Play Festival, First Run Theatre, and Gorilla Tango Theatre.
Matt Fotis is also the founder and artistic director for MU Improv, which was recently nominated for the Chancellor's Excellence Award for Most Outstanding Student Organization. He has been performing and teaching improv for over ten years, and has studied at i.O. Chicago and The Brave New Workshop. At some point in time he has been a member of Anvilhead Theatre, Scotch Tape, Fingergun (Critic's Pick Star Tribune), and The Jerry Azumah Players (Critic's Pick Pioneer Press), and was the coach for Illinois State's Improv Mafia. He was also the head writer and director for the critically acclaimed sketch shows Requiem for a Department Store, or how Jesus Taught me to Shop at Macy's and No-EL, or how The BlagojeGrinch Stole Christmas - which were recommended by the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Magazine, MetroMix, RedEye, The Daily Herald, and New City Chicago.
Matt Fotis is also the founder and artistic director for MU Improv, which was recently nominated for the Chancellor's Excellence Award for Most Outstanding Student Organization. He has been performing and teaching improv for over ten years, and has studied at i.O. Chicago and The Brave New Workshop. At some point in time he has been a member of Anvilhead Theatre, Scotch Tape, Fingergun (Critic's Pick Star Tribune), and The Jerry Azumah Players (Critic's Pick Pioneer Press), and was the coach for Illinois State's Improv Mafia. He was also the head writer and director for the critically acclaimed sketch shows Requiem for a Department Store, or how Jesus Taught me to Shop at Macy's and No-EL, or how The BlagojeGrinch Stole Christmas - which were recommended by the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Magazine, MetroMix, RedEye, The Daily Herald, and New City Chicago.
