Including...
Outstanding Direction: Matthew J. Nichols
Outstanding Production of a Play
Lead Actor: Jaron Farnham
Lead Actor: Steve French
Lighting Design: Andrew Lu
Original Music: Drew Cutler
 
The NYIT Awards Ceremony will be held at New World Stages on Sept. 21, 2009
Matthew thanks and congratulates his Zootopia family!
 
 
 
 
 
 
Matthew directed Zootopia Theatre Company's production of Eminene for the 13th New York International Fringe Festival in August 2009 at The New School for Drama Theater.  Written by Barton Bishop, Eminene is a sci-fi drama about a runaway girl and a mysterious stranger who journey together across a post-apocalyptic landscape in search of a safe place.
 
 
 
Matthew was featured as a German Guard in the Columbia University short film Ronnie's Rat, directed by Carys Edwards. "A downed RAF pilot languishes in a German POW camp. Is all lost, or does his freedom rest in the hands of an unlikely cellmate?"
 
 
 
On December 8th, 2008, Matthew read the role of Charles in a staged reading of James Rasheed's  Mama Mamie's Departure, presented by Zootopia Theatre Company at the Studio Theatre at Theatre Row, NYC.  Mama Mamie's Departure takes a look at a pair of Lebanese-American sisters and their dotty sister-in-law as they battle hilarously for control over their 100 year-old mother's funeral.
 
 
 
 
 
  

 

 

 
 
 
 
   

 

 
 
       
In November 2008, Matthew appeared in Love, Dr. Mueller, an original piece based on  the life and writings of Cookie Mueller.  It was directed by Kareem Fahmy and presented as part of Prospect Theater's Dark Nights Series and Six Figures Theatre Company's Artists of Tomorrow Festival.
 
 
 
 
 
 
         

 

In June/July 2008, Matthew directed the world premiere of Barton Bishop's Still the River Runs, presented at Center Stage, NY by Zootopia Theatre Company.  Still the River Runs is a funny and poignant portrait of two brothers who decide to bury their deceased grandfather in their old hunting grounds. The New York Times called it "a treat to watch."
 
 
 
 
 

 

Matthew's movie The Weekend is now available on Netflix!  He's featured as a crazy character named Katz.
 
Synopsis: The randy spirit of the American sex comedy lives on in this rousing tale of high school mischief in the tradition of Porky's, American Pie, and Superbad. The weekend is here, and the time has come to forget about homework and have a little fun. For Marty that means attempting to impress unattainable classmate Rachel, and for silver spoon-fed drug dealer Jacob it means throwing the biggest party this small town has ever seen. Meanwhile, nice guy Benjamin makes plan to marry his hesitant high school sweetheart, and cool-beyond-his-years youngster Donny blackmails his dorky older brother into letting him tag along to Jacob's big bash.
              
 
                 

 

        
 
 
 
In February 2008, Matthew appeared in Conservatives in Love, a comedy from the Toronto Fringe Festival, for The Bridge Theatre Company's Workshop Series.
 
 
 
 
In November 2007, Matthew played Stephen Haweis in Mina at La Mama E.T.C.  The play, written by the Tony-nominated Leslie Lee, examines the early life of the painter/poet, Mina Loy.  Cindy Marion directed.
 
 
 
                    

 

In June/July 2007, Matthew played Paul in the New York premiere of James Rasheed's  Professional Skepticism, which recounts the comic upheaval at an accounting firm when a corruption scandal comes to light.  It was directed by Kareem Fahmy and presented by Zootopia Theatre Company at the Abingdon Theatre Center.  The production was dubbed "flat-out terrific" by Backstage and was a Critic's Pick.