Matt Torney

Matt is currently the Associate Artistic Director of Studio Theatre in Washington DC (www.studiotheatre.org)

Originally from Belfast, Matt worked as a freelance director in Ireland before moving to the United States in 2006 to complete an MFA in directing at Columbia University, taught by Anne Bogart and Brian Kulick. 

Studio Theatre produces a 10 show season of ‘the best of contemporary theatre in deliberately intimate spaces’ and is recognized as one of the leading mid-sized regional theatre in the US.   Studio's programming includes cutting edge new plays from American and international writers, as well as world premieres, commissions, immersive work, and imaginative stagings of contemporary classics.  As Associate Artistic Director, Matt directs in the season and also manages the day to day artistic operations of the artistic department, including leading casting and scouting activities, participating in season planning, serving as the lead creative producer, leading institutional development projects and managing key community partnerships.  Due to his specialized background as an art director, he also works closely with the marketing department on producing photography and video for both print and digital campaigns (read more about his art directing here).  

Prior to joining the team at Studio, Matt was the Director of Programming for Origin Theatre, an Off-Broadway company whose mission is to bring the best of European new writing to the USA.  He directed productions and readings for the company, spearheaded new artistic projects, line produced main stage productions and wrap around programming, and cultivated a diverse network of international playwrights and theatres.  Additionally, from 2007 to 2015 he was an Associate Director of Rough Magic in Dublin, one of Ireland’s leading independent theatre companies for over 30 years.  

He has directed extensively in New York, regionally in the USA, and internationally, and his work has been nominated for several awards.