Daniel Matisa
Associate Professor, Theatre Arts; Head of Performance
Biography
Dan Matisa joined the Department of Theatre Arts at 鶹Ƶ in 2017, after seventeen years as a professional actor in New York City, and several years teaching acting at Elon University in North Carolina, and at Emporia State University in Kansas. In addition to performing in many Off- and Off-off-Broadway venues in NYC, Dan has performed regionally at Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Asolo Rep, Tennessee Rep, American Stage, Florida Studio Theatre, Hudson Valley Shakespeare, Pennsylvania Centre Stage, Vermont Shakespeare, Stonington Opera House, Public Theatre of Maine, and many more. Dan has also spent twelve seasons performing and directing at Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre in Conway, Arkansas.
Dan teaches Fundamentals of Acting, Advanced Acting, The Actor’s Instrument I and II, Acting for the Camera, Dialects for Actors, Professional Development Seminar: Performance, and Senior Capstone. At 鶹Ƶ, he has directed productions ofEnglish Made Simple and Other Playsby David Ives, the American classicPicnicby William Inge, Kate Hamill’sSense and Sensibility(adapted from the beloved Jane Austen novel), Oscar Wilde’sThe Importance of Being Earnest, Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, Jaclyn Backhaus’Men On Boats, and his own radio play adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
Some recent roles Dan has played professionally include “Sir Toby Belch” in Twelfth Night, “Dogberry” in Much Ado 鶹Ƶ Nothing, and both “Leontes” and “Autolycus” inThe Winter’s Tale, all at Illinois Shakespeare Festival. Other recent roles include “Falstaff” inHenry IV Part 1 and “Alfred Doolittle” in My Fair Lady at Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, as well as “Black Stache” inPeter and the Starcatcher and “Scrooge” in A Christmas Carol Radio Play right here at 鶹Ƶ.
Dan earned his MFA from the Florida State University/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training, and his BA from Hofstra University. He is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), and Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA). He hails originally from New Jersey, and is married to his beloved wife, Taylor.