Biography:

Matt Ripa is a director, producer, and teacher. He is the Founding Artistic Director of the DC Queer Theatre Festival and the Board President and Artistic Ally for Ally Theatre Company. He received his Master of Fine Arts in Directing from The Catholic University of America. He teaches undergraduate courses in theatre production and management, acting, and directing and graduate courses in theatre education.  Matt serves as the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Auditions Co-Coordinator for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, Region 2. 

At Catholic U, he directed WAR OF THE WORLDS, THE LARAMIE PROJECT, and OUR TOWN which received MD Theatre Guide's Audience Choice Award for Best Educational Theatre Production. Other directing credits include Helen Hayes Recommended productions of WAR BOYS at Ally Theatre Company and MACK, BETH at Keegan Theatre Company in Washington, DC. With Doorway Arts Ensemble, where he was the Producing Artistic Director, he directed three world premieres. At Forum Theatre, he directed WE TIRESIAS, which won DC City Paper's choice for Best New Play in 2013 and TheatreMania's audience award for Best Drama at the 2012 Capital Fringe Festival.

He has directed at companies throughout the Washington region, including Imagination Stage, Forum Theatre, Pinky Swear Productions, Rorschach Theatre Company, Doorway Arts Ensemble, Landless Theatre Company and Traveling Players Ensemble. As an educator, he has over 15 year’s experience teaching students grades K through 12 with a focus on teaching theatre to students with language-based learning differences.