Interview with Kentucky Shakespeare’s Producing Artistic Director Matt Wallace
Great interview with Matt Wallace of Kentucky Shakespeare about all of their programming from Shakespeare in the park, to massive education programs across the state, to Shakespeare Behind Bars with a local correctional facility and more. Matt also tells how they’ve pivoted during Covid with one example being Shakespeare in the Parking Lot, a drive-in live experience of Macbeth. (More interviews here.)
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If you’d rather read the interview, a rough transcript is below.
Interview with Kentucky Shakespeare’s Matt Wallace
Michael Van Osch: Hi, it’s Michael Van Osch with the Hark Journal. Welcome again to another in our interview series. And this time we are going to be going up to Kentucky, we’re going to talk to Matt Wallace, producing artistic director of Kentucky Shakespeare. I’m Matt, how are you?
Matt Wallace: Hi, good to see you. Good to see you.
Michael Van Osch: Thanks for doing this.
Matt Wallace: Absolutely. It’s my pleasure.
Michael Van Osch: You know, I’ve wanted to, I’ve followed you guys for quite a while, and you do so much there in Kentucky in Louisville. but, and you’ve been around a long time. Tell me a little bit about the history of Kentucky Shakespeare.
Matt Wallace: Sure. it was originally founded in 1949 as the carriage house players, and it was a workshop group and scene study.
And then, you know, in, in the early sixties is when, the Shakespeare festival, started and w you know, the company was, asked to do a few scenes in central park are Olmsted. Our Olmstead central park here in Louisville. And that was when the Shakespeare festival was born. So we’ve been doing free Shakespeare in central park, since then, and this is our, our 60th season.
So that’s one of the parts of it.
Michael Van Osch: Yeah. Yeah. Wow. 60 years. That’s fantastic. And you are primarily and always have been an outdoor company. Is that true?
Matt Wallace: We are, you know, for our, our summer in spring work, you know, we, also have, you know, many, education programs that, that, you know, when we can resume in person, our indoors, and then we, you know, but, but yeah, particularly in the summer, that’s what we’ve been doing, you know, since, since 1961,
Michael Van Osch: Wow. Well, I do want to talk about something you’re doing right now, but first let me introduce you a little bit more to the folks that are watching, because, you know, you’re doing so much up there and you as a, as a producing artistic director have done so much to, you’re obviously an actor and director, and as far as directing productions up there in Kentucky.
You’ve done. you know, as you like at King Lear, Comedy of Errors, Othello, Titus, Much Ado, and it goes on and on. And then as an actor, you’ve also, been Benedick and Much Ado Antonio and The Merchant of Venice, Orlando, in As You Like It and on and on too. So you’re obviously amazing on both sides of the fence there and something else that is really interesting that we can get into a little later too, is that you’re a director and facilitator of Shakespeare Behind Bars, which I want to talk about when we get to that.
And then, You’ve received a lot of awards, for, you know, volunteer of the year for the Kentucky, Kentucky criminal justice system and the work that you do there and, and arts awards and innovation awards in Kentucky. So once again, congrats. Thanks for joining us. And, what have you guys got going on right now?
Matt Wallace: Thank you. Well, so, you know, we, we, you know, this was her 60th summer season of Shakespeare in central park, and we had a big one plan and we kept, you know, we kept delaying it and delaying it, and then we thought, Oh, you know, maybe we could do it in September and, you know, light like everyone else we had to pivot.
And so we, we did, you know, we did produce, a piece we filmed, we call it celebrate 60 and it’s the, the Kentucky Shakespeare festival anniversary production. We were able to hire our cast and safely, create some theater in central park, you know, without an audience. And then also tied it into some retrospective components.
And so that’s how we celebrated our 60th season. that project is all available, you know, on our YouTube and Facebook, videos. so that’s how we celebrated our season, but, you know, in the process of canceling or postponing, I should say our in-person season in the summer to next year.
Was determined to try to find a way that we could do something live, you know, just once in 2020, can we safely, do something live? And for the summer season, we never got to the point where we felt like we could do that. but you know, it started looking at. some of the concerts that were driving that were happening and, in July I started working on the possibility of doing a drive and show, and that’s what we’re doing.
We’re doing Shakespeare in the Parking Lot. Macbeth.
Michael Van Osch: I love it. I love it. And how did you put that together?
Matt Wallace: Yeah, well, you know, Oh, gosh, we’re, there’s this perfect. You know, part of it was finding just the right space for it, and I didn’t want to do it unless it could still be immersive and have good sight lines and be able to hear, you know, what’s going on and, and just spent a couple months trying to find the perfect spot and found this massive unused spot.
And we built our own custom six foot high 20 by 20 stage that we could leave there and that we could build. Everything into that, piece and do it in the round. so we’re, you know, we’re serving, you know, 50 to 70 cars at a time, but only three rows deep, and you can listen via your, your FM radio.
That’s also something that sold me on this. This whole process is the fact that we could really, curate this experience of listening on your radio and tie that into the concept and so it’s, it’s been fun. It’s been, it’s been so meaningful to get to you know, gathered together with these artists, even in this environment and still create something.
And even though we can’t see those audience members, you know, you can’t really see who’s in the car, but you know, at curtain call, they are honking their horns and flashing their lights and, you know, it’s, it’s, it’s been special.
Michael Van Osch: Yeah. Yeah. It sounds like it. That’s great. And I love your, your graphics and everything for it. on the website. It looks like a heck of a lot of fun. And I bet the actors are so glad to be back doing something.
Matt Wallace: Yeah. Yeah. It’s you know, it was, it was a long road to get to do this. There were so many logistics with the health department and, and finding out how we can make sure that we can do it safely, how we could rehearse it.
So, you know, to be able to come together after having, you know, So many things canceled, I think for all of us, you know, sometimes, you know, we would just take a moment and just really appreciate the fact that we’re persevering and we’re doing some live theater, even though this is a very strange format.
You know, I think has given us all, some, some hope and some fuel in a tough year, you know,
Michael Van Osch: Yeah, absolutely. And, you, as an organization do, looks like a really huge job of education in the school system. In fact, I think I read that, you’re the most comprehensive in school arts education provider in Kentucky.
Tell us a little bit about the programs you have there because that’s phenomenal.
Matt Wallace: Sure this is, you know, our, our programs, you know, continue to grow over the years. You know, Kentucky Shakespeare has a long history with education. You know, Kurt Hofland was our producing artistic director for 20 years and really built up that education program and we’ve, you know, in our, in our 2019, pre COVID a year, you know, we toured to, what was it? 72,000. Students, you know, and, and, and, and, you know, 70 something counties, you know, in the region and, you know, we have all kinds of different programs, you know, for us, it’s all, you know, making Shakespeare accessible for all ages.
You know, We leave Shakespeare belongs to everyone. And so we have programs, you know, for preschoolers and kindergartners, like Bard buddies, it’s called, you know, we bring a tub and they’re acting out Shakespeare in their own words. We have living history programs and conflict resolution workshops and hip hop Shakespeare.
And we also tour some, you know, a 45-minute two-actor productions of Midsummer or Hamlet. Into the classroom and then also, you know, our full we’re part of the Shakespeare in American communities program. And so we, you know, bring a 90 minute seven after Shakespeare play, in the schools as well.
And all of those programs now of course are adapted digitally. As we, as we work through this time.
Michael Van Osch: I was going to ask you about that. So you’ve, you’ve basically filmed them all, I guess. And then, send them to the schools that way.
Matt Wallace: Yeah. Yeah. Well you know, it you know, we have a pretty small education staff of six people.
And, they are, you know, good thing is we’re, we’re able to adapt kind of depending on what the school needs and wants, and they’re still figuring that out. But some is digital. Some is virtual, some as a hybrid. but you know, have adapted all of those programs and kind of depending on what that school needs to kind of work through, serving them.
Yeah,
Michael Van Osch: Absolutely. Yeah. Makes sense. And the other big program that I’d like you to touch on for us too, is Shakespeare Behind Bars. Tell us what that is. And, kind of the history of that, because I find it such a fascinating program.
Matt Wallace: Yeah so Shakespeare behind bars, began as a program of Kentucky Shakespeare, in 1995, Kurt Tofler founded the program.
And we’ve been in residence at Luther Luckett correctional complex at La Grange, Kentucky, just, North of here, for 20 years. This is, Oh, this is 25. This is our 25th anniversary. Oh my gosh. We were set to in the spring, have our 25th anniversary production at the prison. but it’s been, it’s been postponed until we, until we can do that.
In, I believe it was 2010, we Kurt and I branched out and, and created, Shakespeare behind bars, his own not-for-profit. so, and now it has programs in Michigan, the current facilitates and our Kentucky programs as well. And this is my, this will be my 13th season facilitating the program up at Luther Luckett.
And each year we you know, we work on a Shakespeare play with our, with our inmate ensemble. we also have juvenile programs. and if you haven’t seen it, a final map films documented the program in 2003 with a Tempest, with the Shakespeare Behind Bars, a documentary and a year of Kirk, working with our ensemble.
But yeah, we’re now in the process of seeing which programs can be digital and which ones we just kind of have to wait out.
Michael Van Osch: Yeah. Yeah. So the concept, I guess, in a nutshell, is you as a director and maybe some other staff go into the correctional facility. And, how do you get inmates to quote unquote sign up or audition?
Or how does that, how does that come to be?
Matt Wallace: Right. Yeah, we, we have, you know, we have some guys doing it for 25 years in the same ensemble with us, we have, you know, we take, apprentices each year. They’ll get sponsored to come into the program by one of the ensemble members. And, believe it or not it’s a hard program to get into sometimes because we only have so many slots.
And so, But, yeah, so, so you know, many, you know, it’s, it’s pretty, gosh, it’s pretty amazing to have this ensemble of artists that, you know, I’ve worked with some of them for 13 years. Some of them have done it 25 years to have that shorthand and that vocabulary and to see them mentor a young guys to bring them into the group.
And then, and then it’s a, it’s pretty much a year long process. So, we’ll, we’ll give them the script in the spring. When we complete our performance, they’ll spend the summer. reading it, getting to know the play casting themselves. And then we start in a normal year, September to May sort of a school year process working through the play.
And then wherever we are, come April, May, we, we present that for, for the institution and then for public audiences there at the prison.
Michael Van Osch: Wow. That’s amazing. So is it just a, just a couple of performances like that? Or are they, like the whole prison gets to see it, I guess.
Matt Wallace: Yeah. If they choose to, so yeah, we have three performances for the yard and so they’ll come out to the chapel and then we have four public performances.
So folks will come in and go through the screening process and the pat down to actually come out onto the yard and experience this. And, you know, it’s, it’s been most, one of the most rewarding things to, to get, to play a small part in the facilitating this program and the growth of these individuals.
And, you know, we’re sort of seeing what the next steps are, but we’re going to get back in there and we’re going to, and we’re going to continue and, and we’ve just postponed the 25th anniversary celebration, but they have multiple scripts. I’ve sent them and letters. And so they are, they’re working on their own right now, just with, not with, with a facilitator.
Michael Van Osch: Wow. That’s great. What do you find that, that, participants in that program, what do you find that they get out of it?
Matt Wallace: Oh, man. So much, you know, I, we, we, we see them just grow and change as human beings and, you know, developing sense of empathy and, you know, communication skills and confidence and, you know, hope, hope is a massive thing, you know?
And, yeah. Really looking at how they’re they, they, they impact others, for the, for both, for the good and the bad and just, you know, how they can grow as people, you know, not to mention the act, the academic, growth that you see that, you know, many of our participants have multiple degrees.
That they’re, that they’re getting in and while incarcerated and, and a lot of that wouldn’t happen had it, had it not been for this program. We see reduced recidivism. We see, you know, these participants growing into be model inmates, and then eventually, model returned citizens. So, you know, it’s, it’s, it’s such a gift to get, to get to witness that, that growth, you know,
Michael Van Osch: And isn’t that what art is supposed to be really?
I mean, all of those things that you said is what we all kind of strive to be involved with or do, and, and congratulations. I mean, not everybody does those things and, and hats off to all of you because, that’s really making a difference in people’s lives.
Matt Wallace: Thank you. Thank you. I mean, it’s truly my pleasure to get to be a part of this work.
And, we have other facilitators. We have two other facilitators in Kentucky here doing the work and it continues in Michigan and it’s been really, rewarding too, to see the multiple, prison arts programs that have been inspired by Shakespeare behind bars is Shakespeare Behind Bars being one of the oldest.
And we always tell the guys, you know, inside you, you never know, what kind of ripples you’re going to create. So here they are up in LaGrange and it’s, it’s, it’s really cool to see the, the work that’s blossom as a result of Kurt’s program.
Where can people find the documentary so they can go watch it? Is it on your website?
Michael Van Osch: There’s a link there. I’m sure. I do know. It’s the, the documentary ShakespeareBehindBars.com. Our, our not for profit is Shakespearebehindbars.org. it’s usually on Netflix and Amazon as well. it premiered at the Sundance film festival and, and, and, and Kurt is they’re working on a follow-up to the documentary with some updates, you know, about what’s going on with some of the participants returning the society as well.
Yeah. We, We continue that work at Kentucky Shakespeare with, with in our juvenile justice work as well. So we’re, we’re, in this upcoming year branching out to work with the Clark Regional Detention Center, just across the river in Indiana, and other juvenile justice work here in Louisville.
Wow. That’s phenomenal. And when you do, when it’s a normal summer and you’re doing your outdoor shows and your central park there in Louisville, What, what kind of numbers of people join you? I mean, is it up, is it due to a couple of shows a season or how many do you do and what kind of traffic do you get?
Matt Wallace: Yeah, that’s a great question. You know, over the past, past few years, we’ve really worked to actively try to expand the festival, to make it more inclusive, more accessible, you know, in 2019, you know, We, we had 34,000 people come to Shakespeare in central park over the summer for seven different productions.
So our current model is we, we hire an ensemble of artists and we produced three of our professional main stage productions. And that’s really the bulk of the season. So, so eight weeks. Next season, we postponed our seasons for the next season. we’re planning on Shakespeare in Love, and, Henry the Fifth and the Merry Wives of Windsor.
And so, and then were we wrap those for a couple of weeks. So you can kind of come to town for a couple of days and see three shows. and then once we complete that part of our season, we have our student troop, our, our globe players, high school theater troupe, training program for them, the culmination of their work, they will do a week of performances.
We have the Louisville improvisers, but Late Night Shakes, improvised Shakespeare. We also, have the Louisville Ballet, and this’ll be the fifth summer that they have, created and presented a Shakespeare inspired dance piece. So there’ll be back next summer with that. Wow. So it’s about an 11 week season, 60 performances, seven productions.
And, we have different pre-show productions every night from different community groups. And we’ve added food trucks and a bar and it’s non ticketed. So first come first serve, you know, you get the best seats, but yeah, we had our second, highest attendance isn’t in 2019, it was about 34,000. So.
Michael Van Osch: So COVID notwithstanding you guys just keep on growing and growing. It sounds like fantastic. What, you know, you wear a lot of hats obviously. Is there one thing that you would say is your absolute favorite thing to do?
Matt Wallace: Yeah, it’s, it’s gotta be directing. And I would say, you know I started as an actor with a company and then, but you know, the storytelling to get to.
To get, to have the little break from the producer part and just play and direct and and facilitate and tell stories. That’s why I think, you know, this Shakespeare in the parking lot production, after such a, an insane year to get to just be an artist for a little bit. Amidst all of this and create, so, has been really fun.
I would say that’s probably that, but I honestly get excited by everything. I enjoy writing grants and, you know, I enjoy producing and, I think every once in a while, I don’t mind acting again, but that’s not something that I miss too much.
Michael Van Osch: Gotcha. Gotcha. And am I right in saying that Shakespeare in the parking lot Macbeth goes through Halloween?
Matt Wallace: Yes. Yes, it does. Yes. We played the two sold out crowds, last weekend. And so it’s always, it’s always, affirming in you do something new and people come cause you never know. So we, we, yeah, we, we have about nine more performances as of today. So, yeah. And who knows, maybe we’ll do more parking lot shows after this.
We’ll see how things go. But, you know, we’re currently planning on, on, in the spring returning to our annual Shakespeare in the parks to tour and a plural, touring 28 various parks with an abridge Romeo and Juliet. So we’re really hoping we can get back to that, as it will be outdoors and yeah.
Michael Van Osch: Oh, fantastic.
Matt Wallace: Yeah.
Michael Van Osch: Well, Matt, you’re doing so much, like I said, and, it, it’s an amazing, it’s an amazing organization. I know that. And I’ve heard a lot about you and the organization. I’m just really curious, not counting actors. What size of staff do you have there to do all that stuff all the time.
Matt Wallace: Yeah. we have, we have a small staff is, we have, we have nine, nine full time folks, you know, during the year.
And then in the summer, yeah. We’ll go up to about 60, 60, but you know, artists, artists, and technicians. And, but we hire, you know, many freelancers and teachers and, throughout the year. Yeah. But that’s, that’s our core is our core nine, operating during the year.
Michael Van Osch: Well, fantastic. I wish you all the best with the rest of COVID and hopefully we can get out of this and get back to some normalcy.
Before I let you go, I have one question I ask everybody, and that is if Shakespeare was on this zoom call with us and you got to ask him one question, what do you think you’d ask?
Matt Wallace: Oh my goodness. Wow. What a great question probably would be, how are we doing? How are we doing? Yeah. I, you know, yeah. What next?
I love that. I love it.
Michael Van Osch: I like it. That’s a good answer. How are we doing? I mean, it’s certainly been nice to hear.
Matt Wallace: Yeah. I’d love to see. I’d love to see what he thinks about people. you know, doing it in a parking lot about people, you know, doing it in prisons and Shake our Shakespeare with veterans program. I’d like to see; I can see what Will thinks.
Michael Van Osch: Absolutely. Well, I won’t keep you any longer. Thanks so much. Matt Wallace producing artistic director at Kentucky Shakespeare. Keep up the great work we’re all behind you. We’ll do what we can up here on the Hark Journal to promote you. And thanks again for joining us.
Matt Wallace: Thank you so much. It means a lot. I appreciate it.
Michael Van Osch: Thanks.
