Matt Braaten

Matt received his Master of Fine Arts in dramatic writing from California State University, Los Angeles and his Bachelor of Arts from St. Olaf College, where he studied English and theatre arts. He is a member of Dramatists Guild, Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), and has performed in theatrical productions, commercials, films, web series, sitcoms, and hour-long series. He studied at The Groundlings and is a graduate of The Second City Training Center (LA).

Matt has written and directed sketch comedies, short plays, readings, showcases, one-acts and full-length plays. He was the composer, music director and co-writer of an original musical comedy while at Cal State LA. In addition to plays and devised works for theatre, he has written scripts for...

Matt received his Master of Fine Arts in dramatic writing from California State University, Los Angeles and his Bachelor of Arts from St. Olaf College, where he studied English and theatre arts. He is a member of Dramatists Guild, Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), and has performed in theatrical productions, commercials, films, web series, sitcoms, and hour-long series. He studied at The Groundlings and is a graduate of The Second City Training Center (LA).

Matt has written and directed sketch comedies, short plays, readings, showcases, one-acts and full-length plays. He was the composer, music director and co-writer of an original musical comedy while at Cal State LA. In addition to plays and devised works for theatre, he has written scripts for film, television and new media as well as articles for publications including the New York Times. As a composer, musician and vocalist, Matt has written and performed for stage and screen. He wrote and recorded an album as a member of the duo Blue Sky Divide. In 2013, he released his first solo album titled “Walk in the Sun” and he continues to perform with his band The New Usuals. In addition to writing and performing, Matt teaches theatre arts and media at colleges in the Los Angeles area.

Scripts

Unseen Shepard

by Matt Braaten

Cast Size

3—5

Genre

biography,

dark comedy,

drama,

experimental,

fantasy

Unseen Shepard is a fantasy about Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Sam Shepard on the last night of his life. He is confronted by versions of characters from his past works, demanding a rewrite, and they won’t let him go without a fight. Among them are writers, cowboys, abusive husbands, punk rockers and long-suffering women, who all want more out of their trapped existence.

Written by Nic D'Avirro and Matt...

Unseen Shepard is a fantasy about Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Sam Shepard on the last night of his life. He is confronted by versions of characters from his past works, demanding a rewrite, and they won’t let him go without a fight. Among them are writers, cowboys, abusive husbands, punk rockers and long-suffering women, who all want more out of their trapped existence.

Written by Nic D'Avirro and Matt Braaten.

The Wedding Present

by Matt Braaten

Cast Size

5

Genre

comedy,

drama

Erik, a liberal Minnesota cattle rancher and organic farmer, is engaged to Alice, a woman out of his league. Alice is the only child of a wealthy, conservative couple with political aspirations. Jane, Alice’s mother, already has serious doubts about the groom when, the day before the lavish wedding on Erik’s farm, a surprise guest from Japan, Kenji, turns everything upside down. They discover that Kenji believes...

Erik, a liberal Minnesota cattle rancher and organic farmer, is engaged to Alice, a woman out of his league. Alice is the only child of a wealthy, conservative couple with political aspirations. Jane, Alice’s mother, already has serious doubts about the groom when, the day before the lavish wedding on Erik’s farm, a surprise guest from Japan, Kenji, turns everything upside down. They discover that Kenji believes Erik is his father, possibly from a brief relationship Erik had in Japan years before. Gregory, the wedding planner, tries to bring everyone together and resolve the crises in time for the ceremony.

Even a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.— Japanese proverb

COVID Buddies

by Matt Braaten

Cast Size

2

Genre

dark comedy,

experimental,

political

Lucy needs a roommate and Hannah needs a place to stay. Both of them have secrets. Oh, and there’s a pandemic. What could go wrong? This dark comedy will hit a little close to home…but hopefully not too close! COVID Buddies is a darkly comedic one-act play about two strangers in Los Angeles who wind up living together at the beginning of the pandemic. The play has two female characters in their mid to late 30s...

Lucy needs a roommate and Hannah needs a place to stay. Both of them have secrets. Oh, and there’s a pandemic. What could go wrong? This dark comedy will hit a little close to home…but hopefully not too close! COVID Buddies is a darkly comedic one-act play about two strangers in Los Angeles who wind up living together at the beginning of the pandemic. The play has two female characters in their mid to late 30s. It was written for Zoom or a similar format, but it can also be staged. The running time is about 35 minutes.

The Deep Sea

by Matt Braaten

Cast Size

6

Genre

adventure,

drama,

movement/physical,

period

In the 10th century A.D., near the end of the Viking Age, on one of the northern most Kuril Islands, which are now part of modern day Japan, a Viking ship has docked. Three Viking warriors, the last living members of the crew, make camp. They encounter three native islanders, one man and two women. The starving and weary Vikings argue over what should be done with the natives. Deep rifts between the Viking men...

In the 10th century A.D., near the end of the Viking Age, on one of the northern most Kuril Islands, which are now part of modern day Japan, a Viking ship has docked. Three Viking warriors, the last living members of the crew, make camp. They encounter three native islanders, one man and two women. The starving and weary Vikings argue over what should be done with the natives. Deep rifts between the Viking men are revealed. As hostile invaders approach, one Viking decides to go with the natives while the other two embrace their fate and go forth to meet the invaders in battle.