MATT & BEN & MINDY & BRENDA
& MAGGIE & CHRISTINA
Pensacola Little Theatre is proud to kick off 2022 with the quirky comedy Matt & Ben as part of our Studio 400 season. Written by Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers, Matt & Ben depicts the lives of Hollywood golden boys Matt Damon and Ben Affleck before they became superstars.
We meet the guys, originally played by Kaling and Withers and traditionally played by women, in their bachelor pad apartment, looking for their big break in the movie scene. That's when the script that made the duo famous, Good Will Hunting, falls from the sky and into their laps.
At the core of Matt & Ben is the message of what a lifelong friendship looks like through the years. Authors Kaling and Withers have been close friends since their days at Dartmouth and acted in the original production together with Kaling playing Ben and Withers playing Matt. Damon and Affleck have famously proclaimed their friendship dates all the way back to their roots in Boston. Similarly, the two actors tackling this show have also been friends for a very long time, and their background helps fuel the on-stage chemistry Matt & Ben demands.
Maggie Crain and Christina Cusack take on the roles of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, respectively. The two have been on stage together for years as improvisers in Pensacola's beloved improv troupe, Improvable Cause. Both actors have pretty extensive backgrounds in performing, with Crain studying Shakespeare as a teen and Cusack performing musically since childhood. However, the "I got your back" mentality of their improv background is what really helps them the most when they are on stage together.
"I think our improv bond definitely adds to our on-stage chemistry! I already feel so comfortable working with Maggie in a very vulnerable context in which neither of us knows what's coming next, so having lines and stage directions only adds to that comfort. No matter what, I know we'll have each other's back.", explains Cusack. "While we're not making up dialogue on the spot in this show, I do think we're able to use our improv skills. Improv is about more than just spontaneity; it's about listening and reacting, thinking outside the box, trusting yourself and your fellow performers, and building something unique together. And those skills translate on every stage."
Yet, beyond the message of friendship Director Billy Buff explains that audiences can look forward to an interesting perspective on fame and celebrity while getting a healthy dose of 90's nostalgia. "Matt & Ben is also a commentary on celebrity, both permanent and fleeting, loyalty, and an industry known as Hollywood. So sit back, remember the 1990s, and I hope you enjoy this production as much as we have enjoyed putting it together for you."
Matt & Ben opens this weekend. Showtimes are 1/21,22,27,28, and 29 at 7:30, with a matinee performance 1/23 at 2:30. Get tickets at the link below or call the Box Office at 850-432-2042 Monday - Friday 12-5 pm.