Plays:
EL COQUÍ ESPECTACULAR AND THE BOTTLE OF DOOM
PRINCESS CLARA OF LOISAIDA
SAINTS GO MARCHING
INFALLIBILITY
THE VENETIANS
STOO’S FAMOUS MARTIAN-AMERICAN GUMBO
Synopses:
El Coquí Espectacular and the Bottle of Doom Alex, a comic book artist whose ideas might be “too Puerto Rican,” has begun secretly dressing up as his creation: El Coquí Espectacular, defender of Nuyoricans in all five boroughs! When his brother Joe is fired from a project for not being Puerto Rican enough, the two, with the help of a young photographer named Yesica, hatch a plan: to debut El Coquí at the Puerto Rican Day Parade and prove themselves to the world. El Coquí Espectacular and the Bottle of Doom examines the ways in which we define our heritage and ourselves.
Princess Clara of Loisaida With Mamá long gone and Papá catatonic (and only able to sing old sitcom theme songs), aspiring baseball player and high school super-senior José finds himself in charge of his video-game obsessed little sister, Clara. Scraping by together on the Lower East Side, the siblings try to stay distracted from their bleak reality through José’s fanciful stories: that she was a fairy princess of a magical realm, left in Central Park for their parents to find. Unbeknownst to him, Fefu, a magical fairy scout embedded in New York to keep an eye out for the lost princess when she comes of age, has identified her target to bring her home. When the siblings realize José’s stories might be true – that, in fact, he may be making them come true – Clara is faced with a choice, and José will fight a magical battle for his sister’s destiny.
Saints Go Marching Jo’s grandfather—a decorated veteran—has died, leaving emotional wreckage and unpaid debts in his wake. As she prepares for the funeral, Jo’s heart is set on keeping grandpa’s burial flag; to get it, she’ll have to deal with her despondent mother, an attempted exorcism, and competition from a secret aunt young enough to be her little sister. It won’t be easy, but nothing an aspiring saint like Jo can’t handle. Infallibility After being whisked off to Rome and tricked into playing a role in an infamous trial, aspiring actor Carlo has been thrown in a dungeon, guilty of committing a crime on behalf of the corrupt and vulgar medieval Pope Stephen VI, who has become obsessed with undoing his predecessor’s work. (Sound like anyone you know?) With the help of Saint Genesius – the Patron Saint of Actors, Clowns, and Lawyers – Carlo must perform the story of how he wound up in this situation, regain his faith, and find a happy ending. Based on the true story of the Cadaver Synod.
The Venetians Othello, the Moorish general, wants to give his beloved Desdemona the beautiful secret wedding she deserves… but that means borrowing ducats. Unfortunately for him, the Jewish moneylender Shylock has spent too long among the terrible people of Venice to see this marriage as anything but a death sentence for Othello. Unbeknownst to Shylock, however, his own daughter has begun an illicit romance that may bring the whole world crashing down on all their heads. A crossover between Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice and The Tragedy of Othello, The Venetians uses two classical outsiders to ask questions about immigration, assimilation, national identity, and what acceptance truly means.
Stoo’s Famous Martian-American Gumbo Stoo is a Martian boy who discovers that he can’t grow his favorite fruit from Mars now that his family lives on Earth. Together with his diverse group of human friends, Stoo sets out to invent a brand new “special food” from delicious things on Earth. The result is a “Martian-American gumbo” – and a tale about the unifying power of friendship, music, and sharing a meal.
Bio:
Matt Barbot is a writer from Brooklyn, NY. His play El Coquí Espectácular and the Bottle of Doom received its world premiere at Two River Theater in January of 2018. His play Infallibility was produced as part of the 2013 New York International Fringe Festival, where it was named one of Indie Theater Now’s Best of FringeNYC 2013. Princess Clara of Loisaida was a finalist for the Latinx Theatre Commons’ 2018 Carnaval of New Latinx Work, as well as for the 2018 Columbia@Roundabout New Play Series. Saints Go Marching was a semifinalist for the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference. The Venetians was one of three plays included in Roundabout Theatre Company’s Columbia@Roundabout 2019 New Play Reading Series. Recently, his short play “A List of Some Shit I’ve Killed” was published as part of the Red Bull Theater’s anthology Red Bull Shorts Volume III.
Additionally, Matt has worked with comic book creator Edgardo Miranda Rodriguez as an editor and co-writer for Darryl Makes Comics’ DMC, as well as Somos Arte’s La Borinqueña. Matt received his MFA from Columbia University, and is currently a NYTW 2050 Fellow and a member of The Civilians’ R&D Group.