Press
Garside's Career*
Theatermania
"Garside’s Career could easily devolve into a cautionary tale for the working class: But it never does thanks to the shrewd direction of Matt Dickson, who treads the border between tragedy and satire like a particularly agile alley cat on a wire fence."
DC Theater Arts
"Under the engaging direction of Matt Dickson, an entertaining cast of nine delivers the ethical dilemmas and embraces the disparate personalities, classes, and political leanings with incisive wit and didactic humor.”
New York Stage Review
"...under Matt Dickson’s direction, faultless and stylish as the script—the actors are equally faultless and stylish. Each inhabits whatever class precisely without minimizing the others."
Lighting & Sound America
"Matt Dickson keeps things moving at a crisp, crackling pace. The set design by Christopher Swader and Justin Swader is a stylish solution for a play with three detailed locations -- a sort of warehouse, defined by brick walls and a skylight, filled with furniture that can be quickly arranged into new configurations. Dickson stages these changeovers with remarkable efficiency, featuring cast members singing period tunes such as "Solidarity Forever. Once again, the Mint proves that, in the theatre, the past remains vital and alive."
Let's Go to the Theater
"Matt Dickson directs a splendid cast in a show that scores high marks for the acting and overall production."
The Interested Bystander
"Matt Dickson’s enjoyable and pitch-perfect production of Garside's Career, with an adaptable set by Christopher and Justin Swader and Kindall Almond’s lovely costumes, is lovingly ensconced at Theatre Row, waiting for you to discover the joy of rediscovery."
Theaterlife
"Under Matt Dickson’s firm direction, the able company tackles the material head on, with vocal and emotional impact.”
*Drama Desk Nomination, Best Revival
Where Did We Sit On The Bus?
Denver Theatre Center for the Performing Arts*
Fox Colorado KDVR
“A show unlike anything you’ve seen. The staging is electric. A musical journey that is both hilarious and profoundly moving. 5 out of 5 Parente’s.”
The Denver Post
“A fleet, entertaining 80 minutes as directed by Matt Dickson. Disarmingly personable and cleverly participatory…[it] feels like a departure for the theater company, not in quality but in tone.”
CBS News Colorado
“ One of the most captivating and moving performances to play in Denver in recent memory. Bringing modern music and technology together with a story of culture and acceptance in one of the most impressive performances of the year.”
*Onstage Colorado Award
Marin Theatre Company
Talkin’ Broadway:
“Absolutely thrilling spectacle…directed with tremendous finesse and sensitivity by Matt Dickson.”
Bay Area News
“Unfolds at breakneck speed [and] leaves the audience breathless after the show’s 90-minutes. Tightly staged by Matt Dickson and with a sizable tech team, it considers the plight of immigrants and makes a potent plea to “let them in, let them in.”
Theatrius
“Thanks to the dynamic work of Scenic Designer Tanya Orellana and Lighting Designer Pablo Santiago, the stage pops with a dynamic Broadway flair. Director Matt Dickson keeps the flow moving swiftly and shines the light on their larger-than-life image.”
Marin Independent Journal
“The show seems to zoom by in the crisp staging by Matt Dickson, who also helmed the 2020 digital production.”
Cleveland Play House
Cleveland News
“Powered by a sonic environment that is more than a soundscape—it is a unique and customized sound universe, a “soundiverse,”…All that sound magic is created by Quijada, along with director Matt Dickson and sound designer Curtis Craig.”
Actors Theatre of Louisville*
Arts-Louisville
“Theater is redefined within this work. Never relying on amateur selfies within its intimate filming style, a couple of fancy camera tricks, and staging with moments of soulful songs cast a spotlight on its star performer.”
*Drama League Nomination, Outstanding Individual Production
Smart
New York Times
“The production is ably directed by Matt Dickson on the compact stage and well acted by members of the small cast, particularly Farrell, as the fog surrounding Ruth thickens and engulfs her.”
Theatermania
That’s one of the questions that Mary Elizabeth Hamilton raises in her disturbing new play / Hamilton and director Matt Dickson make this all chillingly clear while also showing us the dehumanizing effects automated technology can have, especially when we expect it to do our caring for us.
Selkie
The New York Times
"Mr. Dickson layers on some nice effects, most notably pop-culture images of idealized domesticity in projections by Yana Birykova."
Theaterscene.net
"Besides the vibrant performances, what puts it over is the superlative presentation... Knight’s spare stage directions enables director Matt Dickson free rein to create a trippy vision at a smooth pace. His vigorous staging totally energizes the material and provides a hyper environment for the actors."
Exeunt Magazine
"A surreal fever dream... with a refreshingly high-energy rhythm, and a fearless embrace of humor. Selkie is a fascinating play that’s been skillfully staged."
Theatre Is Easy
"Director Matt Dickson's vision and the cast's character choices add yet more layers. Selkie is strange, yet unique, with unspoken ideas and symbolism galore."
The Review Hub
"Dickson’s direction complements Knight’s excellent writing... Selkie is a work that manages to be both funny and thought-provoking."
Silver Men
Time Out Critics Pick ★ ★ ★ ★
"Amy Fox's elegiac Silver Men makes elegant use of veteran character-actor David Margulies, playing a wry grandfather who struggles to connect with his grandson in the wake of a death in the family."
Stage Buddy
"Helmed by director Matt Dickson, this play manages to fit so many moving parts into a satisfying catharsis."
TheaterScene
"The expert placement of the three actors and their moving performances are evidence of Matt Dickson’s finely realized direction on the relatively bare, small stage."
Carmen
Voce Di Meche
"We credit the director Matt Dickson, who applied everything he knew from the world of theater, without interfering with the singers' ability to function vocally. There were countless examples of stage business that supported the interactions of the characters and also served to establish the cultural milieu in which the characters were interacting."
Opera Today
"The scenes between Amereau and Starsky were electric, both vocally and dramatically."
Coach Darling
The New York Times
"Krista Knight's "Coach Darling" features the most visually interesting theatrical direction, by Matt Dickson, including a slow-motion soccer game and other stylized elements."
The Man-Made Rock
NYTheater.com
"The dialogue is good, the production handsome and well turned out, the acting excellent"
Playbill Featurette
War Horses Matt Dickson to Stage the Man Made Rock
Taisetsu Na Hito
Tor.com
"Leah Nanako Winkler's "Taisetsu Na Hito," was the most disturbing piece of the evening. It was hilarious...the way the humor clashed with the emotional desolation of the two human characters made it truly vivid and unsettling"
Backstage Article
Samuel French Short Play Festival Winners Announced
Happy Sauce
NYTheater.com
"Pleasantly saucy, zany and over-the-top, Happy Sauce is a fast-paced satirical farce driven at turbo speed by keeping the audience bursting out in fits of laughter."
hyreviews.com
"Kudos to director Matt Dickson for helping create such lovely chemistry—as well as ensuring the gags are pulled off with split-second timing...as far as I know, this is the best non-musical comedic cast in the festival."