Matty Selman began his career as an actor. A graduate of New York City’s High School of Performing Arts, he studied at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts, London and was  invited to join OBIE award winning actress, playwright and director, Julie Bovasso’s Master Class in playwrighting; he later studied filmmaking under the wing of Martin Scorsese at NYU Film School.

His early plays include, “Borough of Braggarts," which premiered at the WestBeth Cabaret Theatre and later toured the New York City parks under a grant from the Brooklyn Arts and Cultural Association, (BACA); and the Off-Broadway musical, "A Yankee Circus on Mars," which featured actor, John Pielmeier, who later wrote “Agnes of God.” John and Matty began a decades-long collaboration that produced 4 new works for the musical theatre: “Young Rube” (music and lyrics), based on the early years of Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist, Rube Goldberg, had its world premiere on the Main Stage at the Repertory Theater of St. Louis; “Steeplechase The Funny Place” (music and lyrics), an adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream - set in Coney Island's famous Steeplechase Amusement Park, was selected for full development at the New Harmony Project;  “Slow Dance with a Hot Pickup” (music and lyrics) , selected by CETM’s Next Wave Festival of New Musicals in Montreal and had its world premiere at The Boulder’s Dinner Theatre in Boulder, Colorado; and currently, “La Dottoressa,” (music and lyrics, co-author of book) based on the life and work of feminist, educator, doctor, mother and advocate for world peace, Maria Montessori, had a first staged reading at the Chamber Orchestra Society at Lincoln Center, featuring Angelina Fiordellisi as Maria Montessori.

Matty is the author of “Uncle Philip's Coat,” a Herbert Berghof Memorial Play, originally directed by Marcia Jean Kurtz, featuring the late actor, Larry Block; Uncle Philip’s Coat is part of the permanent collection of the Foundation for Jewish Culture. The play has been presented at such diverse venues as the Heritage Museum in New York City and The Yiddish Book Center, Amherst, Massachusetts. A filmed performance of Uncle Philip's Coat, directed by David Spital was the recipient of the 2014 CINE Golden Eagle for Independent Fiction. “Uncle Philip's Coat,” performed by Matty, won Best Production at the 2015 United Solo Theatre Festival on Theatre Row in New York City. It was directed by David Spital and featured original underscore by composer and arranger, Caryl Fantel.  Matty has been invited to join The United Solo Europe Festival to present “Uncle Philip’s Coat” in Warsaw, in 2016.

In 2002, Matty was selected by A.R.T. Founder and Artistic Director Robert Brustein to write the lyrics for “Lysistrata,” collaborating with HAIR composer Galt MacDermot. “Lysistrata” was a co-production of A.R.T. in Cambridge, MA and The Prince Music Theatre in Philadelphia, PA, starring Tony Award winner Cherry Jones.

Galt and Matty went on to write the musical, “Goddess Wheel,” which has had two concert performances at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall, and its world premiere, presented by Wagner College Theatre at The Snug Harbor Cultural Center.

Matty wrote the music and lyrics and co-authored with Iris Burnett, the new musical, “Gefilte Fish Chronicles,” inspired by the cult PBS documentary and presented at the White House as part of Jewish Heritage Month in May 2013. Matty was commissioned to write the play, “Touched by Blood,” based on the unpublished manuscript, diaries and correspondence of the late Dutch poet, scientist and artist, Leo Vroman. The play was presented at the 100th Anniversary Celebration of Dr. Vroman's life, in Gouda, NL in the Spring of 2015 and recently was included in the Tongues series at the legendary Cherry Lane Theatre in New York City.

Currently, Matty is writing “Satchel of Dreams,” a collection of stories about his childhood, growing up on Staten Island in the 1950’s and 60’s… some of which are excerpted in his monthly story-letter, “Time Out of Kilter” Matty’s parents, both veterans of WWII, met not long after his father was machine-gunned in Luxembourg during the Battle of the Bulge; his mother being his Army nurse, met him and cared for him at Halloran Veterans Hospital on Staten Island where they were married with his father in crutches.   Matty’s mother, an accomplished poet, musician and writer had a troubled childhood, taking care of her own mother who was ill for many years; thus, nursing was second nature to her, while his father, who was also extremely intelligent, an engineer, mathematician, writer and painter, managed his physical disability, which required weekly visits to the Veterans Hospital. Matty’s mother, a life-long advocate for world peace, received advanced degrees in education as both a writer and a teacher.  Each of Matty’s parents suffered from PTSD which manifested itself in ways that often held them back...Satchel of Dreams will further reflect on their colorful lives, their triumphs and disappointments, their sense of humor, humanity and infinite generosity.

Matty is proud to have served on the Board of Directors, Script Chair, of the New Harmony Project, a writers conference in New Harmony, Indiana.  Matty is a member of the Ensemble Studio Theatre Playwrights Unit, The Dramatists Guild, Actors Equity Association, as well as a writer/publisher member of ASCAP (the American Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers).

Please visit Matty’s Facebook, Twitter and his monthly newsletter for more information.