MATT HOVERMAN
Matt Hoverman is a Drama Desk-nominated comedic playwright and Emmy, Humanitas and Sentinel Award-winning TV writer.
As a playwright, Matt’s witty, farcical comedies include Puck’d: A Middle-Aged Summer Night’s Dream, The Glint: A Mean Little Comedy, Who You See Here, Thrillsville, In Transit and Christmas Shorts – which have been given starry readings on and off-Broadway featuring actors like Jean Smart, Michael McKean, Cecily Strong, Edie Falco, Hank Azaria, Debra Messing, Beau Bridges, Alicia Silverstone, Julie Halston and Christina Ricci. Matt’s plays have also been produced/developed by the La Jolla Playhouse, George Street Playhouse, Huntington Stage, Guild Hall, Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse, the Transport Group, Naked Angels, The Acting Company, the City Theatre (FL), Ojai Playwrights Conference, Berkshire Playwrights Lab and the Edward Albee Foundation. In addition to being nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Musical (as a co-book writer of the Transport Group’s The Audience), Matt won the FringeNYC Best Playwriting Award (In Transit) and the Samuel French OOB Short Play Festival (The Student). Matt also co-wrote magician David Copperfield’s Vegas show and penned the book (and some lyrics) for Disneyland Paris’ live stage musical Disney Junior Dream Factory.
As a TV writer, Matt’s thoughtful work in children’s animation has been recognized with an Emmy, the Humanitas Prize and the Sentinel Award – as well as nominations for Annie, NAMIC and GLAAD Awards (three times). For Disney Junior: RoboGobo (co-ep/story editor/developed), Firebuds (story editor), Fancy Nancy (for which he created Disney Junior’s first character on the autism spectrum and their first LGBTQ+ kid character), Sofia the First (for which he created Disney’s first princess with a disability), Spidey and His Amazing Friends and Goldie & Bear. For PBS: Arthur and Curious George (including a special commemorating the 75th anniversary of the book series).
Matt’s short comic film (for grown ups) Any Day Now was an Official Selection of 30 USA and International film festivals, including Spain’s 2015 Festival of Aguilar de Campoo, where it won the Audience Award for Best Short Film, the Young Jury Award and a “Special Jury Mention.”
Also an actor, Matt’s credits include the La Jolla Playhouse, Yale Rep, The Acting Company (national tour), the Women’s Project, Late Night with Conan O’Brien and many villainous voice-overs on the cartoons Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Sonic X, Shaman King, The WinX Club, Sofia the First, Viva Piñata, Dinosaur King, One Piece, The Harlock Saga, Chaotic, Cubix and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Finally, as a teacher, Matt has midwived hundreds of solo shows in his popular Go-Solo workshops, including winners of the 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012 & 2013 FringeNYC Best Solo Show Awards (to name a few).
Education: Brown University: BA in Playwriting; University of California, San Diego: MFA in Acting.