Libretto
Interview •
Matthew J. Ferrara
November 8, 2023
By Terrence Brunn
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Donor Spotlight Series—Meet Matt Ferrara!
Matt Ferrara attended the University of Colorado at Boulder where he studied Western Philosophy, English Literature, and Buddhism. His ongoing studies continue at the Shri K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute, in Mysore, India where he travels yearly to study philosophy and focus his yoga practice. He is originally from Pittsburgh, PA and counts cooking and the Pittsburgh Steelers among his favorite things.
In 2012, Matthew Ferrara and Rosie Herrera created the Spike Awards – an initiative seeking to illuminate and champion under-the-radar talent and encourage diversity within the contemporary American dance scene.
In his day job he works as a Financial Advisor at Northwestern Mutual, but we were able to catch up with him recently. Hear more from Matt in our interview with him below!
Miami Light Project: Hey Matt—On a Scale of 1 to 10, how much do you love MLP?
Matthew Ferrara: 10.8 out of 10!
MLP: and why?
MF: I go to MLP shows ‘blind’; I purposefully do not read the summary or blurb of the performance – I just go when they have a show and I am free that night. That little leap of faith has led to countless mind-expanding discoveries that, had I left it up to my preconception of what I ‘like’, would never have occurred. (Also, because ‘108’ is my favorite number.)
MLP: What are you currently obsessed with?
MF: the music of Mitski, merino wool, the Maillard reaction
(and, apparently, alliteration)
MLP: Approximately how many MLP Shows have you seen?
MF: (I see what you are doing here… I am 46 yrs old…)
Around 85-90, I would guess.
MLP: What’s a song that can always make you cry?
MF: Rihanna poorly auto-tuned
MLP: What’s the most interesting thing you have seen at MLP?
MF: Rehearsals
MLP: Most special MLP memory?
MF: Seeing Rosie Herrera’s production of “Dining Alone” at the Arsht black box; the Nu Deco Ensemble/ Global Cuba Fest collaboration; bearing witness to Teo Castellanos’ haberdashery.
MLP: What is the most interesting thing that you’ve learned recently?
MF: sound = touch at a distance
MLP: Why do you support MLP?
MF: doing nice things for people I care about makes me feel good.
MLP: What is a simple pleasure you couldn’t live without?
MF: Fried artichoke hearts.
MLP: What’s your favorite discipline to see at the theater?
MF: I like the classically flowy, dance-y stuff best.
MLP: Something you don’t do that you should do?
MF: Alternative milk
Author
Terrence Brunn
A native of St. Thomas, US Virgin Island, Terrence Brunn is an arts administrator and designer with a B.A. in Business Management from the University of Miami. Terrence Brunn joined MLP in 2012 as part of the Miami Light Project’s Technical Fellowship Program inaugural class where he explored all aspects of stagecraft. Now Terrence is the communications manager for Miami Light Project and the program coordinator for Miami Theater Center. Terrence currently resides in Miami and enjoys traveling when not working.
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