Honor Society® member
Adrianna Alicia Matthews
Artist in Residence/ Graduate Assistant for University of Texas Summer Study Abroad Program at Florence Italy
- University of Texas at Austin
- Drama and Theatre for Youth and Communities
- Class of 2018
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Member since February 2016
About
My name is Adrianna A. Matthews. I am a thriving young theatre artist, educator, and playwright. This is my first year/ second semester attending the University of Texas at Austin. I am enrolled in DTYC Drama and Theatre for Youth and Communities, pursuing a M.F.A degree. I love the arts. I love writing. I love learning. I love teaching. I love working with both children and adults, helping them to explore their own creativity/ identity/ knowledge through artistry, scholarship, and pedagogy. Two majors goals of mine that I plan on pursuing within my graduate program are: to create work/ explore issues around the subject of colorism being a negative growth impact within Black, Latino, Native American, and Asian youth and Communities. My second goal is connected to advocating and promoting work for artist with disabilities. As well as creating work that discusses disability awareness and how the arts can help create a healthier, happier, living environment for someone who may be struggling with a disorder or a disease. These two subject matters/ interest have developed due to my life experience living in an environment where colorism was a major issue in my youth and childhood upbringing. As well living with a disability, and being around others who I've seen experience disability cruelty, has inspired me to want to create and make work that will help support and change the ways that these issues are being represented and acknowledged around children.
Education
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University of Texas at Austin
Drama and Theatre for Youth and Communities
2015 – 2018
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University of Arts in Philadelphia
Directing/Playwriting/Production
2014 – 2015
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The Pennsylvania State University
Theatre performance and Playwriting
2008 – 2012
Honors and awards
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2015-2018 recipient of The University of Texas at Austin Diversity fellowship
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2008-2012 recipient of The Benjamin & Fredora K. Wolf Memorial Scholarship Foundation 2008-2012 recipient of The Benjami
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2008 recipient of Philadelphia’s Corporation Scholarship 2008 recipient of Philadelphia’
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2008 recipient of the Penn State University Philadelphia Chapter Scholarship Award 2008 recipient of the Penn State Un
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2008-2009 recipient of Penn State Schuylkill’s Trustee Scholarship
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2008-2012 recipient of the Gear of Scholarship Grant 2008-2012 recipient of the Gear of Sch
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2008-2012 recipient of Penn Towne Links Corporation Scholarship 2008-2012 recipient of Penn Towne Links C
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2008-2012 recipient of the Board of Directors of City Trusts Scholarship 2008-2012 recipient of the Board of Directors of Ci
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2008-2010 recipient of Academic Competitiveness Grant Scholarship 2008-2010 recipient of Academ
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2015-2016 A recipient of COFA College of Fine Arts Scholarship for Dance and Theatre
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2008-2010 recipient of Charley Wootan scholarship Grant 2008-2010 recipien
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2010’s Penn State Berks recipient for Cohen Theatre Scholarship 2010’s Penn State Berks recipient for
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2011’s recipient of Penn State’s The School of Theatre general Scholarship 2011’s recipient of Penn State’s The School of Theatr
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2011’s Penn State’s The School of Theatre recipient of the Frances Foster award
Excellence in Acting and Promoting Diversity
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2012’s Winner at Penn State University’s NAACP Showtime at Apollo singing competition
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2014’s University of the Arts Promising Artist Scholarship recipient
Outstanding Achievement in the Arts Philadelphia PA
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2008 recipient of the Cecil B Way Scholarship
Goals and interests
- Career goal
I want to teach drama. I want to also become an established producing playwright. I want to work at a college/ University that will allow me privileges to travel out to schools throughout the country, recruiting minority/non-minority students in both poor/wealthy economic institutions as advocates to help stop and decrease the negative impact of colorism being presented in our society. In addition, I also want to create an outreach program that promotes and advocates disability awareness. As well as support those who may live with a disability, and help provide opportunities for them to share their stories out to the world through the use of drama and pedagogy. My goal is to provide support and give a voice to those who struggle and battle with the unjust, behavior and mistreatment of these ongoing problematic issues that is harming us as a world.
- Graduate school interests
I am currently enrolled in graduated school, through the College of Fine Arts, Department of Theatre and Dance Studies. My M.F.A program Drama and Theatre for Youth and Communities is a three-year program. Once I graduate I do have high hopes of pursuing a PhD degree possibility in Education. It all depends on my research exploration and credentials that I am currently in the process of working on. Ohio State University is one possible school of interests although I am not sure about that yet. The deeper I get involved in my research the more I’ll know.
- Outside the classroom
Cooking, singing, writing poetry, playwriting, modeling, performing theatre.
Experience
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Artist in Residence/ Graduate Assistant for University of Texas Summer Study Abroad Program
Florence Italy
Jun 2016 – Jul 2016
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Teaching Assistant for Creative Drama 1
University of Texas at Austin Theatre Studies Department, Austin Texas
Aug 2015 – Dec 2015
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Work-study student/ Office Assistant/ Teacher
Blair Christian Academy Philadelphia PA
Feb 2015 – Jun 2015
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House Manager
Penn’s Landing Playhouse Sea Port Museum Philadelphia PA
Apr 2014 – Jun 2014
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Theatre teaching artist
Philadelphia Arts Education Partnership PAEP Philadelphia Partnership through University of Arts
Mar 2014 – Jun 2015
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Audience Manager
Audience Manager for Rebelyard Theatre Collectives Philadelphia PA
Nov 2012 – May 2013
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Drama Teacher
Congreso Latino Unidos One Bright Ray Community High School Philadelphia PA
Sep 2012 – Feb 2013
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Operations Coordinator, and House Manager
University Of Pennsylvania Perelman Quadrangle PUL Performing Arts Facilities & Events Management, Philadelphia PA
Aug 2012 – Aug 2015
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Standardized Patient
Penn State University School of Nursing, University Park PA
Jan 2012 – May 2012
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Drama/theatre teaching artist
Little Rebels Theatre Program at RebelYard Theatre Summer 2012 Philadelphia PA
Jul 2011 – Aug 2011
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Drama Teacher
Congreso Latino Unidos Summer Camp Philadelphia PA
Jul 2011 – Aug 2011
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Assistant in Art History Department
Art History Department at Penn State University
Jun 2011 – May 2012
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Assistant in Architecture Department
Architecture Department at Penn State University
Aug 2010 – Dec 2010
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Theatre work-study student
Penn State Berks Theatre Department
Jan 2010 – May 2010
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Work-study student
Penn State Schuylkill’s Development Office
Aug 2009 – Dec 2009
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Work-study student
Penn State Schuylkill Library
Aug 2009 – Dec 2009
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Theatre work-study student
Work-study at the Walnut Street Theatre
Jun 2009 – Aug 2010
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Church assistant
Philadelphia Deliverance Tabernacle Philadelphia PA
Sep 2007 – May 2008
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Student Office assistant
Martin Luther King High School Philadelphia PA
Sep 2007 – Jun 2008
Volunteering
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Playwright and performer
UT Austin Diversity Workshop for Undergrad + Graduate Student Collaboration
Feb 2016 – Feb 2018
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Presenter
UIL Super Conference University Interscholastic League Performance Ensemble Improvisation workshop University of Texas at Austin
Oct 2015 – Oct 2018
Languages
- English (US) Advanced
Additional information
Organizations
