Tacoma, WA – Puget Sound Revels is thrilled to announce our new Stage Director, Michelle Matlock! Michelle is a performing artist, director, teacher, producer and creative coach. She has been a member of our creative team since 2019, bringing incredible energy to our stage productions and community events, and spearheading Our Truths, a beautiful annual event for listening to and witnessing the artistic expressions of BIPOC folks in our community.
Michelle founded Circle Up Productions (CUP), a live entertainment and performing arts education company, serving the Pacific Northwest and beyond. She currently directs the Tacoma Light Trail and is also an adjunct faculty member at Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theater. Michelle has been in entertainment for over 25 years and was recently awarded an NEA Grant to revive her critically acclaimed solo show The Mammy Project, presented by Kansas City Fringe Presents in October 2023. She was the first African American Person to create a main character for Cirque du Soleil, and she toured the world with Cirque’s big top show OVO for close to 10 years. She continues to direct and teach across the nation. Michelle has been traveling and researching in preparation for The Midwinter Revels® 2024 production, which presents a new theme every year and draws from traditional and folk music, dance, drama, customs, and rituals. This year, our theme is Yuletide in Seneca Village! This historic village was founded by formerly enslaved and free African Americans in the 1820’s, and later attracted Irish and German immigrants who were also escaping racism and discrimination. The village thrived as a hub of cultural exchange that was unique for the time period. Community members bought and owned land, and they built homes, churches, schools, and gardens. In the 1850’s,
New York City destroyed the village and displaced its residents in order to carve out land for Central Park. Some artifacts have been recovered, but much of the village now only exists in song, story, and memory. As a celebration of its history, our 2024 Midwinter Revels production will bring Seneca Village back to life through vibrant folk song, dance, and story. Auditions will be held in May – check our website or join our email list to stay informed.
Puget Sound Revels will bring many exciting activities to our community in 2024. Coming up in the next few months, we’ll be hosting Pub Sings in both Tacoma and Seattle, educational workshops through our new Revels Education Programs, and a huge May Day celebration in Wright Park. We are partnering with organizations like T.U.P.A.C. and other local artists and performers. Through all of our revelry, we love to celebrate the rich tapestry of our artistic community throughout the Puget Sound region.
