Gary De Mattei is an Actor, Director, Producer, Writer, and Filmmaker living in New York City. He is the co-founder and former Producing Artistic Director of Theatre On San Pedro Square (TOSPS) (1999-2008) in San Jose, CA. While at TOSPS, Mr. De Mattei co-produced, presented, and/or directed over 50 professional theater, music, and dance productions. Gary is currently the Founder and Producing Artistic Director of The Artist’s Theater Repertory Ensemble (TheATRE) (2006 to Present).
A proud member of Actor’s Equity Association, Gary has worked extensively in the theatre and was recently seen on the New York stage in Bad Hemingway By The Bay, at the Huron Club in the SOHO Playhouse in Manhattan. Other New York stage credits include the role of Jacque/Polluter/Joe in the reading of the musical, Beyond What Can Be Seen, (with a book by Micheal Wolk, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, music by Marc Lessard and Guy Dubuc (AKA Bob and Bill) produced by Gorgeous Entertainment, directed by West Hyler, and starring Jarrod Spector); the role of Artie in a reading of the play, Hurlyburly, (directed by Pitr Strait and produced by the Rapetata Theatre Company); the role of Isaac in the play, No One Asked Me, (written by Kate Ballen and directed by Matthew Newton) which performed at New York’s International Fringe Festival. Due to its artistic and critical acclaim, No One Asked Me was one of thirteen plays (out of several hundred) picked to perform off-Broadway in The Fringe Encore Series at The Soho Playhouse; he played the role of Derrick in a staged reading of the new play, Time to Go, which was written by Daniel J. O’Donnell and directed by George Morfogen, and performed at the famed HB Playwrights Theatre in Greenwich Village. Gary recently revived the role of Derrick in January of 2024 at the Actor’s Studio Theatre. Some other New York City credits: New York Summerfest Theater Festival production of The Sign Of The Times, a play by Howard Zuckerman, originating the role of Richard Deeds II; Cliff, in The Lucy Nightmare by Charles Scott Jones. (the staged reading was Directed by Jonathan Warman); Ben Brish, in The Korb Brother’s musical, Marry Me, at The New York Musical Theater Festival (directed by The Korb Brothers). Gary can also be heard as Ben on the Marry Me concept album.
A San Francisco Bay Area native, Gary has appeared in, directed, produced, and/or choreographed over a hundred theatrical productions. He received a San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award Best Actor nomination for his portrayal of Fiorello H. La Guardia in the musical, Fiorello! for The Foothill Music Theater (FMT). An alumnus of the California Theatre Center and the American Musical Theatre of San Jose, Mr. De Mattei was the recipient of the Elizabeth Strain Scholarship Award for Acting Excellence, The Russ Conn Scholarship Award for Technical Theater excellence, and three American Musical Theatre Ginny Awards for outstanding achievement by an actor.
Also a playwright, Mr. De Mattei’s most recent play, Bad Hemingway By The Bay: A Bad Memory Play, a two-act comedy-drama set in 1980’s San Francisco, had a recent staged reading at The Huron Club in the SOHO Playhouse in Manhattan. The play is about R.T. Dickman, a writer and performance artist forced to make his living in the restaurant business in order to fund his obsession to be, Bad Hemingway By The Bay! The play will have a full production in New York in 2024. Gary is also the author of the play with music, Eating Dis Order, Eating Dat Order which spoofs food shows and fad diets and ran for 7 months at Theatre On San Pedro Square in San Jose.
A restauranteur and professionally trained chef, Gary has conceived, opened and/or operated several unique restaurant, bar and entertainment concepts in the Bay Area.
Gary also serves as Creative Director for Responsible Eating And Living (REAL), a New York City based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit company co-founded by himself and his partner, Caryn Hartglass.
Gary’s acting studies are ongoing at HB Studio in New York. He has studied at “HB” with Austin Pendleton, Jessica Hecht, Caroline Aaron, Laura Esterman, and Arthur French.