Matthew Lopez (writer)

Matthew López is an American playwright, director and screenwriter.

The play examines the unique occurrence of Passover in 1865 beginning the day after Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox.

It explores the meaning of freedom and the various ways people are enslaved — to addictions, to prejudices.

In his The New York Times review Charles Isherwood called the play "emotionally potent, almost surreal in the layers of meaning it conjures."

Braugher and Holland both earned critical acclaim for their performances.

The play, featuring a majority Latin cast, concerns a theatrical family living in Manhattan in 1959, as West Side Story captured the zeitgeist.

The proposed construction of Lincoln Center and the ensuing demolition of their neighborhood leaves the family to fight for their home and their dreams.

Somewhere was directed by Giovanna Sardelli, and featured Matthew López's aunt Priscilla López.

Critics lauded the production, comparing López's writing to Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie.

The story of Somewhere has roots in López's family history.

His father was an extra in the 1961 film adaptation of West Side Story, and appears on screen in the playground, just after the prologue

López's breakout play The Whipping Man debuted at Luna Stage in Montclair, New Jersey in 2006 and premiered Off-Broadway at the Manhattan Theatre Club on February 1, 2011, directed by Doug Hughes and starring Andre Braugher and Andre Holland.

The Off-Broadway production of The Whipping Man was extended four times, and won the 2011 Obie Award for Performance (Braugher) and the 2011 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lighting Design.

López won the John Gassner New Play Award.

The Whipping Man is set in Richmond, Virginia in the immediate aftermath of the American Civil War and concerns two recently freed slaves encountering their former master.

The former slaves, like their former master, identify as Jewish.

Somewhere premiered at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego in September 2011, before moving to Hartford Stage, Hartford, Connecticut.

Matthew López was the Playwright-in-Residence at the Old Globe Theatre.

Between 2012 and 2016, The Whipping Man was one of the most widely produced plays in America.

The Legend of Georgia McBride debuted at Denver Center for the Performing Arts in 2014, and premiered Off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in 2015.

The play tells the story of Casey, a down-on-his-luck Elvis impersonator who is induced to turn his jumpsuits into dresses and become a drag queen.

The play toggles between quippy comedy and show-stopping dance numbers, with Charles Isherwood of The New York Times commenting that the play was "full of sass and good spirits – along with a spritz or two of sentimentality."

López's next play Reverberation premiered at Hartford Stage, Hartford, Connecticut running from February 19, 2015, to March 15, directed by Maxwell Williams and starring Luke Macfarlane.

The story follows Jonathan, a young gay New Yorker, who spends increasingly more time holed up in his Astoria apartment following a violent attack that has left him afraid to go out into the world.

He is befriended by his new upstairs neighbor, Claire, a Holly Golightly-like character who, despite her active social life, is just as afraid and lonely as Jonathan.

The play examines how violence – against women, against the LGBTQ community – impacts the lives of those both directly and indirectly affected by it.

Charles Isherwood of The New York Times writes that "the play is marked by a perceptiveness about the echoing loneliness that many urban dwellers live with."

His play The Inheritance, directed by Stephen Daldry, premiered at London's Young Vic in 2018, where it was called "the most important American play of the century."

In February 2018, New Regency announced it was developing the film adaptation of the play in association with Jim Parsons ' production company.

López's play The Inheritance, directed by Stephen Daldry, premiered London's Young Vic Theatre in 2018, where it was hailed by The Daily Telegraph as "the most important American play of the century."

It transferred to the West End later that year, and opened on Broadway In 2019.

The Inheritance is the most honored American play in a generation, sweeping the "Best Play" awards in both London and New York including the Tony Award, Olivier Award, Drama Desk Award, Evening Standard Award, London Critics Circle Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama League Award, WhatsOnStage Award, and the Southbank Sky Arts Award.

He is the first Latino writer to win the Tony Award for Best Play.

In 2023, López received a second Tony Award nomination for co-writing the book of the musical adaptation of the classic film Some Like It Hot, which received the most nominations of any show that season.

His two Broadway productions have been nominated for 24 Tony Awards, winning 8, including three acting awards (Andrew Burnap for Best Actor in a Play; J Harrison Ghee for Best Actor in a Musical; Lois Smith for Best Featured Actress in a play. )

In 2023, Lopez made his feature directing debut with Red, White and Royal Blue, which he also adapted from the novel by Casey McQuiston.

The film was both a critical and commercial success, debuting at #1 for several weeks on Amazon Prime.

In New York, López's work has been seen off-Broadway with The Whipping Man and The Legend of Georgia McBride. Other works include Somewhere, Reverberation, The Sentinels and Zoey's Perfect Wedding.

López was born in Panama City, Florida to two public school teachers.

His father, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is the older brother of actor Priscilla López.