Prentiss Matthews III is a playwright, director, actor, and singer who made quite an impression after we met a few months back. I wanted to learn more about his work, artistic vision, and his approach to his craft. He graciously agreed to sit down and chat with me. Here is what we discussed.

Charles: So Prentiss, could you tell our readers about yourself?

Prentiss: Yes. Hi, my name is Prentiss Matthews III. My pronouns are he and his. I am originally from Atlanta, Georgia. I was raised in Paulding County. And I recently graduated from college last May with my BFA in Theatre with an emphasis on Musical Theatre—during the pandemic, so that was fun. I am a playwright, director, and actor. I’m also a singer. I'm speaking that into existence because I do sing, but I don't tell people often. I like to create art that is pro-Black, pro-LGBT, and progressive. That's the type of work that I do.

Charles: One thing we wanted to talk about was your upcoming participation in a project at Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theater called Dihvinely Konnecked Commissions. Could you share with the readers a bit about how that came about? And what will your project be as part of this Dihvinely Konnecked Commissions initiative? 

Prentiss: I was a production intern at True Colors in 2019. After my internship, I kept up with the company, and I learned about the Dihvinely Konnecked Commissions and had to sign up. They chose ten artists, and I was one artist they chose. They commissioned us to do a piece that talks about joy and pain in the Black community. And so with my piece, I submitted a scene from my recent play called "The Gay Roommate," a dramedy about two roommates who are at odds because they come from two different worlds. One roommate is straight (Rod), and the other roommate is gay (Mathias). The play touches on themes of homophobia, self-acceptance, friendship, and personal growth. This play is very close to me because it was inspired by some true events I experienced while I was in college. 

I lived in a student living apartment off-campus with assigned roommates. I didn't know them, nor did they know me. I lived there for two years, and I dealt with a lot of bullying, homophobia, and disrespect. I got no solace or relief from the abuse. My roommates at the time did not seem to attempt to get to know me because they only focused on my queerness; later, I discovered that my roommates only referred to me as “the gay roommate,” which was painful to hear at the time because that showed me that my queerness was all that they saw and I am so much more than my sexuality. So, I turned to my art to tell my story, to heal, and to seek clarity from the situation. 

The scene that I submitted for the Dihvinely Konnecked Commissions depicts the pain of being black and gay in a space that does not celebrate but berates it. This scene fits the joy and pain theme for True Colors because it shines a light on homophobia in the black community and what it looks like. I named the play The Gay Roommate on purpose to take the sting out of that horrible nickname and use it as a badge of empowerment, which brought me joy. Yes, I am the gay roommate; I am also fabulous, Black, beautiful, bold, and gay, and there is nothing wrong with that at all. Abusers don't define me. I define myself.  

Charles: What does it mean for you being a Black gay man and an artist from the South?

Prentiss: It's a lot of code-switching. It's a lot. I feel like being a Black gay artist in the South; you have to become a good actor. There is no way that you can avoid not being a good actor because I pretended to be straight for 18 years. You know how to act to avoid discrimination. And it is hard. And that impacts my art. Because even with "The Gay Roommate," it's not a coming-out story. Matthias is already out. He's already had that moment. Now he's trying to learn how to live as an openly gay Black man. With the coming-out part, we already see stories about people coming out, you know, and I think they're great, they're valid. But, I want to see more stories on how queer men of color navigate the world, find love, find work, develop long-lasting friendships, and exist without constant trauma.  

Charles: What stories do you most want to tell? What are some stories, experiences that you want to share with the world?

Prentiss: I want to share the nuances of what it's like, as a queer person moving in the world. And beyond just queer stories, I also want to tell stories about Black fantasy. Even in my Christmas play, 'Twas the Night Before Bah-humbug, it is a modern adaptation from the Charles Dickens classic but with a contemporary multicultural twist about a Black boy named Preston who hates Christmas. Preston finds out that he's the modern Scrooge in the play, and he goes on this whimsical journey of self-discovery and acceptance. I believe black kids deserve to have an imagination, and I want to see more black folks from all backgrounds healing and experiencing joy and growth. I'm big on mental health. I'm big on queer representation. I am big on Black representation and Black fantasy. Like, I want to see some Black fairy princesses. I want to see Black mermaids and more Black witches. I also want to see some queer superheroes as well. So, I want to do stories that change the narrative and make people think. I have so many stories in my head that I want to get out, and eventually, I will get them on paper, so stay tuned!

Charles: Tell us about your future projects. What can you share with us about what you're working on?  

Prentiss: I want to fully flesh out "The Gay Roommate" and get it produced somewhere. I do want "The Gay Roommate" to be on stage. That is a goal of mine two or three years from now, to have it fully produced. Either I have a theatre company to produce it, or I save the money to produce it myself. I want my Christmas play "Twas the Night Before Bah Humbug" turned into a musical. That is another goal that I have. Lastly, my ultimate goal is to build a community, create quality art, and create safe spaces for Black and Queer artists.

Charles Stephens: And that is the perfect ending.