NVA to Stage Hollywood Satire MATT & BEN This Spring

New Village Arts will produce the San Diego Regional Premiere of MATT & BEN, the two-handed, fast-paced comedy that imagines a wildly fictionalized origin story for Hollywood's favorite writing duo: Matt Damon & Ben Affleck. Performances on the Ray Charles Stage will run MARCH 27th through April 26th at the Dea Hurston New Village Arts Center in Carlsbad Village. Previews are March 27th through April 3rd, with an Opening Night champagne reception and Handel's Ice Cream on SATURDAY, APRIL 4th. Dea Hurston Industry Night will be held on Monday, April 20th, 2026.

This clever satire offers a fictional take on the start of two extraordinary careers. Before they were a household name, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were just two best friends trying to make it. But when the screenplay for Good Will Hunting mysteriously falls from the sky and lands in their Boston apartment, the duo must grapple with destiny, impostor syndrome, and the sudden possibility of stardom. Written by television and comedy powerhouse Mindy Kaling (THE OFFICE, THE MINDY PROJECT) alongside Brenda Withers, MATT & BEN is a loving, irreverent send-up of ambition, friendship, and the myths we build around success.

This production is helmed by PATRICE AMON, serving as this season's Dea Hurston Professional Fellow. Amon is a Southern California based theatre director, producer, dramaturg, and scholar whose work ranges across regionally acclaimed stages and culturally driven collaborations. She is co-Artistic Director of TuYo Theatre, where she champions Latinx voices and new work, and has served as a National Directing Fellow and board member for the National New Play Network. Amon's directing credits include productions at Urbanite Theatre, Passage Theatre, Diversionary Theatre, UC San Diego, and other notable companies, bringing deep artistic curiosity and intentional storytelling that amplifies diverse perspectives. As a Dea Hurston Fellow, Amon brings this rich creative vision and community focus to the Ray Charles Stage, guiding MATT & BEN with energy, insight, and commitment to dynamic ensemble work.

“In our production of Matt & Ben, two brilliant women of color inhabit the roles of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck to playfully remix the myth of the Hollywood boy genius. Using these familiar icons as a lens, we will approach this sharp comedy as an exploration of who gets access to success, recognition, and creative power. The result will be a funny, irreverent staging that invites audiences to laugh while reconsidering the stories we tell about genius — and who gets to claim it.” says Amon.

The Dea Hurston Professional Fellowship advances New Village Arts' commitment to mentorship, access, and equitable opportunity in the arts. Created to address the scarcity of paid professional opportunities for women, BIPOC, and other underrepresented theatre artists and students in San Diego County, the program supports emerging leaders with hands-on professional experience on a fully realized mainstage production. Across high school, college, and professional levels, the Dea Hurston Fellowship fosters mentorship, collaboration, and meaningful industry connections, empowering participants to grow their craft, expand networks, and contribute to inclusive theatre-making in our region. The Dea Hurston Fellowship is graciously sponsored by US Bank.

Amon's all-star creative team includes more than seven New Village Arts debuts, including: scenic design by JESUS HURTADO, lighting design by STEPHANIE MAALONA, sound design by ZOE YAHRLING, and fight choreography by FREDY GOMEZ CRUZ (recently seen onstage in LA HAVANA MADRID in 2025). Acting as assistant to Amon is ISADORA SWANN, and assistant to Resident Stage Manager, NATHAN WAITS, is Assistant Stage Manager & Props Designer ANDREA MORIN FERNANDEZ. Costumes are designed by CHARLIE AMON (who last costumed our 2024 production of FUN HOME) with Costume Assistant MARYKATE REEVES-HOCHE. NVA's Artistic Producer, KALI BOSTON will provide dialect coaching. Scenic painting will be completed by ZACHARY ELLIOTT, and GREG ERTEL will serve as Master Carpenter.

MATT & BEN will star MAYA SOFIA ENCISO as Matt Damon and ALEJANDRA VILLANUEVA as Ben Affleck, with AMY PFLEEGER serving as Swing. All three performers are making their New Village Arts debuts. Enciso (Damon), a proud Tijuanense actor and musician, has appeared at the La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, TuYo Theatre, Teatro San Diego, with additional regional work at The Coterie Theatre and El Portal Theatre. Villanueva's (Affleck) credits include multiple Globe for All productions at The Old Globe, as well as work with New Swan Shakespeare Festival and TuYo Theatre. She holds a B.A. in Theatre from University of Southern California. “This project feels wildly full circle for me. I read about Mindy Kaling's journey with ‘Matt & Ben' in high school and dreamed of building a career like hers, so stepping into this play now feels serendipitous in the best way. Getting to play Boston's own Ben Affleck while exploring friendship, ambition, and big dreams with a director like Patrice, whom I trust so deeply, makes it even sweeter. It feels especially fitting to do this alongside Maya Sofia because, like Matt and Ben, we are two ambitious dreamers who push each other, believe in each other, and are not afraid to dream big." says Villanueva (Ben Affleck).