Interview: Maria Patrice Amon Directs Hysterical Comedy MATT & BEN at New Village Arts

You know Matt Damon and Ben Affleck—the freshly graduated, creative duo who wrote, starred in, and eventually won an Academy Award for “Good Will Hunting.” But do you know how the movie came to be?

I don’t, but Mindy Kaling and her co-writer Brenda Withers offer a wildly imaginative alternative: what if the script didn’t come from years of effort… but instead fell straight from heaven?

Written in 2002, when Kaling was still an emerging comedian, Matt & Ben reimagines the origin story of “Good Will Hunting” with irreverence and curiosity. It tackles themes of fame, friendship, and the way audiences—and the industry—questions who gets to be considered “genius.” There’s something deeply meta about it: while poking at Matt and Ben’s rise, Kaling is simultaneously carving out her own voice. In fact, this very play helped launch her career, eventually leading to her breakout role on “The Office.”

This production is directed by Maria Patrice Amon, serving as this season’s New Village Arts Dea Hurston Professional Fellow. Amon is a Southern California–based theatre director, producer, dramaturg, and scholar whose work spans regionally acclaimed stages and culturally driven collaborations. She is also the co-Artistic Director of TuYo Theatre. Her focus on ensemble work and layered characters ties perfectly into the humor and gender exploration at the heart of Matt & Ben.

The play begins with absurdity: the Good Will Hunting script literally falls into the characters’ Boston apartment unprompted. “One believes it’s a gift from God,” Patrice explains. “The other thinks it’s a test or a curse. And then the question is: what are you going to do? Exploit it? Question it?”

For this production, two Latina women were cast: Maya Sofia Enciso as Matt Damon and Alejandra Villanueva as Ben Affleck, with Amy Pfleeger serving as Swing, giving the audience an added layer of critique. “In rehearsals, we've been having conversations about taking up space and how it’s different in a woman’s body versus a man,” shares Patrice. “How do you sit on a chair? How do you inhabit the character without erasing who you are? Or even, how do different genders tackle conflict? It sparks incredible conversations and makes for a very funny play.”

Patrice emphasizes that the goal isn’t imitation. “They don’t lower their voices or wear a men’s wig,” she says. “They’re wearing menswear, but they are still Maya and Ale—two women inhabiting these iconic Hollywood figures. The audience knows it, which sharpens the satire. It’s about critique, comedy, and joy all at once.”

The friendship at the center of the play drives the humor and the heart. “These two have been friends for ten years,” Patrice says. “They know exactly how to push each other’s buttons. Arguments erupt into sibling-like wrestling, adding an immature and silly physicality.”

Running just over an hour, Matt & Ben is fast, goofy, and endlessly playful. Patrice hopes audiences laugh, but also leave with a renewed appreciation for friendship and curiosity about how creative work comes to be.

---

Don't Miss a San Diego News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...