Hello There!

My name is Matthew Keaton, and I’m a Musical Theatre Professional living in New York City. I’m continuing on my journey with an original musical that I wrote, The SOULdiers. The show has been accepted to the Fall 2022 Emerging Artists Theatre New Works Series Festival here in New York City! This is a HUGE step for me on my artistic journey. My show will premiere one night at the festival, and that date will be determined very soon. The SOULdiers, at the festival, will be a staged reading and sing-through. So you will see and hear actors on stage and experience a GREAT time. I will also be inviting producers, investors, artistic directors, and theatre representatives to my show. This festival is my shot, and I will give everything I’ve got to make it count.

I started writing this show at the beginning of the Broadway Shutdown in March 2020. At the time, we didn’t think the shut down would last as long as it did. I was frustrated, not just with the shutdown but also with the lack of opportunities for me as a black actor auditioning. It seemed like few fictional characters WRITTEN to be black were in circulation. Even when the character was black–we were still separated in the audition rooms based on another race’s vision of how black characters should look, act, and sound on stage. So it comes down to your marketability. I was always told that if you aren’t part of the solution, you are part of the problem. So I started writing.

I wanted to write a piece that highlights and normalizes Black American life. In most great musicals, black people are either upset, angry, or disadvantaged the entire show until the end for a “kumbaya” or “take you to church” moment. I believe that we have to start normalizing narratives instead of using them to increase shock value in our scripts. For me, that begins with the Black American narrative. I want to showcase the diversity of black men and our emotions. I also want to highlight our ability to love and care for each other without it being exploited. Another significant point is the Black American woman's power, strength, and influence. The SOULdiers tells a story that sits in between triumph and tragedy. What happens on a normal day? The characters are not glamorized or poor, they are simply living their lives, and because they are doing just that–the story begins…and we are going to have a TIME!!

What is the show about? It’s about Community and Family. It tells the story of many while focusing on none in particular. The show is written to show that there is no such thing as a “villain”--we are all products of our situations and choices. Some choices were made for us, and other decisions we made on our own, but the question is how do we work through that? All of our souls are on a battlefield, but you have to ask yourself–what exactly are you fighting for? This story is set in 1967 in Memphis, TN, as we meet a family and group of friends who will soon be challenged and have to question everything they thought they knew about the world they are living in. There are plenty of twists and turns and also plenty of laughs! This show is my appreciation letter to the City and Citizens of Memphis.

What do I need money for? Producing a Musical is EXPENSIVE. I have to raise a certain amount of money for the festival itself. I will also be holding auditions to cast actors for my show in the festival and will have to pay them for their time in rehearsals leading up to the show. It requires a great deal of support. A very good friend of mine has offered to help me finalize the music for my show. This music in The SOULdiers is entirely original. I wrote most of the songs. My friend has graciously stepped in to help with everything and arrange the music! However, I do not want anybody to do anything for me for free. I believe in giving people something for their hard work and skills that they have mastered. So between the festival, actors, and paying my music team…that total comes to about $6,000. I will direct AND be in my show for this festival because paying a director would add to the total. I am trying to cut costs as much as possible while still being equitable to those that help me. To be completely transparent, I am in the show, but none of the money earned will go into my pocket. Part of the total calculated includes paying just 10 Actors, and I am Number 11. My sole purpose for all of this is to tell a story, change a narrative, challenge hearts and minds, alter a landscape, examine perspectives, and continue living on the sunny side of the street. Will you join me?