MM: Let's start with the basics. Who are you, and what is your involvement with Masquer Minsitries?

Matt: My name is Matt Edwards, and I am an actor with Masquer as well as design and maintain the website.

MM: How long have you been involved with Masquer?

Matt: I came on board in the Spring of 2004. I've been involved with every show except the very first performance of Traveling Light.

MM: Matt, tell us a little bit about yourself outside of Masquer Ministries.

Matt: I'm 30, and during the day am a Business Manager for two veterinary hospitals. Some of my hobbies are writing, reading, video games, web design, and harassing my two cats. My parents live in Redding, CA, where I'm originally from. My younger brother lives in San Diego, CA.

MM: Tell us a bit about your music and acting background. How long have you been performing?

Matt: (laughs) I don't remember how old I was, but I think the play was called The Littlest Angel. It was a children's musical at Redding First Church of the Nazarene. I played the Angel Choir director, who was French. I remember marching down the center aisle of the church in a French beret, with I believe a bad moustache and a worse French accent waving a director's baton.

I was involved in band and choir in grade school up through high school, playing the trumpet. I was in several plays in junior high, but mostly just band and choir performances in high school. I was in drama one year in high school but we did not do a major production that year.

MM: Have you been involved in any drama ministry before Masquer?

Matt: Yes. Redding First had the children's musicals, and I participated in the puppet ministry in junior high. In high school I joined the church choir and was a part of their Christmas musicals as well as a part of the church drama team for several years. I played the lead in a modern-day Scrooge story, and played a supporting role in a production of I'll Be Home For Christmas which is an amazing musical, powerful and fun.

MM: Have you had any professional training in either music or drama?

Matt: I have an AA in Music through Shasta College in Redding. The emphasis for me was on vocal training in addition to the core of music theory classes. I also took a strings class through that program and fell in love with the viola, which I want to pick up again. I have taken some voice lessons outside of college as well. While I was at Chico State, I took three semesters of drama courses, but was unable to participate in any productions due to work and school schedules.

MM: So, you don't have a music or drama major?

Matt: (laughs) Nope. My degree is actually in Communications, Media Arts which is radio and television production.

MM: Back to Masquer, you said you'd been involved with most of their productions. Which has been your favorite?

Matt: Wow, that's a difficult question. Each show is its own animal, and I liked each one for different reasons. The 2004 Fund Raiser was fun because I was getting to know everyone and really being stretched by some of the numbers (Sticks.) Godspell was such an intense crucible of creative energy and there was such a sense of God's presence in that production. Traveling Light was a challenge because I had to be like seven different characters, five of whom had speaking parts. I think that may be my favorite, simply because of the variety of roles, though Godspell also holds a very special place. Can I pick two?

MM: Sure. Was it difficult memorizing and becoming so many different characters for Traveling Light?

Matt: Yes and no. I don't have too much difficulty memorizing, once I sit down and put my mind to it. And unlike a more traditional play, you don't have to memorize the line before yours as a cue, it's just you talking for about a page. You just have to keep the sequence of points in your mind.

As for the characters, yeah, some of them were hard. I don't think I really ever got a handle on the Carney character to the point where I was happy with him. That may be because of the costume. I'd totally re-do his costume if we did that play again. Blind Bartimaeus was incredibly fun, and I loved that character. I actually got to the point where I had my eyes closed for most of his bit. Caiaphus was a kick too.

MM: You mentioned costumes. How much does the costume help you with the character?

Matt: With so many different characters, the costume can really help; Bartimeus with his dirty, shredded, color-clashing clothes; Caiaphus with the ugly suit and the slicked back hair; Jairus with his business suit and glasses. With Caiaphus I think the hair was the final piece (laugh). The costume can be the thing that helps to ground or finish the character for you. But no matter how good the costume, you still need to have put the work into the character, to understand where he's coming from. The costume doesn't do the work for you.

MM: What part of your involvement with Masquer Ministries has been the most challenging?

Matt: The dancing. (laugh) No, I'm not as physically fit as I was five, ten years ago, so that's definitely a stretch, although I do enjoy it. The real challenge is keeping your focus in the right place. With all the things you need to do to get a play off the ground, I find I need to constantly remind myself to keep my eyes on God. After all, this is His performance.

MM: What has been the most rewarding experience with Masquer?

Matt: The whole thing. The people I've met, it's wonderful being surrounded by talented Christian artists who are working towards the same goal you are. And every one of us brings something different to the table. To pray before rehearsal and each performance with people who mean it. To know that God has His hand in what is happening with the performance. That something I love so much is growing and enriching my life. It's my prayer that that spills over onto the audience and that they experience God through our work, too. That's why we're doing this.

MM: Any final thoughts?

Matt: Just please support Masquer with your prayers. God answers prayers. I believe that's more valuable than any other donation you might make. Pray that He guards us and guides us and makes us the company He wants.