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Matteo Scammell loves living a grounded existence, desiring experiences that fuse his focus on being creative with his enthusiasm for meeting likewise energetic figures. The 24-year-old is reveling in one such adventure as Trip Wyeth, the open-minded member of an often insular family for the Walnut Street Theatre’s production of “Other Desert Cities.”
“He’s sort of the one who wants to knit everyone together,” the resident of the 1000 block of McKean Street said from the playhouse of his character, whose relatives often succumb to bitter behavior based on political differences. “He doesn’t have issues to purge and likes finding his way in the world.”
The East Passyunk Crossing inhabitant landed a role in the Pulitzer Prize-nominated drama due in large part to his successful turn as the title individual in 11th Hour Theatre Co.’s 2011 “Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson.” Having given dynamic performances for director Kate Galvin, he took her advice to audition for another politically-driven piece and is enjoying the results as she helms his executions a second time.
“He’s likely the one most equipped to cope with difficulties because he’s the youngest,” Scammell said of joining notable contributors like fellow East Passyunk Crossing dweller Krista Apple to deliver a script that includes the cloud of another kinsman’s passing. “He sees the lesser parts of people and has a pretty worldly perspective on remaining true to his identity while realizing that means making adjustments whenever necessary.”
In addressing a work set in ’04, the actor is asserting himself in an era where he feels politics has acquired a knack for tearing households apart and noted Jon Robin Baitz’s text balances its condemnation of conservatives and liberals to stress that ideologies should not overly influence identities. Portraying a well-adjusted young man, he realizes the importance of striving for moderation in a climate that often preaches the need for discussing differences yet settles for singling out similarities.
“I find politics interesting because it’s so important to our societal makeup,” Scammell said, adding “Other Desert Cities,” like “Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson,” features an analysis of values and the lengths to which one will go to preserve them, a practice that often alienates more so than it unites. “We have to be careful of letting this, this, this, this and that define us, though. If nothing else, it’s great to hear people out.”
While Scammell advocates for vacillation within the political landscape, he has never wavered in believing the artistic world would grant him admission into its frequently-frustrating realm. The New Jersey native gained his introduction to that universe through his mother, a sculptor who encouraged him to experience ballet and theater instruction, tutelage that resonated immediately.
“I attended Princeton Latin Academy, which had an intense philosophy on our being engaged participants in the arts,” Scammell said of his pre-college days, where he learned to admire headmaster Francesco Perrulli’s message to “let your self out of yourself.”
Grateful to be gifted with comedic sensitivities, he felt himself blossoming and saw a stage career as a magnification of life and a spectacle to behold. Viewing the theater as an antidote to the inherent struggles involved in maturing, he loved the idea of conveying messages to willing ears both as a way to stimulate conversations on contemporary matters and to increase his connection with his and their aspirations.
“Maybe I’m not choosing the right words, but I kind of feel as if I were made to do it,” he said of becoming a performer. “It just seems my brain and my body are wired for this profession.”
With that duality guiding him, he enrolled at the University of the Arts, where he met with strife when struggling to gain traction in an acting class. He regrouped and summoned his innate passion to seek out opportunities to delight theatergoers in his adopted city.
“Philadelphia happened pretty quickly and has been good to me from the get-go,” Scammell said, highlighting scoring a role in The Wilma Theater’s “Our Class” shortly after his ’11 graduation as evidence. “I’ve known plenty of people who’ve contemplated or explored other locations, but I don’t see any real reason to leave. I’m a Philadelphia actor.”
Along with the aforementioned assignments, the performer has assisted the Arden Theatre Co. as Wolfgang in “Cinderella,” New Paradise Laboratories as Kurt Cobain in “27” and Simpatico Theatre Project as the Queen of the Others in “The mEEp pROject” by South of South resident Ed Swidey. Each task, especially his duties in “Other Desert Cities,” has helped him to enhance his craft, which he defines as an endeavor to share and play with energy.
“I want a relationship with the audience and love treating each day as a lesson to improve my delivery and my way of working on subtlety and theatricality,” Scammell said. “In a way, that’s made acting a job, but, yeah, I signed up for it, so I’m in it for the long haul.”
The talented figure has also yearned to explore his attraction to action by orchestrating a thriving music vocation, a calling he is crafting as a member of Red 40 and the Last Groovement, which he deems a “clown funk band.” Confessing that music has kept him striving for glory and distinction even more fervently than theater, Scammell loves having an extra pursuit to offer various perspectives on his progression through life and encourages everyone, especially his artistic brethren, to fall for numerous philosophies and investigate ample outlets for growth, a stance that essentially mimics Trip’s approach.
“I need to be diverse to survive,” Scammell, who foresees transforming his tunes into some sort of theater-situated show, said. “That keeps me alive and curious.”
For tickets, visit walnutstreettheatre.org.
Contact Managing Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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