Introduce Yourself : Actor/Producer/Scholar - Artist-in-Residence at the Sheen Center by Cole Matson

Hello, I'm Cole. Just moved back to NYC after 9 years away - 3 in Baltimore, where I acted with several local companies and worked as the office administrator for the Baltimore Theatre Alliance; 5 in the UK, where I studied Theology at Oxford and worked on a PhD in Theology & Theatre (dissertation just submitted to my supervisor!); and 1 in Kansas, where I finished writing up my dissertation. I'm going to be an artist-in-residence at the Sheen Center in the Bowery, and am here both to act and to help serve the spiritual needs of artists in the NYC area. I'm happy to meet with as many people as possible, both to talk about projects and to learn what kinds of ecumenical/interfaith chaplaincy services people would like (e.g., prayer/meditation workshops, connection to a network of spiritual directors/guides, residential community, etc.). It can be a very tough business, and I'd like to do what I can to help people thrive spiritually, emotionally, and personally as human beings. I did a pilot project at the Edinburgh Fringe when I took a show there in 2012. The Edinburgh Fringe Chaplaincy Project helped connect performers to a chaplain so they could have someone to talk to when the stress got too much. Happy to hear from anyone who wants to talk more about creating a similar project in NYC (or who knows of one that already exists). Also, you can see me as Nate Bingley in the geeky road-trip comedy film Rise of the Fellowship, available for streaming on Netflix. Looking forward to participating in this community!