Matt Donahue

East Carolina University senior theater arts major Matthew Donahue battles through love and hardship as a brave, yet wise character during the mainstage performance of “The Three Musketeers.

East Carolina University senior theater arts major Matthew Donahue battles through love and hardship as a brave, yet wise character during the mainstage performance of “The Three Musketeers.”

Starring as one of the titular musketeers, Donahue introduces the audience to the character of Athos, an intelligent wounded man who stumbles across the young hero, D’Artagnan. Soon befriending this hero, Athos tells his tale of hardship he faced when discovering who he thought to be his true love and then accompanies D’Artagnan on reuniting with his own.

“Athos has taught me so much about myself, I have learned about the extreme highs that drive me as well as the extreme lows that drag me down and that keep me from progressing as a human,” Donahue said. “He has honestly been a saving grace in my career and has taught me to be more compassionate and forgiving of myself.”

During the performance, Donahue worked closely along the side of senior musical theatre and professional acting major Grant VanderVoort, who played the character of D’Artagnan. VanderVoort said working with Donahue is always an enjoyable experience.

“He is very hard working, he is not afraid to try new ideas during his process and is just a very present being on stage,” VanderVoort said. “During the rehearsal process, it’s been a really good time being able to act with him, he has been my closest friend since high school and it’s just fun being able to work with him.”

Unlike most, Donahue started his acting career shortly before auditioning for the theatre program at ECU. Spending his high school years playing football, Donahue soon realized it wasn't something he wanted to continue with during college and found himself auditioning for a production of “Into The Woods” during his senior year.

“So I auditioned and I actually got in as the wolf, and this is a guy who used to make fun of theater before I really even understood what it was all about,” Donahue said. “When we performed our first show, I had a solo and performed it and hit the last note, and at the end when I ran off the stage I just heard this thunderous applause, and it felt like nothing I had ever felt before, the showbiz bug really bit me.”

Turning down scholarship offers for football to follow his newfound passion, Donahue attended orientation at ECU, auditioned for multiple shows and ended up getting casted in the Theatre for Youth production of “Velveteen Rabbit” during his freshman year.

“The first week I was here I got casted, and I said, ‘holy crap I might just have some kind of talent here, just maybe,’” Donahue said. “I started taking the classes, and I was falling in love and doing the show, and I made the decision then and there to throw myself one hundred percent into this art form.”

After his freshman year, Donahue was granted acceptance into the select Musical Theatre and Professional Acting Programs at ECU. Since his acceptance, Donahue has performed in multiple productions including “Hands on a Hardbody” as Benny Perkins, “Peter in the Star Catcher” as Smee and “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” as Bazzard.

During the production of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” Donahue worked closely with Bryan Conger, artistic director and current assistant professor of directing and acting. Conger also has taught Donahue during his TV Film and Professional Preparation courses.

Conger said when working with Donahue, it's clear to see the passion which drives him and he is always eager to be a better performer and actor with each day that passes.

“Matt is incredibly committed and passionate about the theater and about being an actor,” Conger said. “He always goes for it; he is always the first person to ask me a question about what can I do better, what wasn't there or what do I need to do.”

Last summer Donahue worked at an art and cultural center, The Prizery, in South Boston, Virginia playing the role of the lead antagonist, Jud Fry, in the production of “Oklahoma” as well as performing in “Gypsy” the musical.

Following graduation, Donahue will join the Commonweal Theatre Companies 2019/2020 Apprenticeship Program performing in “Peter and the Starcatcher,” spending the next year in Minnesota.

“I’ll be spending the next year of my life outside the twin cities in Minnesota, in the beautiful town of Lanesboro and I couldn't be more excited about it,” Donahue said. “We graduate on the fifth and then in 10 days I’ll be Minnesota working, doing what I love.”

If interested in viewing Donahue's performance in “The Three Musketeers,” tickets can be purchased online through the performance’s event page on the ECU Arts website https://www.ecu.edu/tickets/. The production will continue to run until Sunday at 2 p.m. at McGinnis Theatre

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