Introduce Yourself : Hello, Again! by Matthew Gross

I joined Stage32 last week. Taking the time to say hello again. 

When I relocated from San Francisco to Hollywood (August 8, 1996), I quickly fell on hard times. That October, while returning home from the G.R. Office where I applied for emergency financial assistance and food stamps, I chanced upon the Bob Baker Marionette Theater near downtown Los Angeles. A higher power told me to knock on the box office door. I did and, if my magic, minutes later I was standing backstage with a cabaret marionette in hand. I was immediately offered a job, 6 shows per week. 

Eighteen months later, the L.A. Opera placed me under contract to perform a dinosaur costume puppet (Rhinolian) in Mozart's "The Magic Flute". The L.A. Times Theatre Critic said, "The creatures were most bewitching this side of Broadway's The Lion King.

In 2002, the now late Dawn Wells ("Gilligan's Island") sent me to her voice-over agent Pat who happened to represent Hollywood's film/TV puppeteers. 

I am passionate about screenwriting, but I miss puppetry.