Mateo Smith(I)
- Actor
Mateo Smith hails from the small Southern town of McComb, Mississippi.
Mateo was introduced to the theatre and to acting in high school. He
reluctantly joined McComb High School's Competitive Forensics team
while "secretly" practicing his trumpet in the auditorium. Upon
graduating in 1998, Mateo attended William Carey College in
Hattiesburg, MS where he earned his BFA in Theatre. While at William
Carey, Mateo was a member of the nationally ranked William Carey
College Forensics Team. In 2001 Mateo garnered 1st Place Awards at the
Pi Kappa Delta and American Forensics Association National Championship
Tournament for his Prose Interpretation of Max Lucado's "The Touch of
God." In the spring of 2002 Mateo returned to the national competition
to win the 1st Place Award for his Program Oral Interpretation of the
effects of Drug Abuse on the African-American family. In his final
semester at William Carey, Mateo traveled with his cast to perform at
the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in a production of "And David
Danced" which was selected by the KC/ACTF showcase selection committee.
After graduation, Mateo was off to Abingdon, VA to begin his
professional career at the historic Barter Theatre. While at Barter,
Mateo enjoyed roles in such plays as "The Tempest," "The Importance of
Being Earnest," "To Kill a Mockingbird," "South Pacific," and "1776,"
to name a few. In 2003, Mateo would join Theatre IV in Richmond, VA and
spend 2 years on tour with Theatre for Young Audiences. He enjoyed
wonderful roles ranging from Ebenezer Scrooge, Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Richard III, Shere Khan, and many others. In the fall of 2005, Mateo
began studies at The Theatre School of DePaul University in Chicago,
IL. After completing his MFA in Acting at DePaul, Mateo joined the
Chicago Theatre family, working with companies such as Steppenwolf
Theatre Company, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, MPAACT (Ma'at Production
Association of Afrikan Centered Theatre), and Victory Gardens Theatre
Company among others. When not involved in artistic endeavors, Mateo
enjoys lounging on the sofa with his 3lb Chihuahua "Mr. Belvediere" and
toying with new recipes in his kitchen.