About the Play:
Matt & Ben is a full-length bromantic comedy by Mindy
Kaling (The Office, The Mindy Project) and Brenda
Withers. Two best friends, background actors in Field of Dreams, decide to write a screenplay, star in their own hit movie and win an Oscar for their troubles. But what is the true story behind the success of Good Will Hunting? A satirical romp celebrating the friendship of two Oscar
winners – Matt Damon and Ben Affleck – parodies the story behind
their rise from Boston obscurity to Hollywood glory on the strength
of their film Good Will Hunting.
Matt & Ben is a hilarious spoof of one of Hollywood's best know bromances: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. We all know the story: Best friends and struggling actors write a
screenplay, star in the hit movie, win the Academy Award, and
suddenly go from anonymous to A-list. But what's the real story
behind Hollywood's golden boys and their breakout success? Can
fame literally land in your lap? One day, in the mid-90s, Matt and
Ben, are trying to catch their next big break by writing a screen
adaptation of Catcher in the Rye, when they witness a miracle.
The finished script for Good Will Hunting (for which they won
an Oscar) literally drops from the heavens and their names are on it.
They take it as a test from God. As they struggle with this moral
conundrum, the audience experiences an up-close view of their
friendship, including physical tussles, face slapping, and some
awkward high school flashbacks. A satire on the pre-paparazzi,
pre-fame friendship between Oscar-winning screenwriters and actors
Ben Affleck and his pal, Matt Damon – before J-Lo, before Gwyneth,
before "Project Greenlight," before Oscar… before anyone
actually gave a damn.
Matt & Ben had its premiere at the 2002 New York
International Fringe Festival. The show starred the two authors as
the duo; a then relatively unknown Mindy Kaling plays Affleck and her best friend Brenda Withers
portrays Damon. The sold-out Fringe run won Best Overall Production.
The gender-bending hit continued to play to sold-out
houses when it transferred to Off-Off-Broadway at Performance Space 122 (P.S. 122) in the
East Village. After spotting Mindy Kaling during a week of Matt and Ben performances in Los Angeles, writer-producer Greg Daniels offered her a job writing on The Office. At 24, she was the only woman in the writers' room. The play has been performed in regional, high school, fringe festival, college, and
community theatre productions.
Cast: 2 male (or female)
What people say:
"Absolutely delightful and
deliciously spiteful! Sharp and clever, Matt & Ben succeeds!"
The New York Times
"Top 5 shows of the year!"
— Time Magazine
"Most star studded show of
2003. A must!" — Entertainment Weekly
"Hot list pick! Catch Matt &
Ben!" — Rolling Stone Magazine
"The hottest ticket in town! A
twisted tale about how Matt Damon and Ben Affleck wrote the
Oscar-winning movie Good Will Hunting!" — US Weekly
"A hit! Acidic, funny and
affectionate! Matt & Ben spoofs Hollywood's best friendship!"
— New York Post
"A runaway hit!" —
Variety
"Talk about fun, Matt &
Ben is a hit!" — CNN Headline News
"The hottest play in New
York!" — Newsweek
About the Playwright:
Mindy Kaling is an American actress, stand-up comedian, and
writer who graduated with a degree in playwriting from Dartmouth
College, having studied with playwrights August Wilson and Joe
Sutton. She is an Emmy-nominated writer and actress on the NBC
sitcom The Office. She is also the creator and star of FOX's
The Mindy Project.
Brenda Withers is an American writer and actor who studied
drama and religion at Dartmouth College. After graduation she moved
to New York to pursue a career in movement based theater and
continued her studies at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary
Dance.