Matthew Posey and his longterm partner Suzanne Thomas.

Provided by Suzanne Thomas

Matthew Posey, founder of Exposition Park’s Ochre House Theatre, died on Oct. 2nd. He was 68.

An actor, director, mentor and creative entrepreneur, Posey had a trailblazing career in the city’s live theatre scene.

Posey’s gift for performance emerged in his childhood in Houston. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre at Texas Tech University, and logging stage time at the Undermain Theatre in Deep Ellum, he began his career by founding Deep Ellum Theatre Garage in 1983.

Posey also shaped and interpreted roles on the big screen for decades, appearing in “Brothers” (2026), “Love and Death” (2023) and “No Country for Old Men” (2007). His final role was in “Verano,” a film directed by Leo Aguirre set to be released next year.

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By 2008, Posey founded a new dream, the Ochre House Theatre. Serving as the launch pad for experimental theater, the company gave local playwrights and directors uncommon opportunities under the wisdom-brimmed mentorship of Posey himself. 

“Matthew had determination to produce all original theater at Ochre House, so he hired four staff members in a variety of positions, then ensured we were also competent directors and playwrights,” says writer and director Carla Parker. “We dug in and created our asses off.”

With 50 seats nestled right up to the stage, the audience often became a part of the show.

“His specialty was poetic honesty, and while sometimes brutal in its storied layers, always delicate and caring underneath it all,” says Isaac Davies, muralist and Ochre House scenic artist.

Posey wrote over 40 plays, including “Patti & Theo,” “Immovable Beast” and “Soft Noodle Map,” which ponder the human condition, desires and over-the-top humor, with thespian feats of magical realism, musical storytelling and puppetry. 

“Matt loved writing specifically for his actors, producing original works that were both rare and beautiful but had a special place in his heart for first-time theater-goers, who fell in love with Ochre House and kept returning,” says Suzanne Thomas, Posey’s partner of 21 years. 

Ochre House Theatre was a landing pad for experimental local theater productions like “Mrs. Haggardly.”

Posey’s influence turned actor and director Kevin Grammer into a playwright. 

“I had never written anything before,” Grammer says. “I have now written 10 scripts produced at Ochre House.”

In the midst of churning out unconventional feats of visual poetry, the pandemic happened. Physical doors closed, but with time, the theatre resumed storytelling.

“I watched Matthew over these last 16 years wrestle with how to present the most authentic, most intimate, most magical, most loving, most desperate, most depraved, most fun theatre. Audiences loved him for it,” says Justin Locklear, who made his stage debut at the Ochre House.

Posey didn’t limit what could appear on his stage, serving as an ally to every performer who craved the spotlight. A 15-year partnership with The Flame Foundation, a local non-profit dedicated to expanding flamenco in Dallas. Ochre House became the venue for the original play, “Libro de los Sueños Olvidados,” as well as 15 others, showcasing world-renowned Spanish musicians and passionate choreography by dancers Antonio Arrebola and Delilah Buitrón Arrebola. 

“Matt opened up a world of endless possibilities; our friendship and flamenco collaborations have been the highlights of our evolution as artists,” says Delilah.

Above any singular role or production, Posey is likely to be remembered as a vanguard in the city’s local theater scene at large.

“Matt was my heart… I loved supporting his vision of bringing artistic and spiritual revival to the Dallas community,” says Thomas.

The community he cultivated will keep the Ochre House doors open for years to come. The show must go on, and with Posey’s loving legacy, surely it will.