New Village Arts is Staging the San Diego Premiere of Matt & Ben

If you’ve ever been a fan of Good Will Hunting – or Mindy Kaling, or just really good theatre – this one’s for you. New Village Arts is staging the San Diego Regional Premiere of Matt & Ben, a fast-paced, two-person comedy that spins a wildly fictional origin story around Hollywood’s most famous writing duo.

A Comedy About Ambition, Friendship, and a Screenplay That Falls From the Sky

Written by Mindy Kaling (The Office, The Mindy Project) and Brenda Withers, Matt & Ben imagines what life looked like for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck before they were a household name – two best friends in a Boston apartment, just trying to figure it out.

Then the screenplay for Good Will Hunting mysteriously drops from the sky, and suddenly everything changes. What follows is a sharp, funny, and surprisingly thoughtful look at destiny, impostor syndrome, and the stories we tell about success and genius.

It’s the kind of show that keeps you laughing while also making you think.

The Casting is Part of What Makes This Production so Special

Here’s the twist you didn’t see coming: the roles of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are played by two Latina women making their New Village Arts debuts.

Maya Sofia Enciso – a Tijuana-born actor and musician with credits at La Jolla Playhouse and The Old Globe – takes on the role of Matt Damon. Alejandra Villanueva, whose work includes multiple Globe for All productions and TuYo Theatre, plays Ben Affleck.

The casting adds a whole new layer to the comedy’s central questions about who gets access to success and who gets to be considered a genius. As Villanueva puts it: “Like Matt and Ben, we are two ambitious dreamers who push each other, believe in each other, and are not afraid to dream big.”

A Director With a Clear and Compelling Vision

Helming the production is Patrice Amon, this season’s Dea Hurston Professional Fellow and co-Artistic Director of TuYo Theatre. Her directing credits span Urbanite Theatre, Passage Theatre, Diversionary Theatre, and UC San Diego.

Amon’s goal with Matt & Ben is to use these familiar Hollywood icons as a lens for exploring who gets access to creative power and recognition. The result, she says, will be “a funny, irreverent staging that invites audiences to laugh while reconsidering the stories we tell about genius.”

Built on a Foundation of Equity and Inclusion

The production is part of New Village Arts’ ongoing commitment to equity in the arts through the Dea Hurston Professional Fellowship – a program designed to create paid professional opportunities for women, BIPOC, and underrepresented theatre artists in San Diego County.

Amon’s creative team includes more than seven New Village Arts debuts, with scenic design by Jesus Hurtado, lighting by Stephanie Maalona, sound by Zoe Yahrling, costumes by Charlie Amon, and fight choreography by Fredy Gomez Cruz.

See you there!

Matt & Ben is exactly the kind of sharp, feel-good theatre that reminds us why we love live performance. Grab your tickets and head to Carlsbad Village for this one.

📆 March 27 – April 26, 2026 | Opening Night: Saturday, April 4
📍 2787 State St, Carlsbad
🎟️ Get your tickets here
ℹ️ More info here

See you there, San Diego!