Matthew J Keenan was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, where he trained at the Gaiety School of Acting. After graduating in 2002, he worked as an actor in Irish theatre, film, TV, and radio before moving to the US. 

Matthew was highly involved with DC’s Keegan Theatre for almost 20 years. During this time, he performed in many productions as well as turning his hand to directing and designing. He was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play for their production of The Lonesome West (2017). 

An award-winning set designer, Matthew was the resident scenic designer, lead carpenter and scenic painter at Keegan Theatre where he created sets for over 70 productions. He was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Set Design for The Undeniable Sound of Right Now (2018), Shakespeare in Love (2022) and Webster's Bitch (2024). He won the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Set Design for Noises Off (2024). Some other Keegan set designs include Sweat (2023), N (2021), Trans Am (2022), From Gumbo to Mumbo (2020), Lincolnesque (2018), Legally Blonde (2019), An Irish Carol (2016 - 2025), Chicago (2018), The Lonesome West (2016) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2015). 

Matthew has also designed for Imagination Stage’s production of Cinderella: A Salsa Fairytale (2024), The University of Rochester’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (2024), American University’s Once (2023) and Prologue Theatre Company’s The Revolutionists (2022). 

In addition to his theatre work, Matthew is a painter, exhibiting in both Ireland and the US. He was recently commissioned by the Folger Shakespeare Library for their Grand Reopening. 

Matthew is a company artist at the Classical Theatre Company, Houston, where he has played roles including Hamlet (Hamlet, 2013), Algernon (The Importance of Being Earnest, 2014), Osvald (Ghosts, 2010) and designed sets for Electra (2025), Three Sisters (2025), The Marriage of Figaro (2022) and Peer Gynt (2020). He was nominated Best Supporting Actor by the Houston Press Theatre Awards for his role in The Government Inspector (2018). Matthew also co-adapted their version of A Christmas Carol (2015) and co-adapted an alternate version of Dr Faustus for a reading series (Faust, 2012). 

As a playwright, Matthew was commissioned by Keegan Theatre to create an Irish version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. His play An Irish Carol is a modern take on the story, set in an Irish pub in Dublin. Since the play's world premiere in 2011, An Irish Carol has gone on to become a staple at Keegan, and has been produced every year since to sold out houses. Most recently An Irish Carol had its New England premiere with a nearly sold out run at The Greater Boston Stage Company. 

Matthew is delighted to be working with beSPOKE Artist Collective, and very honored to be a part of The Steven Herren Memory Initiative. In 2016 Steven worked in the lighting department for An Irish Carol. To honor his memory, a picture of Steven can be found on the set of An Irish Carol every year since his passing. The Steven Herren Memory Initiative is an extremely meaningful project to all involved in bringing this to fruition. Steven will be at the forefront of our minds and hearts during the development of this piece. Matthew hopes that this will not only be a play that Steven would enjoy seeing on stage, but also something he would be proud of.