Recognized by many for his work as a character actor in films such as Antoine Fuqua's The Magnificent Seven, the Coen brother's No Country for Old Men, and David Byrne's True Stories, Texas Tech University School of Theatre and Dance alumnus Matthew Posey (BA 1980) is also the creative mind behind one of the most interesting and exciting small theaters in the Southwest region.

Posey is the Artistic Director and Founder of Balanced Almond Inc., the parent company of the critically acclaimed Ochre House Theater in Dallas. Posey, a well-established veteran of the Dallas theater scene, is known for his artistic contributions to countless productions throughout the city as a director, playwright, designer, and actor. Impressively, Posey also finds time to continue to add to an ever-expanding, eclectic list of film and television credits dating back to 1984.

Posey and his collaborators, the self-described "Pioneers of the Suavant Guarde," established the 50-seat Ochre House Theater in 2008 in Dallas's Expo Park neighborhood. Over the past dozen years, Ochre House has provided high-quality alternative theater to local audiences who revel in the innovative and fearless productions. The productions are always original works (many of which were written by Posey himself) that seek to stretch the boundaries of the audience's imagination by experimenting with traditional theatrical conventions. Ochre House productions often include elements of puppetry which are "inspired by the Japanese Bunraku tradition," but Posey adds with a wink, "adapted for our purposes." The result, is an irreverent, ribaldous, "adults only" puppetry that is at once ostentatious and entertaining.

Prior to the shuttering of theaters in March of 2020 due to the onset of the COVID pandemic, Ochre House was well into its eleventh season and on a decidedly upward trajectory. The theater's production of Posey's Mrs. Haggardly, which explored "the insanity of war, love in the time of tyranny, and one's tenacity to stand against fascism," had recently completed a successful run which received rave reviews and garnered numerous awards.

These days, Posey remains calm and cautiously optimistic despite the current challenges the pandemic has created for theaters. In an effort to remain engaged with their audience, Ochre House recently launched a YouTube channel which allows access to several past productions and some new works for the Zoom platform. In their latest production of virtual theater, Posey appears in the title role of Coppertone Jones' Amazing Traveling Side Show Corker, "a variety talk show where he sits down with some of his favorite friends for a nice chat, a few songs here and there, and some crazy hijinks."

Moving forward, Posey hopes to build on the success Ochre House has achieved prior to the shut-down. Imagining a post-pandemic reality, he outlines his plans for the future of Ochre House: "We really want to reach a broader base. There are so many great ideas, but we can only produce four or five plays each year. Our focus will be on expanding our program so that we can support more productions."

Humble in his success, Posey is grateful for the career he has been afforded and acknowledges those who have supported him along the way. Posey recalls his years at Texas Tech University fondly and credits his time in the School of Theatre and Dance for providing the foundation on which he has built his career: "The program back then was really expanding on the techniques that actors were taught and doing so in a very serious way." Posey remembers the late Dr. George Sorensen, the renowned acting teacher and former Professor of Theatre Arts at Texas Tech University, as a mentor who provided sage advice and inspiration.