Matteo Destro is a director and maskmaking artist originally from Padua, Italy.
He teaches Movement Analysis and Technique, improvisation, Mask Play and directs the MaMaS program.
After many years of professional work in social and educational projects, and a degree (MA) in Pedagogic Studies at the Università di Padova, Matteo decided to pursue his research on being human by completely devoting himself to his passion for theater.
His training in Theater Clown with Giovanni Fusetti led him to Paris where he trained with Jacques Lecoq at his “École Internationale de Théâtre” for two years in Paris.
He deepened his study and practice of Movement Analysis and Movement Technique with Norman Taylor, and he trained in Mask Making with Donato Sartori at the Centro Maschere e Strutture Gestuali in Abano, Italy. After assisting at the Scuola Internazionale di Creazione Teatrale KIKLOS in 2001, he co-founded LARVEN-Ricerca e Creazione Teatrale in 2004 with a vision to explore the world of theater masks through performing, directing, writing and mask making.
Since moving to Tuscany, Matteo has deepened his quest for the “Naivety in the Mask,” and he has progressively focused more and more on developing his mask-making vision. He has been exploring different styles of masks and using different materials, from leather to papier maché to neoprene. He has created various original sets of masks, including the “Primary Masks”, the “First-Timers”, the “Mono-directionals” and various new forms of Larval Masks.
Since 2001 Matteo has also been working internationally as a performer, director, movement coach and theater teacher for various theatre companies, theater schools and public and private institutions in Europe and USA. Among them:
Compagnie du Souffleurs (France), Teatro Punto de Madrid (International), Los Mimosos (Spain), Chiendent-Théâtre (France), The School of Theatre “Inchicore" (Dublin-Irland), Teatro Em Branco (Portugal), Anonima Teatro (Francia), Barabao Teatro (Italy), University of Iowa (USA), Divadlo Úsměv (Bratislva-Slovakia), Casear (Portugal). Recently the show "Waiting for Hercules," which he co-created, directed and designed a new set of masks for with Barabao Theatre Company, won first prize as best show at the International Festival of Lugano in 2012 and is presently in production.
For further information about Matteos' work please visit www.matteodestro.com