“Very few actors bring to the table the intensity, commitment and passion for the work that Matt does. Not only does he make my job easier as a director but in turn also challenges me to go beyond my capabilities to get the best performance out of me. It’s the difference between a job well done and an amazing performance, something which Matt delivers every night” - Joe Rosario, Director
"de Rogatis is cracklin' good in the titular role!" - CurtainUp
"Often thrilling...de Rogatis' wild eyed emotional seesaw keeps us rapt!" - Blog Critic
"The versatile de Rogatis is up to the challenge. He gives us a virile, masculine Hamlet...The sheer physicality makes for a show that will remain with the audience members long after the play has ended." - The Huffington Post
"Riveting new Hamlet!...excellent cast." - Pete Hempstead, Outer Critics Circle
"Perfection." - Barbara Frietag, Broadway Producer
"American Matt de Rogatis is visually and verbally perfect as Clegg. Mr. de Rogatis is an experienced New York classical actor and his British accent is flawless." - Darryl Reilly, Theaterscene.net
"...impeccable work of Matt de Rogatis...pristine...a stellar portrayal of a deranged man..." - ReviewFix
"...pathetic creep." - Peter Filichia, Broadway Radio
"...an unflinching and beautifully detailed actor." Lisa Milinazzo, Director
"Wow! Incredibly intense performance...an actor to watch." Pete Hempstead, Outer Critics Circle
"A richly realized performance...the sense of menace is ubiquitous." Talkin' Broadway
"harrowing..." - CurtainUp
"An emotional thriller!" Barry Gordin, Drama Desk Awards
"A gifted actor and immensely talented, de Rogatis shows frightening coldness...a riveting production that will have you on the edge of your seat!" - Theater Is Easy
"de Rogatis plays Clegg with an uncanny precision...a chilling sociopath." - The Huffington Post
"creepy" - Lighting and Sound America
"A fantastic job...The Collector is a psychological thriller that will make your skin crawl!" - Plays To See
"de Rogatis' excellent portrayal of Frederick Clegg is unsettling...a psychotic nature that engenders no empathy." Marina Kennedy, Broadway World
"Masterful...the performance was other worldly. In the top 10 of my life all time." Arts Independent
"de Rogatis has an uncanny ability to suggest vulnerability...fine trio of actors...unexpectedly poignant..." - Kenji Fujishima, TheaterMania (Critics Pick)
"...beautifully directed and performed so convincingly...I totally believed that older brother Roy (Matt de Rogatis) was a Vietnam Veteran..." - Theater Pizzazz
"A rollicking exploration of male identity!" - Theaterlife
"A show like Lone Star is the reason we go to the theater...superb direction...three remarkable actors...Matt de Rogatis masters the challenging part of Roy." - Broadway World
"Superbly acted and confidently directed." - New York Theater Reviews
"A roaring revival!...Mr. de Rogatis vividly conveys the character’s despair and hopelessness with his imposing presence and perfect twang. Pacing restlessly, howling like a coyote and gazing up at the stars are among the striking facets of de Rogatis’ magnetic performance. " - Darryl Reilly, TheaterScene (Top 10 of 2017)
"For real funny!...Matt de Rogatis performed with aplomb and American charm." - Stage Buddy
"Intriguing...immensely likable...Matt de Rogatis intelligently embodies Roy's pain." - Theater Is Easy
"...suffering expressed vividly by Matt de Rogatis...invest the time in this wonderful and worthwhile play." - Ron Mwangaguhunga, The Huffington Post
"An alcohol laced comedy!...de Rogatis' acting chops are on display throughout." - ReviewFix
"MUST SEE!...de Rogatis gives a level of realism and authenticity to his performance of Roy that makes this character absolutely unforgettable." - LocalTheatreNY
"...a talented and intense performer..." - Mark Dundas Wood, TheaterScene
"Matt de Rogatis’ portrayal of Roy, the charismatic yet troubled lead, brought a depth to the brawny macho stereotype." - InvitedNYC
"...Matt de Rogatis’ vivid and now seasoned performance as Roy. Wearing an American flag headband, weathered jeans and a cut-off fatigue shirt, exhibiting his muscular and tatted physique, the charismatic Mr. de Rogatis defiantly swaggers and drunkenly stumbles with electrifying effect.
de Rogatis’ commanding physicality is matched by his expressively melodious and twangy tenor voice which imparts numerous poignant and comic declarations, as well as a chilling recitation of battlefield atrocities Roy witnessed. de Rogatis is simultaneously hilarious and heartbreaking during his powerhouse turn."
- Darryl Reilly, Drama Desk Voter
"Matt de Rogatis as Roy embodies the uneducated and belligerent tough guy. His army service only adds to that unapproachable mystique. His first impulse is to be a hellraiser...high-octane performance..."
- Tony Marinelli, TheaterScene
"Hilarious and perfectly acted. Matt de Rogatis is a star. A+" - Dave Carlin, CBS
"A very worthwhile evening especially because of Matt de Rogatis really taking the bull by the horns...superbly played...the subtext he plays is so wonderful." - Peter Filichia, Drama Desk Nominator, Broadway Radio
"perfectly cast...powerfully portrayed...volatile and violent...performance is strong and focused..."
- Theater Pizzazz
"de Rogatis as Roy embodies a dog-tagged veteran, damaged, autocratic, and devoted to booze...the fun of McLure’s Lone Star still holds up, as does the portrayal of a damaged war veteran." - Off Off Online
"Matt de Rogatis portrays Roy in an impressive and authentic manner...a drunk character who is struggling with PTSD derived from the Vietnam War...de Rogatis layers his emotions well in his portrayal of this complex yet deep character. With de Rogatis, viewers can recall John Hawkes in his Oscar-nominated performance in “Winter’s Bone.” - Digital Journal
"strong and honest...living and breathing right before us..." - Front Mezz Junkies
"As Roy, de Rogatis gives an excellent performance, effortlessly sinking his teeth into the volatile role." -
Adrian Dimanlig, Drama Desk Voter, Interludes
"...with the sweat glistening on his (de Rogatis') brow and his tattooed biceps, he’s giving it his all and then some, and doing it with full-bodied dedication. It’s impossible not to recognize how deeply this particular role lives inside him.." - TheaterMania
"highly talented...a remarkable job! - StageBuddy
"gleefully neurotic...de Rogatis is perfection as that infamous villain..." - TheaterScene (Top 10 of 2018)
"As Richard III, Matt de Rogatis must carry the show...and he does." - Dan Stahl, TheaterMania
"...very effective in the part...the acting is so wonderful." - Peter Filichia, Broadway Radio
"...wields Richard's manufactured charm like a dagger.' Off Off Online
"A stirring highlight is the matchup between Richard and Queen Elizabeth." - Broadway World
"..horrifying and riveting." - Stage Voices
"Matt de Rogatis' Richard III scales the heights and plumbs the depths of the part with skill, emotional power and villainous delight...A real Richard who is spinning out of control." - ShowScore
"Matt de Rogatis' colorfully animated portrayal of the deranged, crown hungry villain steals the show with his explosive energy and dynamic physical and vocal performance." - ReviewFix
"a despicable Richard...an athletic feat of endless text." - The Reviews Hub
"Matt de Rogatis' occasionally youthful, occasionally infantile, always impulsive Richard brought rich resources of interpretation and expression to the role. He was able to sustain all the variety occasioned by his character's unhingedness without any unconvincing step." - New York Arts
"The stormy match between Richard and Queen Elizabeth is the highpoint of the production...brilliant work..." - Hi Drama
"A solid deconstruction of the murderous Richard III." - Times Square Chronicles
"Matt de Rogatis, as Richard III, presented a boyish millennial with a brutal temper tantrum trigger. The iambic pentameter sat well in his mouth as he easily conveyed meaning in every scene. de Rogatis has a strong presence on stage and has a few truly exceptional moments." - Stage Biz
"This is the Glass Menagerie of my dreams!" - Joel Benjamin, TheaterScene
"Matt de Rogatis' richly detailed characterization of Tom was towering." - Darryl Reilly, Drama Desk (Top 10 of 2019)
"de Rogatis delivers the most surprising performance of the evening. He eschews the typical portrayal of Tom as Tennessee...it's a smart angle on Tom and one I've never seen before." - Zachary Stewart, TheaterMania (Critics Pick)
"The show is respectful and hits its marks." - Elizabeth Vincentelli, The New Yorker
"...beautifully acted..." - Adrian Dumanlig, Drama Desk
"Matt de Rogatis delivers an electrifying performance as the character Tom." - Plays To See
"The Glass Menagerie was haunting in its beauty and not to be missed." - Broadway World
"bold, powerful...it's grim, haunting take is a must see!" - Mark Rifkin, This Week in New York
"Matt de Rogatis thrashes about the stage as Tom Wingfield...it's a chilling performance..." Downtown Magazine
"Matt de Rogatis' Tom boasts both confidence and utter defeat." - Broadway World
"Matt de Rogatis as Tom is an animated narrator who takes chances with the cadences of his soliloquies..." - Off Off Online
"In the hands of Matt de Rogatis, Tom Wingfield’s opening narration and his closing monologue, both difficult to put across, were crystal clear and free from affect. He made it believable that the ensuing play was a “memory play” and, with his deeply moving delivery of the poetic ending that he was infinitely destroyed by the memory of his sister." - Joel Benjamin, TheaterScene/Outer Critics Circle
"Matt De Rogatis’s Tom is virile and rangy, with close cropped hair and the fevered look of a man who can no longer quiet the inner voices that urge him to break away." - New York Theater Reviews
"de Rogatis sets the tone for the production in Tom's opening monologue, and he adeptly realizes Tom's mixture of rage, love, frustration, and affection all the way through his appropriately haunted delivery of the monologues that bookend the play." - Thinking Theater
"Acted very well. Very well indeed." - Peter Filichia, Broadway Radio
"Matt de Rogatis effectively conveys Tom’s repressed torment and frustration under the burden of supporting an unappreciative family, as well as bringing to life Tom’s comedic and poetic sides." - Invited NYC
"Each time de Rogatis, playing Tom Wingfield, would flick his cigarette free of ash, you could see the nervousness and aggravation in his hand, a true portrayal of a man who’d rather be dead than live another day in his current life." - Review Fix
"de Rogatis is scrappy and feral" - Talkin' Broadway
As it appears in the published book, I'm In The Theater, Darling...Dispatches From The Theatrical War Front: 1977 - 2017 by Robert Liebowitz
"Every so often an actor appears out of nowhere, making his or her leap from the program onto the boards, and it rejuvenates one's soul, and awakens their sensibilities.
That happened again, tonight.
Matt de Rogatis plays the title role in Hamlet, and while I don't care for the play at all (I know, I know),
Mr. de Rogatis shines, and leaves the rest of the play behind.
He is not a one hit wonder, either. In The Collector, a much better play, he mesmerizes as a pathetic kidnapper. Later on, in a completely different role in Lone Star, he again leads the charge as a Vietnam Vet having difficulty with the changed world he has returned to.
I am constantly reminded of Mr. Meisner's quote about the tightrope, because, according to my tally, thousands of actors and actresses have fallen to their death. Mr. de Rogatis, however, has made it from stage right to stage left, seemingly effortlessly, many times over."
"(Tennessee) Williams would probably love Matt de Rogatis' Brick...de Rogatis, tatted up and ab-tastic compellingly finds the violence and identity crisis at Brick's core...a torrid inner life...an imposing physique." - The New York Times
"Hot-Hot-Hot...Matt de Rogatis grabs the Tennessee Williams play....Every once in a while, you see an actor grab a famous role – this one, the anguished, inebriated Brick – and all but shout from the stage, “This one’s mine.” And then go on to make prior interpreters, outstanding as they may have been, fade for the enthralling moment. The lean, fit, generously inked de Rogatis, wearing a floating-island haircut and foot brace, takes charge of Brick’s fury and crave for liquor until he hears the long-delayed “click” he equates with peace...Perhaps what distinguishes de Rogatis’ performance from many (all?) that preceded it is the attitude he exhibits towards his deceased best friend Skipper, his companion on the football field and off. de Rogatis manages to instill into his work the deep grief he continues feeling for Skipper, a mixture maybe of an unrequited love he showed Skipper and guilt over the resulting betrayal. Bravo for the grief clouding de Rogatis’ eyes....Certainly, this revival with de Rogatis taking charge and, really, most other sightings, it’s about Brick, the causes of his alcoholism, and the mendacity that habitually afflicts dysfunctional families."
- New York Stage Review
"Matt de Rogatis is extraordinary as Brick....A truly magnificent performance...It really is something to see"
- Broadway Radio
"A sexy and smoldering Brick!" - Magee Hickey, WPIX
"This Brick broods, then explodes! It's "Cat" on steroids. An absolute MUST SEE!...Edge of seat stuff with tension and heat and vitality. Never seen it done this way and now I think it sets the standard."
- Dave Carlin, WCBS
"de Rogatis shines!...It's all about "Brick" in this Cat on a Hot Tin Roof!...There's alot to like about de Rogatis' performance....At first it was distracting to see all of de Rogatis' tattoos. This can't be helped since he spends a good part of the first act in nothing but a towel. But the focus quickly shifts to his acting, and his portrayal of this broken man....hobbling around the stage...That can't be easy but it's so crucial to becoming the character!" - Bill Canacci, The Asbury Park Press
"Mr. de Rogatis, his athletic body covered in tattoos, brings a believable sense of anguish to Brick..."
- Sam Leiter, Theater Life - Drama Desk nominator
"taciturn, alcoholic husband Brick, played with imposing impassivity by the near naked, extravagantly tattooed de Rogatis...monumental Act II confrontation." - Charles Wright, Off Off Online - Drama Desk nominator and co-President
"Mr. de Rogatis gives a studied, impassioned performance that brings crushing specificity to Brick’s identity crisis." - Adrian Dumanlig, Interludes - Drama Desk nominator
"...super hot, eye candy no matter what your orientation..." - Mark Rifkin, This Week in New York
"Matt de Rogatis gives a brilliant performance as Brick. He’s physically right for a former athlete still in good shape. He is able to convey a tense sense of interiority and is fully convincing as a drinker hoping to achieve the “click” when he has had enough to feel comfortable with himself. The production belongs to Brick. Mr. de Rogatis was, in every way, the star of this production...He carries the weight of this play on his beautiful back, a broken hero for the ages." - Mark Savitt and William J. Cataldi, Hi! Drama
"de Rogatis is excellent in the physically and emotionally complex role, battling through his demons toward an inebriated surrender in his wife’s arms." - Stanford Friedman, Front Row Center - Drama Desk nominator
"The role of boozy, passive Brick is a trap for actors who all too often fade into the woodwork. Matt de Rogatis finds fresh nuances in the character, investing him with a coiled tension that adds an extra note of danger to these marital skirmishes. The signs are subtle but unmistakable: Note how, during one of Maggie's tirades, he nervously drums his fingers against a tumbler. Listen for the catch in his voice when the conversation veers toward forbidden territory. And, when forced to admit his part in the death of his best friend Skipper, his fury leaves him rattled to his core. This Brick is sitting on an arsenal of unacceptable emotions; bourbon is the only thing standing between him and an unacceptable, annihilating truth."
David Barbour, Lighting and Sound America - Drama Desk co-President
"de Rogatis makes a hunky, perfectly chiseled tattooed Brick...also is the most menacing Brick I have seen...de Rogatis does convey his inner demons by the way he moves his body. You can feel his mental anguish. - Joseph Cervelli, Theater Time
"Taking a shower is how we first encounter the salt and pepper crew-cutted, tatted and chiseled, Matt de Rogatis’s Brick. This sensual evocation of mature boyishness is complemented by Mr. de Rogatis’s expressive tenor voice and sensitive mien. de Rogatis totally embodies that disillusioned alcoholic anti-hero who hobbles around on a crutch while here wearing short pajamas. He veers from taciturn melancholy to explosive eloquence with command." - Darryl Reilly - Drama Desk nominator
"...sensuous, brooding, and broken...Mr. de Rogatis’ performance is stunning in every way."
- David Roberts, Theater Reviews Limited - Outer Critics Circle nominator
"de Rogatis’ layered and powerful performance brings a troubled depth to one of the show’s more taciturn characters, relying on subtle acting choices and expressions to evoke Brick’s emotional turmoil."
- Invited NYC
"Matt de Rogatis is like fine wine, where he gets better as Brick each time he steps on the stage."
- True Hollywood Talk
"Maximum sex appeal!...de Rogatis is no ordinary Brick. He’s ripped and tatted, and portrays the embittered ex-football hero with a menacing ferocity. One of the strongest scenes finds Brick and Big Daddy facing off, finally having that overdue talk about Brick’s intimate bond with Skipper, who tragically died and may be the root of Brick’s depression." - Gay City News
"Buff and brooding." - Paulanne Simmons, Drama Desk nominator
"The riveting de Rogatis is tasked with the difficult job of depicting a character who is perpetually plastered...de Rogatis is a pro. He stumbles, falls and spaces out from the drink in such a convincing manner that his Brick is made manifest in grand style." - Renowned author and critic Camille Pagilla
"And here it is indeed Brick - Matt de Rogatis - who is the other revelation. I've never seen a Brick whose emotional life felt so fully present throughout, and the scenes in which his forbidden attraction to Skipper, his doomed high school buddy, are explored are heartbreakingly vivid here." David Fox of Philly Magazine
"Matt de Rogatis is superb from the moment he steps on the stage til the very end. He mourns the loss of his friend and the loss of love with the deepest depth of his soul which is struggling and hiding even from himself throughout the play. He is breaking our hearts as well. He owns the show." - Hi! Drama
"Repeating his performance as Brick, Matt de Rogatis now revels in his scenes...his brooding is now more visually bold and seething and his outbursts are more vocally commanding. Seeing Big Daddy and Brick quickly move from quiet and pensive to passionate and poised for outbursts, we now see how, as they say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree...it is electric." - TheaterScene
"de Rogatis’ time spent with Brick has lended itself to a powerful performance - his long bouts of silence no longer tense and filled with a brewing rage, but now resigned and troubled, making a viewer in the audience feel more deeply for the character." - Invited NYC
"...the often near nude, shredded and perpetually sullen Matt de Rogatis offers a visually and vocally bold characterization of Brick. Mr. de Rogatis’s Southern-accented expressive tenor voice mines all the despair and dark humor of Tennessee Williams’ grand writing, particularly the need to keep drinking until he hears that “click” in his head. Was Brick lovers with his childhood best friend Skipper, who had sex with Maggie and who committed suicide, is the question on everyone’s minds. de Rogatis turns the answer to that into a breathtaking enraged aria, spewing a litany of common homophobic slurs." - Darryl Reilly, Drama Desk voter
"Hidden behind the bar and drink, de Rogatis finds a Brick to be engaged with. He's definitely handsome and desirable...and his occupation of drinking rings more true than most...a broken Brick...his artful approach to the part is one of the stronger components of this reimagining."
- Front Mezz Junkies
