Distinguished Alumni Honoree Dakin Matthews, Master of Arts, Class of 1966, for Bringing Language to Life Across Stage and Scholarship

For Dakin Matthews, language has always been something to be lived—spoken, examined, and shared. Across a career spanning stage, film, television, and the classroom, he has contributed to the performance and interpretation of classical works, bringing them into conversation with contemporary audiences and new generations.

After earning his master’s degree in English from Cal State East Bay in 1966, Matthews joined the faculty, where he taught for more than two decades and rose to the rank of full professor before being named Emeritus Professor in 1990. His teaching emphasized close engagement with texts and their relevance in performance, encouraging students to approach literature as something active and evolving.

That same commitment carried into his work as an actor and playwright. On Broadway, Matthews has appeared in productions including To Kill a Mockingbird, The Iceman Cometh, Waitress, and A Man for All Seasons. Regionally, his work includes more than 250 productions at leading theaters such as the Old Globe, South Coast Repertory, and the American Conservatory Theater. His performances have earned recognition, including Bayfield and Drama Desk Awards.

He has also contributed to the field through leadership and collaboration—serving as Artistic Director of the Berkeley Shakespeare Festival and helping found companies including The Antaeus Company and The Acting Company, both of which continue to support working actors.

As a writer and translator, Matthews has completed more than twenty plays and verse translations of Spanish Golden Age texts, expanding access to works that continue to be studied, performed, and reinterpreted.

Matthews has taught at institutions including Juilliard, the American Conservatory Theater, and the Old Globe/University of San Diego graduate program, extending his work as an educator to students and performers across the field.

“One of the joys of combining theater and an academic discipline is that they both feed one another.”

As he is recognized with the Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences, Dakin Matthews’ legacy is reflected in the work he has shaped—and in the artists and students who continue to engage with it.