Judy Matetzschk-Campbell, Ph.D. – Founder and Artistic Director

Judy Matetzschk-Campbell has directed and produced over 60 productions for young audiences since completing her Ph.D. in 1996. Matetzschk-Campbell holds an M.F.A. in Directing for Young Audiences as well as a Ph.D. in Dramatic Text Criticism from the University of Texas at Austin. While at UT Austin, Matetzschk-Campbell taught undergraduate classes in Dramatic Activities for the Elementary Classroom, a course designed to help pre-service teachers learn to use theatre as a teaching tool in their future classrooms. Her work with teachers also includes serving as a Primary Instructor for The Southeast Center for Education in Theatre at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where for ten summers she worked with teachers returning to school for advanced degrees and professional development credit. While at UT Austin Judy also served for four years as the Youth Season Coordinator where she coordinated communication between the Theatre Department and area teachers, organizing large groups of students to see UT’s extensive theatre for young audience productions in the B. Iden Payne Theatre on campus. 

Matetzschk-Campbell’s research specialization for her dissertation focused on New Play Development for Young Audiences and featured as her case study the three-year development of the award-winning play, The Yellow Boat by David Saar. Her work with Saar led to many other professional opportunities such as work on new plays with Metro Theatre Company, ChildsPlay, and the Children's Theatre of Sioux Falls among others. Her specialization in new play dramaturgy also resulted in her service as a dramaturg for the IUPUI Bonderman New Play Symposium for over 20 years. 

Before founding Pollyanna Theatre in 2000, Matetzschk-Campbell served as Director of Project InterAct at Zachary Scott Theatre Center for seven seasons where she directed ZACH’s outreach efforts to the schools and directed plays specifically written and designed to tour into Central Texas schools. Plays directed and produced by Matetzschk-Campbell for Project InterAct were performed for an average of 54,000 children each school year. Most of those days found her in the van with her cast and on an elementary school campus. Since founding Pollyanna Theatre Company, Matetzschk-Campbell has been responsible for both the artistic leadership of the company and all administrative oversight which includes Board Recruiting, Fundraising, Grant writing and reporting, contracting, accounts payable and accounts receivable. Campbell coordinates the work of the company’s Resident Designers, Resident Actors, and a team of administrators and interns totaling approx. 30 individuals per season. With a mission that includes the commissioning, developing, and producing of new plays for young audiences, Matetzschk-Campbell is responsible for developing each script that Pollyanna produces. Her work includes commissions by Sandy Asher, Lou Clark, Nick Kryah, Bethany Lynn Corey, Jonathan Graham, Holly Hepp-Galvan and many others.