Matthew Devon Posey
July 31, 1958 – October 2, 2026

Matthew Devon Posey, beloved brother, uncle, friend, actor, director, and storyteller, passed away on October 2, 2026, leaving behind a lifetime of memories and countless people.

Born on July 31, 1958, in Houston, Texas, Matthew was the son of Marvin R. Posey and Mary Louise Wrba Posey, and the youngest of 5 siblings. Matthew lived a remarkable and creative life. He had a deep love for the arts and dedicated much of his life to acting, directing, theater, and storytelling. His work brought him into the lives of many people, both on stage and screen, and his talent and distinctive personality left a lasting impression.

The first inkling of Matthew’s genius was his vegetable interviews at age four, most notably the “Carrot” series. As a sophomore at Coronado High School in Lubbock, Matthew gained a wider audience, with his memorable turn as Click Dark, the em-cee of his class play based on American Graffitti. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Theater under George Sorenson at Texas Tech University, Matthew interned at the Alley Theater in Houston.

Deep Ellum was his next stop, where he jolted the local culture by building and founding the Deep Ellum Theatre Garage, a venue that hosted boundary-pushing works, including a seminal collaborative work with Fred Curchack entitled “Sexual Mythology part 1:THE UNDERWORLD.”

Following a 12-year stint in Los Angeles working in the film industry, ghost writing and earning a Masters degree in Film from the American Film Institute, Matthew returned to Dallas as a company member at Undermain Theater.

Next, Matthew went on to build what would become his crowning achievement: Ochre House Theater. Founded in 2008 in Exposition Park, the intimate, 45-seat storefront theater became a legendary lab for raw, original art. Dubbed by Matthew and his core company as the “Pioneers of the Suavant-Garde,” Ochre House was famous for its deconstructed, musical-narrative style, incorporating live music, striking visual magic realism, and intricate, Bunraku-inspired puppetry.

Matthew’s bound notebooks were the birthplace of more than a decade of original works that keenly examined the human condition, exposing with poetic precision the many sides of love, family, social class, addiction, tradition, domestic and institutionalized violence, peace, self-worth, forgiveness, greed, solace and ultimately, one’s place in the universe.

Under Matthew’s guidance, The Ochre House produced and staged original works in such an immediate way, that the theater reflected current social, political and world events in an accelerated time-frame that resonated deeply with Ochre’s audiences. Matthew wrote, directed, and produced more than 40 critically acclaimed original plays, including Mrs. Haggardly, Bill, Original Man, and Soft Noodle Map.

Additionally, Matthew, in partnership with Dallas-based Flame Foundation, was an innovator of original full-length plays incorporating authentic Flamenco. Spanning 15 years, the collaboration brought international and Dallas-based artists to both Dallas and New York stages. Dallas audiences, actors and creatives delved into a world that melded Matthew’s prose and the Flame Foundation’s poetic expression into “ Una colaboración nacida del corazón, donde la magia del teatro experimental se funde con el alma, la pasión y la verdad del auténtico Flamenco, or “A beloved collaboration fusing experimental theater with authentic Flamenco”.

Beyond his theatrical footprint, Matthew was a remarkably versatile Hollywood and independent cinema character actor whose screen career spanned over 35 years. He appeared in more than 60 major film and television productions, with iconic roles in Oliver Stone’s JFK, the Academy Award-winning No Country for Old Men, and The Magnificent Seven. On television, his unforgettable performances grounded landmark series like Lonesome Dove, Rectify, AMC’s The Son, and HBO’s Love & Death. Matthew’s most recent roles include Josh Jordan’s independent film, El Tonto Por Christo, and a role in Brothers, a series with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Matthew will be remembered most dearly by his family and friends. He was a unique and unforgettable person whose humor, creativity, stories, and larger-than-life personality made an impression on everyone who knew him. To those closest to him, he was much more than an actor or artist—he was a beloved partner, brother, uncle, friend, and artistic father figure. His family will remember Matthew not only for the life he lived, but for the memories he created and the love he shared. His presence will be deeply missed, but his stories, his work, his humor, and the memories he gave to those who loved him will remain.

Matthew was preceded in death by his parents, Marvin R. Posey and Mary Louise Wrba Posey. Matthew is survived by his life partner, Suzanne Thomas, two sisters, Marlis Hodges and her husband Ralph, Candis Posey, and his two brothers, William Marvin Posey and his wife, Krystin, Richard Daniel Posey and his wife Timmye, along with numerous nieces and nephews who loved him dearly. He leaves behind countless friends and his beloved cats, Chet and Etta.

Matthew’s devoted artistic family—the core ensemble of company members, designers, and musicians at Ochre House Theater will always remember his fierce, grassroots commitment to original theater, and the many opportunities he provided them.

A celebration of life service is being planned. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a donation to the Ochre House Theater.