Matthew LaBanca

Matthew LaBanca is an actor, musician, and playwright whose work gives voice to a profound personal and spiritual journey. His solo show, Communion, is a deeply moving theatrical memoir born from his lived experience of religious discrimination as a gay man within the Catholic Church. Premiering Off-Broadway in November 2024, Communion explores themes of exclusion, resilience, and the yearning for belonging—telling a story of love, loss, and ultimately, hope.

Born and raised in New Fairfield, Connecticut, Matthew’s love of performance began early—from dancing in recitals and starring in his father’s professional magic act to graduating summa cum laude from the University of Connecticut with dual degrees in Voice and Music Education. His formal training in opera, musical theatre, and classical voice paved the way for a dynamic career spanning Broadway (original companies of Young Frankenstein, White Christmas, and A Christmas Carol), national tours (Crazy for You, The King and I), television (Severance, Broad City), and classical concert stages (Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall). His professional career was complemented and stabilized by his work as a choir director and music teacher in Catholic parishes in his Queens, New York neighborhood—a home base that provided roots, community, and spiritual fulfillment.

Despite this success, Matthew’s personal life was shattered in 2021 when the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn fired him after discovering he had married his partner, Rowan. Though warmly accepted by his parish community for years, the Church deemed his marriage incompatible with his role as a “Minister.” Offered hush money, Matthew declined, choosing instead to channel his pain into art, sparking a movement he lovingly refers to as his “Theatrical Ministry.”

Communion illuminates issues of religious discrimination, LGBTQ+ identity, and spiritual resilience. Praised for its poignant storytelling and emotional depth, the play also exposes a broader truth: in the United States, religious organizations can legally fire employees for being gay simply by labeling them “Ministers.” Matthew’s story stands as a courageous testimony against this legal and moral injustice, revealing how faith and identity can collide painfully for many LGBTQ+ people.

Since its Off-Broadway premiere, Communion has moved audiences and sparked vital conversations in theaters, churches, and advocacy spaces throughout the United States. Matthew often leads post-show talks, engaging viewers in dialogue about faith, identity, and the urgent need for inclusion. Through humor, connection, and music, Communion asks powerful questions: Why should LGBTQ people be excluded from spiritual communities founded on love? How can faith evolve to heal rather than harm?

Matthew LaBanca’s Communion is a landmark work in LGBTQ theater — an honest, beautifully crafted exploration of what it means to be seen, rejected, and ultimately embraced on one’s own terms. It is a play that challenges audiences to reconsider their assumptions about faith and sexuality, while offering a moving testament to the human capacity for love and renewal.

Matthew remains happily married to his incredible husband, screenwriter M. Rowan Meyer. They live in their Queens neighborhood, where Matthew continues to teach music, mentoring the next generation with compassion and integrity.

(This biographical profile provided by Matthew LaBanca.)

Biography Date: August 2025

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