Alumnus Matt Logan (’00) Brings the Hiding Place to the Big Screen

With a degree in theatre arts from Pepperdine’s Seaver College, Matt Logan has a long history of success in the entertainment world. His most recent effort is as the stage director of the production of The Hiding Place and producer of the film, which recently made its debut in North America and will be in theatres internationally on August 16, 2023.

The Hiding Place centers on the courageous Ten Booms, a Christian family of watchmakers from the Netherlands who, during WWII, risked their lives to hide hundreds of Jewish refugees from the Nazis. Unlike the traditional moviegoing experience, the film is a cinematic presentation of the stage adaptation that was directed by Logan, who enlisted the help of filmmakers Tony and Laura Matula to capture the production in cinematic style and, with their partnership, blurred the lines between theatre and cinema. Drawn from the internationally best-selling memoir by Corrie ten Boom, the family’s youngest child who later became a Christian writer and speaker, The Hiding Place is a story of faith, hope, love, and forgiveness as the Ten Booms’ efforts result in grave consequences, including their own internment. While a story very specific to its time, Logan believes that The Hiding Place urges viewers “to love bigger,” and “to look beyond ourselves,” messages that will resonate with contemporary audiences.

Logan credits his breadth of professional accomplishments—as a producer, director, set designer, costumer, and actor—to his experience at Pepperdine. “I was so fortunate to perform in every main stage show during my time, direct multiple shows, design costumes, paint sets, and learn how to build clothing. I use all my skills from Pepperdine to this day.” 

The recipient of a special achievement scholarship to attend Seaver College and participate in the theatre department, Logan apprenticed under theatre legend John Raitt and received the John Raitt Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Theatre Arts. He remembers with great fondness his mentors at Pepperdine.

“Costume designer Carol Ann Hack completely invested in me,” he says. Logan shares that his skills as a director and actor blossomed under the tutelage of professor Cathy Thomas-Grant and that guest director Jon Engstrom, recognizing his potential, “blessed my path with passion and opportunity.” He adds, “These three individuals really instilled so much in my professional life at Pepperdine, and I would not be the producer, director, and designer that I am today without their influence.”

Logan now manages his own production company, Matt Logan Productions, which producedThe Hiding Place in partnership with Rabbit Room Theatre, an arm of the Rabbit Room, a Nashville, Tennessee-based nonprofit that cultivates the arts for Christian communities. This partnership begins a new chapter as Logan will collaborate with Rabbit Room on two high-caliber productions annually. Looking ahead, Logan’s list of projects include an entirely new look at Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, which provides clues that Logan will continue to expand his reach and bring audiences impactful stories of faith and hope.  

“Bloom where you are planted,” says Logan. “I have learned that opportunity and community are within reach, but you have the power to work hard and make the best of each door opening.”