MEDIA

MATTHEW ARMET
HIGHLIGHT REEL

Withermet Productions a family affair

Entertainment production company launched by husband-and-husband duo

The recently launched Withermet Productions is co-run by husband-and-husband duo Matthew Armet and Tyrell Witherspoon.

The two South Osborne residents have over 30 years of experience between them in a wide range of entertainment media. They have worked in musical theatre, film, television, and other multi-disciplinary productions, the list of which includes well-known titles such as the children’s show Odd Squad and the film series Bring It On. I

Supplied photo

Matthew Armet (left) and Tyrell Witherspoon have recently launched a production company with a goal to foster and create queer content.

“We definitely have a really broad, full spectrum of experience in the arts,” Witherspoon said. “So, it definitely lends itself to taking that next step on creating a production company that can help foster some new content, maybe give opportunities to talent that might not necessarily have the resources, or maybe is a little more undiscoverable.”

Armet said their experience in the industry allows them to direct people with less industry know-how and, through that, they have discovered another passion.

“A lot of times in our careers, especially here in Winnipeg, what we’ve enjoyed doing is helping point people in the right direction. Sometimes they’re like, ‘I have this idea, or I want to do this with my career, so how do I do that?’” Armet said. “And because we’ve worked all across the country and have lots of connections — sometimes very strange, random connections — I’ll have the exact person I need to put them in touch with.”

Armet and Witherspoon said they also want to use their industry knowledge to help create a broader range of queer content.

Witherspoon said that while queer content has become more and more visible in media, he feels as though it’s always done on a “grand scope.”

“We want to be part of the movement to continue to do that, but in a more localized Canadian way,” Witherspoon said.

“And to highlight local queer artists, too,” Armet said.

Armet said the new production company aims to bolster content that is driven by queer relationships, which he said still seems too rare.

But more than that, Witherspoon said, the pair wants to help produce different sorts of queer stories — ones that focus on positivity and other areas.

“A lot of queer stories are told through heartbreak or trauma or conflict, and we’re more interested in telling stories of a work where there is none of that conflict, or there is no homophobia, and what does that look like?” Witherspoon said. “There’s lots of niche areas of the queer community that don’t get that visibility. We want to try to shed some light into those corners.”

For their first major project, the pair and their production company will choreograph FAME with Winnipeg Studio Theatre, which will run in spring 2023.

Withermet Productions can be found on Instagram at @withermetprod

Cody Sellar
Community Journalist