When Tevye’s three oldest daughters sing “Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match” in “Fiddler on the Roof,” they might as well be singing about Chris and Jon Marshall.

The couple had been together 5½ years plus one day when we met at Starbucks in Clayton for this interview, on Jan. 14 – a tidy fact dispensed in a delicate manner by Jon, as if handing over a precious package. They married six months ago and recently moved to Clayton with their children, Jordan and Jacob Ben-Shmuel.

Marriage and moving are often equated with “madness,” but in the theater, where Chris and Jon spend much of their time, madness has led to beautiful kismet.

Chris is brief and down-to-earth about getting married, just what you’d expect from a theater manager. “It was time to make it official,” she says.

Speaking about moving, their words overlap – the relocation was for the schools. “Clayton Valley High School has a wonderful arts academy program,” she explains.

But beyond all the pragmatic words and practical decisions, there lies a fairy tale story of fate and flexibility.

Hearing from a friend about an opening, Jon called the Willows Theatre Company 10 years ago. He auditioned the same afternoon and got the role of Perchik in “Fiddler on the Roof.”

Although an equity stage manager and actor, he prefers to leave the impression of an inadvertent entry into his career as an actor. He lists his credentials minimally, saying only, “I sang in high school,” and offering up the fact that he has a living room full of instruments.

He’s more assured about the stage management aspect. “I wanted to make special effects. I wanted to make models – all the hands-on stuff that’s gone by the wayside.”

Chris followed a steady, but no less nimble path to her current position as general manager at the Willows. She’s been involved in acting since high school – where she directed “Fiddler on the Roof” and, as fate would have it, dated the boy who played Perchik.

She received her degree in drama from UCLA, but the school’s competitive environment soured her and she turned from acting to stage management interspersed with occasional directing opportunities. At the Willows, she found steady work and, eventually, a companion.

The entire family recently got into the act with “Brimstone,” a musical about the political conflict in Northern Ireland showing through Feb. 28. Jon plays the lead character, and Jordan and Jacob appear in the cast.

Discussions of the experience are spirited.

“People are already calling me ‘Mr. Boss Lady,’ ” Jon says with a laugh.

Jordan compares community theater to a school production, saying: “It’s more serious, because there are fewer kids.” She and her brother exchange coaching recommendations. “Don’t yell so much,” she tells Jacob. “Don’t smile so much,” he returns.

Chris takes pride in her role off-stage. “I want my kids to see that I love my job,” she says. “It’s OK for a woman to be powerful and successful with what she does.”

The couple praises the Clayton community, pointing to the small-town atmosphere despite its population of big-time players and personalities. They relish the room their children have to explore – not just the physical terrain, but who they are and who they may become.

Like Tevye and his daughters, who only left their beloved village, Anatevka, when forcefully expelled by the Russians, it’s hard to imagine the Marshall/Ben-Shmuels ever leaving Clayton. This is America, after all, where dreams are the stuff and matter of both theater and everyday life.