When and Why did you decide to become an actor?
Back when I was a wee lad at Roosevelt Middle School, one of my classes went down to... Ashland, I believe, to see a production of Othello. Before that my care for theatre was limited to playing the second merchant in Comedy of Errors for an easy school credit. Othello was the first professional production I had ever seen, and it definitely hit a tender spot inside me. Ever since that day, I have had a desire to pursue the arts. Although, it wasn't until I had a brief falling out with my High School drama teacher that I really got involved in theatre. You might say I became an actor out of revenge...
What is your most embarrassing moment on stage? Backstage?
Definitely a moment during Rebbecca Gilman's Boy Gets Girl, a show I did in high school. I was playing cards with the cast and crew backstage during a performance, when I noticed that one of the actors was still backstage when I thought he was about to go on. This wouldn't have been too serious of a problem, except for the fact that he had to change costume and apply stage blood to his knee. I said,
"Joe... don't you go on soon?"
At that moment, that cast member basically did a barrel roll over the couch, throwing his pants off in that same motion. He starts changing into his next costume, while yelling at the make up crew that "IT IS IMPERATIVE" that he be bloodied. Grabs the fake blood, dumps it all over his knee, and runs backstage. Turns out he still had an easy five to seven minutes before he had to go on. Whoops...
Be a good person and do what makes you happy. Life is too short to waste on things that just drag you down.
Rosie O'Donnell or Ellen D.? Oh, Ellen DeGeneres... no doubt!
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Actor's Interview
#1: When and Why did you decide to become an actor?
My big brother and I watched "The Picture of Dorian Gray" on TV and it was riveting and terrifying--so I gathered my siblings and cousins at a family party (I was 8) and I directed and starred in a short theatrical adaptation of the story. I also drew the portrait, in pencil on a piece of cardboard, with the "handsome" Dorian on one side and the debauched Dorian on the other, so it could be discreetly flipped over at the crucial moment. Once the painting was stabbed, I, as Dorian Gray, fell to my knees muttering "oh my God", as I smeared rouge on my face, and applied globs of Silly Putty wherever it would stick--to signify rotting flesh, I guess--and when I turned around to show the audience my hideous face, my grandmother and maybe some others gasped. Soon after that my grandma paid for me to attend an acting school, and I knew what my calling was.
#2. What is your most embarrassing moment on stage? Backstage?
On stage? I'm sure it was some botched moment of singing, probably in "City of Angels" (2002). Backstage? Could be any one of several quick costume changes, during which I, in my haste, not only exposed more of myself than I had intended to fellow cast members, but also put pants or some other garment on completely wrong--as in putting my right leg in the left pants leg.
#3. What is your life motto?
Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. (wrongly attributed to Goethe)
#3. Rosie O'Donnell or Ellen D.?
Er, no opinion. OK, I like Ellen D. currently, as she seems to be so cheerful.
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Actor's Interview
When did you become a playwright?I've been a playwright since high school when I took a playwriting class at Lane Community College and I've been writing plays ever since. This is just the first time I've been able to have one of my plays produced.
What is your most embarrassing moment in high school?
My sophomore year in English, the teacher made a joke about the English grammar and I burst out laughing so hard that everyone started laughing at me. I was quite embarrassed from that.
What was your inspiration for both CAN'T TEAR ME DOWN and THE TRUTH COMES OUT?
CAN'T TEAR ME DOWN originally formed from meeting gay youth who did not know about the Stonewall Riots. One day I started to do some of my own research on the riots that sparked the gay revolution and began writing characters, plot and lines.
THE TRUTH COMES OUT was written this year for a short play festival in New York City and I just thought about my friends on the east coast who are experiencing life with HIV and the question that we all ask ourselves: Will he/she leave me?
Red or Blue?
Blue, of course!
Can't Tear Me Down and The Truth Comes Out will be read on Wednesday, April 21st, 2010 at Cosmic Pizza (199 W. 8th Ave., Eugene, OR 97401), tickets are $10 at the door and the event will also feature a raffle and a 360:Storytelling Experiment with the Audience.
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360 Storytelling,
Playwright's Interview,
Staged Reading
A Fundraiser in Three Parts...
Your lovely and talented host Sarah Fix will take you through a night of entertainment and excitement and awareness of hate crimes.
Part #1:
CAN'T TEAR ME DOWN: The Revenge of the Pink Posse
Written and Directed by B.Michael Peterson
Featuring local actors: Gerald Walters, Maximilian Maltz, Jesse Ferreira, Mark VanBeever and Chip Sherman
Part #2
Raffle for a dinner for two to the Oregon Electric Station
1 ticket for $5 or 5 tickets for $20
Part #3
Artistic Director, B.Michael Peterson, announces the full production and staged reading line up for the 2010-2011 season
Event tickets are $10 at the door and will benefit the University of Oregon's LGBTQA to create awareness of their recent tragic event of their space getting vandalized.
April 21st, 2010
9:00pm - 10:30pm
Cosmic Pizza @ The Strand
199 W. 8th Ave.
Eugene, Oregon 97401
To make reservations for this event, email us at brickunderground@gmail.com
Posted in
Fundraiser,
Kickoff,
Season Announcement,
Staged Reading
