We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Peter Michael Marino. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Peter Michael below.
Hi Peter Michael, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?
I think my generosity comes from my parents and grandparents. They were all great examples of generous people, and always there to help those in need. But, also there emotionally for others. I also believe that studying improv has taught me the rule of “yes, and…” – which is being generous to your scene partner and/or the audience.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’ve always been an artist who wears many hats. I’m still not sure what I want to be when I grow up. And I’m pretty up there age-wise. I go for long periods being very happy as a writer or as a producer – and then there are other times where I’m very happy being a performer.
I came to New York City wanting to be an actor. But then I started directing, and learned a lot about producing, which really interested me. I produced some small shows and some big festivals. A long time ago one of my father’s friends asked him what I did for a living. He told them that I was a producer. His friend asked, “What does a producer do?” And my father didn’t have the answer. I told him the next time someone asks that question to tell them that, “Producers makes things happen.” And that’s exactly what I do.
I’ve written and performed an array of solo shows that have played at various festivals and venues around the world. And I’ve also produced a number of other people’s shows. I like doing both. For the past five years, I’ve been doing a family-friendly show that I wrote called “Show Up, Kids!” In this show, the host (me) is forced to put on a kids show having no prior experience with kids or doing a show. Basically, the kids help create the story. I never expected this family-friendly show to take off the way it has. It’s extremely flexible and it’s different every time. Improv! This is really important for me because I get bored pretty easily…even with my own work. I’ve also found myself working more frequently with kids – from teaching improv and storytelling to visually impaired kids, to working with the puppet company NYC Kids Project, which teaches inclusion, acceptance, and respect. I never get bored working with kids. Or puppets.
A few years ago, I was somehow commissioned to create a video for the Kennedy Center that teaches kids how to put on a show in their own home. This is something I did all the time as a kid – even though I didn’t really have any exposure to theatre. It became a hit. This led to me creating a series of videos for the Washington National Opera that teaches kids about the world of opera. This was something I knew almost nothing about, but once I was given the assignment, I dove in and wound up falling in love with the art form. This has led to several other projects with WNO, kids, and opera. Things I never expected.
I also never expected to learn about Toy Theater and create a whole digital show with it – but lockdown forced us all to learn new skills. I used my lockdown time to create “Planet of the Grapes,” which is an homage to the original film “Planet of the Apes.” This version is a tiny one and uses rubber grapes and corks to tell the tale. I didn’t have a tremendous amount of experience with puppetry but I took the time to learn about that and improve my skills. As a matter of fact, the next project I’m working on is very reliant on puppetry. Again, this is an area I never thought I would be working in.
For the past few years I have been a clown in an immersive circus in Brooklyn and then Times Square. I wound up writing the script for this show and have enjoyed every minute of it. Again, it’s something that I never expected to do, but I just went with the flow and learned something new about myself. This experience has taught me about the world of circus and clowning – two areas I never really explored as an artist. It has led me to create original characters for events and such.
Recently, I created “Lemonade Island” which is a pop-up art installation where folks can sit down with me and chat about advice they need ,while sipping lemonade. All for free. It started as a one-off project, but quickly took off and has been done all over the tri-state area. It’s important to me to lend an ear to folks in need during a time when mental health assistance is so challenging to come by.
Oddly, for an artist, I’m not much of a process person. I generally aim for a result. But as I get older, I’m learning to embrace the process. It allows for ideas to come when they come. It invites collaboration. It’s not easy but it certainly helps calm the nervous system.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I think the three areas of knowledge that were most impactful on my journey were learning how theater works from BOTH sides of the stage – from lights, costumes, and scenic design, to house management and press. Learning and knowing more about these areas helps me as a producer, director, writer and performer.
Traveling around the world was also hugely impactful for me as an artist. I was fortunate to be cast in STOMP in the 90s and toured the United States, South America, and Canada. I learned about other cultures and how storytelling differs from culture to culture. I learned how people communicate in different ways. I experienced theater and other forms of art in ways that I never would’ve experienced just staying in the United States. I’m 100% sure that the work I’ve created since attending, producing, and performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 2012-2018 never would’ve happened if I had not experienced the work from artists around the world at that festival. Other artists are an inspiration, not a competition.
And finally, learning about how people work has been huge. I kind of fancy myself an amateur therapist and I think that’s only because I’m very open to listening to people and only offering feedback when it is asked for. I tend to see the positive side of things and I try to impart my sense of optimism on others.
My advice for anyone on the artists journey is to learn as much as you can about the area of art you want to work in – even if some of those areas are not part of your skill set. I would encourage them to see as much of the world as they can; and if they cannot see the world, that they see as much local theater and art as possible. Everything is an influence. But mostly, my advice would be to learn how to be a listener. Learn how to be a collaborator. Learn how to say yes. Be open to new ideas. Take chances. And f*ck your fear.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
I don’t think this is unique, but a particular challenge I’m currently facing is fundraising. It is very challenging to have ideas for shows without knowing how you will be able to afford to create those shows. I find grant writing frustrating, challenging, and time-consuming. It is not a skill set I think I have. Although I did put my mind to it a few years ago and got some help applying for a grant, and wound up getting a sizable one that allowed me to translate my family show into Spanish and Japanese and mount performances.
Conversely, I’ve also learned to not let a lack of funding keep me from creating. There’s always a way. Sometimes the cheapest route is the most artistic route. I have found myself not moving forward because of a lack of funds and that just creates frustration. I am trying to get better at trusting the process and creating work even if I don’t yet know how that work will get mounted on a stage. Once again, optimism is a better route than fear. It feeds creativity.
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Joopashoots Mikiodo
