Paris Peet
September 3, 1956 — May 1, 2024
There is no way I can express in a few words my absolute devastation at the news of the passing of this extraordinary and abundant human soul, Paris Peet.
He was a friend, a mentor, a confidante, and a standard by which I measured my own approach to my life and work.
I knew Paris before I ever moved to Pennsylvania. He was in the graduate acting company at University of South Carolina, and I was a young scenic carpenter. He was a rockstar, pure and simple.
He later went to DC, and played Hamlet at the Shakespeare Theatre there. When I first met him, I was so in awe of his talent and reputation, I would get nervous when I tried to talk to him.
Then, as I got to know him, I found out he was just a really decent, fun, and often goofy guy. In addition to being a massively gifted actor. Truly, one of the most genuine human souls I ever met.
When I moved to Pennsylvania, and Melissa and I first started Gamut, I was surprised to find out that he had moved to Pennsylvania as well, and was head of the Theater department at Shippensburg University. He sent many students my way, among them, former Core Company members Ian Potter, Doug Durlacher, and Kate Magill Robinson. Others that worked with us back those days like Maggie Reitz and Tim Gallagher. I'm sorry if I missed any others. Paris sent so many talented young artists our way.
But, in our first season, before any of this came to pass, completely out of the blue, he contacted me to say hello, and told me that he was so excited that we were in the process of mounting a Free Shakespeare in the Park program.
During our second show that summer (we did two park shows that first year) , Romeo, and Juliet, we needed a fight choreographer. He signed on to help us with this, and taught me so much about stage combat in that first show. He choreographed Dan Burke and me in the first of many fights to come.
Again, I could not believe my great good fortune that one of my heroes had come on board with our new endeavor to help Melissa and me to get this started.
In the coming seasons, he would direct for us and act for us, and he helped us craft so many company policies in those early days.
He was also a motorcycle rider, like myself, and when he saw that a production was getting stressful for me, he would say, “ Hey, why don’t we take a break this weekend and go out and ride motor-pickles?”
He was the standard that I always aspired to when figuring out how to lead a company. He taught me to be detailed and decisive, but also to always keep a sense of humor and empathy at the forefront of each endeavor.
I wanted to let you all know: I was fortunate to have this man’s friendship, and honored beyond belief that he chose to extend it to me, as he did for so many other Theatre artists. And, Gamut would not be the organization it is today without his support and dedication.
The world is so much better for having had him in it. I am incredibly sad, but also so happy and grateful that I was able to call this man my friend and my mentor.
Much love, Mistah Peet. You will always be in my heart, and I will think of you and your smiling example every time I have a knotty theatre problem to solve. If I do that, I know that I will always err on the side of making a decision that is the most just and humane.