In Part 5 of a series of interviews with the writer, producer, and director and the cast of Girl with Two Belly Buttons, meet Peter Markey .
In Girl with Two Belly Buttons, Izzy, at age 60, is sick and alone. She has had so many relationships. Why did they all fail? Then Izzy meets Izabela, her 30-year-old self, and the two explore what went wrong (or right) with their once and future boyfriends.
Today we interview Peter Markey, who plays Tryp, the sixth of the six boyfriends portrayed.
Please introduce yourself and tell us about your performing background.
I feel like I lived a lifetime or two before committing myself, late in life, to releasing the actor that was pleading to come out of me. Even though at age seven, my brother and I would often reenact the Saturday matinee we had just seen, a sports obsession limited me to a couple of school productions.
After raising and educating a family, I trained for two years before auditioning, and over the past five years was offered roles in TV, film, and onstage. In 2013, I received a message that (Emmy winner) Julie Schubert was coming down from New York and wanted to see me after viewing my House of Cards audition. I read for the role of an ultra-ethical Congressman, who valued party unity, but wouldn’t compromise his principles for political reasons. The role never materialized. Perhaps the creative team had second thoughts about whether viewers would accept such a character in a House of Cards Congressman role.
Why did you want to appear in Girl with Two Belly Buttons?
I can feel Izzy’s fear of being alone in her later years. I want Tryp to be the most appealing alternative to another suitor or a life of loneliness. This might not be resolved until Jeryl writes the screenplay.
How do you personally relate to the character of Tryp?
I agree with Freud’s assertion that the Irish are immune to psychoanalysis. I’m discovering that Tryp likely has DNA passed on from an Emerald Isle, whose sunshine and foaming sea, along with a taste of the Guinness, can inspire some buttery blarney, be it in poetry or prose.
I also know that a cloud can quickly cover his merriment and cause Tryp to seek solitude until the next wave catches his fancy.
In the script for Girl with Two Belly Buttons, Tryp is described as “The Charmer.” Do you agree with this assessment?
I absolutely agree! In the museum scene, Izzy tries totally to avoid him. Tryp’s personal magnetism alone leads her to admit grudgingly they have a rapport.
What are your goals as an actor?
I want to impact the audience in such a way that they feel what my character feels and to understand why he thinks, acts, and feels the way he does.
What excites you about participating in the 2015 Capital Fringe Festival?
I’m excited about the opportunity to interact with and work directly with a highly imaginative writer in her creative process from page to stage. The Festival has the edginess and energy of innovation that attracts audiences who want to be part of the discovery that can come with that.
PERFORMANCES AT:
Atlas Performing Arts Center’s Sprenger –1333 H Street, NE, in Washington, DC 20002
Saturday 7/11 at 8:45 PM
Sunday 7/12 at 9:00 PM
Sunday 7/19 at 10:15 PM
Sunday 7/26 at 4:45 PM
FOR TICKETS, CALL (866) 811-4111, OR PURCHASE THEM ONLINE.
LINKS
2015 Capital Fringe Preview #7: Interviews with the Writer/Director/Producer and Cast of ‘Girl with Two Belly Buttons’: Part 1: Jeryl Parade.
2015 Capital Fringe Preview #7: Interviews with the Writer/Director/Producer and Cast of ‘Girl with Two Belly Buttons’: Part 2: Kathryn Martin.
2015 Capital Fringe Preview #7: Interviews with the Writer/Director/Producer and Cast of ‘Girl with Two Belly Buttons’: Part 3: Matthew Sutphin.
Interviews with the Writer/Director/Producer and Cast of ‘Girl with Two Belly Buttons’: Part 4: Scott Duvall.
2015 Capital Fringe Preview #7: Interviews with the Writer/Director/Producer and Cast of ‘Girl with Two Belly Buttons’: Part 5: Peter Markey.
For more info about the show, please visit: jerylparade.com.
