Tell us about your musical, Principia, and the source material it’s adapted from.
It’s adapted from The Principia Discordia which was revealed to the prophet Malaclypse the Younger by Eris, the goddess of Chaos and Discord in the late 1950s. The book is a collection of drawings, poems, jokes and musings that were meant to give solace to Cold War Americans. In one part of the book the goddess is told about how terrible life is for humankind, how we fight and hate and struggle and she says “That’s okay, if you like it.” The goddess is told that nobody likes it. “Then why don’t you stop?” she asks. The book contains, and I say this as a compliment, the wisdom of the fool.
How did your first discover Principia Discordia? And what made it appealling to you as a musical theatre piece?
It was given to me by Miguel Martinez, an actor who is a legend in the New Mexico theatre community, back when I was in college. It appealed to me as a piece of musical theatre because it seems so inappropriate for the genre.
How did you and composer Andrew Recinos write the score together?
We didn’t write the score together. I can’t even read music. Andrew did all of that. What I did was I wrote lyrics to the tunes of others songs that I liked and then I sent those lyrics to Andrew without telling him what songs I’d used. Andrew then looked at the lyrics, realized they weren’t proper songs, came up with his own ideas for how they should sound and then he guided me to rewrite my lyrics in order to fit his musical ideas.
How and when did you first become interested in theatre and writing?
In high school I wrote a short story that an English teacher said would make a better play. So, I made it into a play. My teacher was right, it was a better play.
By your own admission, you are also "a very amateur stand-up comedian." How amateur are we talking here?
Really amateur. Last time I performed was at the Philadelphia Live-Arts Festival. I was meant to MC what turned out to be a rock concert. Rock concerts don’t need MCs. Those are the kinds of gigs I get. You know, those gigs where I’m not needed.
You are also a staff writer for Forbes magazine. What do you write for them, and how did you land that gig?
When I moved here in 1999 the economy was booming and Forbes was hiring. I have a journalism background. But this magazine also has a history of taking chances on people with odd resumes. I think having all the theatre on my resume helped me more than anything during the initial interviews because it separated me from other people they were interviewing.
Do your Forbes colleagues know about your double life as a theatre person?
Heck, yes. They’re the most supportive bunch, too.
What's up next for you?
I’m working on a novel. I always say that. But I really am. I should probably finish it.
Interview with Michael Maiello was conducted by Michael Criscuolo November 2006.