Waltzing with Paul Michael Thomson

Who do you play in The Baltimore Waltz?
I play Carl, the protagonist's brother and (I like to think) best friend. I was so stoked about Carl because of his bravery and willingness to stand in the grey area. He's smart, interesting, a little cynical, and scared. That kind of complexity makes for a strong character.

Have you worked on a play by Paula Vogel before?
During my second year in the conservatory at Arizona Repertory Theatre, we did Paula Vogel's How I Learned to Drive, which is--I think--her masterpiece. It just so brilliantly and effortlessly sews together all of the strongest elements of her earlier work: a smart framing device; complex familial relationships; and three-dimensional, imperfect characters. She says in an interview that Drive is about "the gifts we receive from people who harm us," which just kind of blew my mind at the time with its pervasive truth, and has continued to do so in the years to follow.

How many languages do you speak?
Two: English and español.

Tell us about your siblings.
I have three siblings! We are, in order: Johncie, Kent, Paul Michael, and Karen. When were little, my brother and I would play a really intense version of "cops and robbers" with our cousins wherein we would use baking flour in Ziploc baggies as "cocaine" and try to smuggle it between our houses. Looking back, I'm mostly just really proud of our creativity.

Have you ever been to Baltimore, Europe, or the hospital?
I studied abroad in Romania and Hungary during college, and my most recent trip to the hospital was when I broke my foot last year tap dancing in a show two days before we opened. I was out for the entire eight-week run, I haven't put on tap shoes since, and you can't make me.

See Paul Michael Thomson in The Baltimore Waltz, opening January 20th.
Tickets are on sale now!

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