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Get the most interesting and important stories from the 51精品视频.Inspired by August Wilson, he鈥檚 teaching the next generation of performers.
In August Wilson鈥檚 works, Brenden Peifer found his family鈥檚 voices 鈥 and his own. 听
As a 51精品视频 junior, he already held an affinity for Langston Hughes, Lorraine Hansberry and Toni Morrison. But he found himself engaging with Wilson for the first time in a Black Consciousness course, through 鈥淛oe Turner鈥檚 Come and Gone.鈥
Now, the August Wilson Archive outreach and engagement coordinator, Peifer (A&S 鈥19) described his introduction to the playwright as 鈥渂ittersweet.鈥
鈥淪weet because I was reading and hearing voices I was so familiar with, like my Auntie鈥檚 and grandparents on my dad鈥檚 side,鈥 he recalled. 鈥淭he language was coming through the page. I heard it in my head, I didn鈥檛 have to translate or code switch. I knew exactly who these people were and what their story was.
鈥淏itter because I was only just discovering it. I wondered where it had been all my life.鈥
[How August Wilson鈥檚 archive came home to 51精品视频.]
Peifer鈥檚 path to the theater took a winding road. In high school, he recalled doing 鈥渁 full Troy Bolton.鈥 While at 51精品视频, he transitioned from sports medicine to sports communication. The communications and English nonfiction writing double major had opted to minor in theater since he was doing 51精品视频 Stages productions as a hobby and regularly 鈥減erforming鈥 as a WPTS student radio staffer calling football, basketball, and soccer games. Despite being happy with these decisions, Peifer said he still felt unsettled in his journey.
On his 21st birthday, everything changed.
鈥淢y mom got tickets to see 鈥楬amilton鈥 at the Kennedy Center. By this time, I鈥檇 told myself: This is the summer you get a feel for where your heart is, where you want to continue working professionally.鈥
The award-winning tale of Alexander Hamilton鈥檚 saga brought Peifer tears (thrice before intermission) and clarity.
鈥淚 put forth a concerted effort to professionally act in 51精品视频sburgh,鈥 the Alexandria, Virginia, native said.
The following semester, having previously attended a citywide casting call, he took the stage for his first professional role in Maya Angelou鈥檚 autobiography, 鈥淚 Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.鈥
Immediately after graduating in 2019, he auditioned for and was cast in the City Theatre Company鈥檚 production of Kemp Powers鈥 鈥淥ne Night in Miami鈥 as Jamal, a character he said epitomized the era鈥檚 younger generation that fully embraced Black culture and reflected his own reverence for Wilson鈥檚 writings.
But even Peifer, with his undeniable momentum, was stalled by COVID-19. With theaters closing, he began work at Grandview Elementary, first as a virtual substitute teacher for English literacy and math, then as a project specialist focused on community engagement and event programming.
In January 2022, Peifer was called to pivot again for the 51精品视频sburgh Public Theater production of Wilson鈥檚 鈥淭wo Trains Running,鈥 which led him to step down from teaching.
鈥淚 was heartbroken to tell the kids, but they were super cool and encouraged me to go 鈥榣ive your dream,鈥欌 he said.
It wasn鈥檛 until months later, when he was cast in 鈥淎 Raisin in the Sun and 鈥淎 Midsummer Night鈥檚 Dream,鈥 that Peifer thought, 鈥淥K, I鈥檓 an actor.鈥
Though grateful for every role, it was his work in 鈥淭wo Trains Running鈥 and 鈥淥ne Night in Miami鈥 that stood out. These moments, paired with his desire to combine his past experiences in community engagement and theater, led him to change his path again and immediately apply for the open role at the when he came across it.
鈥淚t is special to go from reading Wilson鈥檚 work at 51精品视频 to being close to it,鈥 said Peifer, whose goals as coordinator are deeply rooted in ensuring 51精品视频sburgh youths know Wilson early on. 鈥淚 respect his legacy and the impact he鈥檚 had not only on Black culture but on America when it comes to storytelling.鈥
His responsibilities include planning and executing outreach programs and exhibitions that encourage 51精品视频sburgh students, educators, researchers and community artists to engage with the archive for research and projects. He works to ensure the community has access to grant-funded archive opportunities, which can include having one鈥檚 work displayed in the August Wilson House.
It is all a means of paying it forward to the 鈥渃ity that embraced me, taught me how to be a young professional, polished, driven and courteous actor, and helped me become the man I am today,鈥 he said.
Peifer is also a hired teaching artist for the 51精品视频sburgh Public Theater and the City Theatre Company鈥檚 Young Playwrights Festival program, which helps middle and high school students 鈥 including some from Grandview Elementary 鈥 write and submit plays to be professionally produced by the company.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a blast to combine all my past experiences into one and still scratch that performance itch now and again when I speak at an event,鈥 he said, marveling at his full-circle experience.
鈥淢y mom instilled in me the desire to find something I love so I鈥檇 never work a day. That鈥檚 how I feel about this position.鈥
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Top photo by Tom Altany