Young Actor and Broomall Native Aspires to Stardom

BROOMALL–Peter Smith knew at an early age that acting was his calling. Now 23-years-old, the Broomall native is confident he was right, and is working tirelessly to reach for stardom.
 
“My older brother is a professional actor at The House Theatre of Chicago, and I got the inspiration to follow in his footsteps. First, I was in church plays at . My freshman year at , I was in Crazy for You, and then wound up being the lead in many plays which was nice,” Smith says.
 
His success in high school came after years of moving around with his family as a young child and once settled, he says, he was able to truly appreciate his life and his goals.
 
“I never really had a home base until I got to Broomall, and then I became grounded and I was able to find a group of my own friends. I had a place to reside and friends, and I still talk to them. That’s important to me,” Smith says.
 
Once he built that home base and support network, Smith says he was able to branch out a bit, earning his theatre degree at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, and studying abroad in Italy at the Accademia dell’Arte.
 
“It was a wonderful experience to go abroad to study. It was different and unique. At Muhlenberg, I got a Liberal Arts degree and studied all subjects. Abroad, my studies were more specific. I studied voice and movement and the Italian mask art form,” Smith says. “We put in intense, long hours and focused a lot on performance. There, I grew as a performer, using my body to convey messages.”
 
Smith has since been able to develop those experiences that he learned in Italy here at home. He is currently touring with the Enchantment Theatre Company based in downtown Philadelphia in the production called The Adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon.

Harold is a 60-minute family-friendly show featuring life-sized puppets, masked actors and magic, and it’s running at The Prince Theatre on Chestnut Street May 11 through 22. Based on the children’s book series by Crockett Johnson, The Adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon takes the audience on a magical journey, and reminds people that with a little imagination, anything is possible.
 
Smith says it’s an all-ages show from early elementary school and up.
 
“Even the older kids like it. The magic section is very advanced. The complicated illusions astound the adults too. The shows are based on very old-fashioned storytelling, which everyone can relate to,” Smith says.
 
Smith plays an integral part in this production, including the roles of a clown, lion and dancing horse, and he’s also a puppeteer. He says that no matter what role he is playing, he has found over the years that he thrives performing in the theatre arts.

“With children’s theatre, it’s great because kids love being amazed. They are genuine, honest, and very verbal. When you hear the audience react, it lets us know we are impacting them in some way, even if they walk away thinking ‘that was really cool.’ It keeps the art form alive to be touching as many kids as this company does,” Smith says.

The aspiring actor adds that another invaluable benefit of this career is the sense of community.

“When you’re working with a cast of people trying to create something wonderful, you become close. When you take it on the road, you become even closer and see people at their worst and best,” he says. “I have a close relationship with my family which translates into my desire to be a part of my community.”

To see Peter Smith on stage in The Adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon, or to learn more about Enchantment Theatre Company, click here.