“I realized that the greatness is in the story and the presentation. It is hard to let go of my ideas of perfection, but it has made me a better storyteller and comic.”

Responder: Madeline O’Malley, Actor/Writer
Name of Company: Madeline O’Malley
Name of Show: Square Peg

1. Why should anybody see your show?
My show is fun and it’s pretty funny, according to friends and family and other people who kind of have to say they liked it. At the very best, you will laugh a lot and come away from the show with the realization that we are all different and we all feel like we don’t fit in sometimes, but that these very differences can bring us together. At the very least, you can sit in a dark, quiet room for an hour and not have to answer any work emails or get snacks for any children.

2. Why Atlanta?
Atlanta is where most of my expat Chicago friends and family members have settled over the past thirty years. They always tell me they would love to see me on stage but Chicago is just too far away, so I decided to try to bring the show to them and see what excuse they come up with now.

3. What inspired you to create this?
I have two teenage daughters and I have told them stories their whole lives. Their favorite stories are the autobiographical ones, so I started to write those down for them. Several years ago, I started doing stand up comedy and I got involved in Second City’s humorous memoir writing program. I realized that I liked reading and performing my stories as much as I enjoyed writing them. I started learning about one person shows and finally found a way to combine my love of stand up, storytelling and writing.

[Above: Madeline onstage at the Elgin Fringe Festival]

4. What’s your process for creating and rehearsing something like this?
I jot down ideas and memories all the time. When I find something that I can expand into a larger story, I will write it and then get feedback from several seasoned storytellers I have worked with in the past. Once I am satisfied with the story, I will record it and listen to it on my headphones all the time, until it becomes a story that flows logically to me. Then I can focus on being present and joyful with my audience and telling them about my experiences without worrying so much about what my next line is.

5. What have you learned from working on your show so far?
The most important thing I have learned while working on and performing this show is that I don’t need perfection to put on a great show. As someone with a background in writing, I started out my performing my shows and doing comedy with an emphasis on making sure I said every word that I wrote in exactly the right order. Over time, I realized that the greatness is in the story and the presentation, and to tell it like I feel it and how I remember it. It is hard to let go of my ideas of perfection, but it has made me a better storyteller and comic.

6. Tyler Perry, Jane Fonda, Killer Mike and Donald Glover roll up at your show. There is one ticket left. Who gets it?
I feel like I should save the ticket for Killer Mike because his name is the scariest. Also, This Is America was stuck in my head for like 3 months straight last year and I might start having flashbacks if Donald Glover was in the audience.

[Ed note: Yeah, let’s get this back in our heads again, we still need it.]

7. Atlanta’s foodie scene is really on point these days. What does your show taste like? (Bonus points if you can name-check an ATL restaurant.)
My show tastes like the 1980s: Ham steak, canned veggies, Kraft macaroni and cheese, TV dinners and Capri Sun.

8. Fringes are the place to really push the boundaries so we gotta ask: would you want your parents in the front row or would you tell them, “Maybe skip this one, guys…”?
My parents come to all of my shows, and my mom cries with pride the whole time. They aren’t coming to Atlanta, so hopefully someone else will cry with pride in the front row, as I have gotten quite used to it.

9. Will your show save mankind?
Anything is possible.

10. Oh boy! After your first show a genie pops out of a bottle and offers you a choice – world peace or your show enjoying a ten-year run on Broadway. What shall it be?
I guess I have to say world peace, otherwise I look like a monster. But deep down, it’s Broadway, baby!

11. Describe your show in three words.
Nuns, Khakis, Oreos.