>>A vibrant arts community is often cited
as one of the many things that helps attract
young professionals to a city. Lansing’s
Old Town has been the region’s epicenter
for the arts for some time. The Peppermint
Creek Theatre’s founder, Chad Badgero, grew
up in mid-Michigan. But left to find his fame
and fortune in New York City.
>>The thing that I - that really I think brought
me back home was the pace of living in New
York City. I never felt like I settled down,
I felt like I was always rushing and I was
always going and I was tired all the time.
And I - it wasn't that people were mean, it's
just that they didn't have time for social
pleasantries, they didn't have time to be
nice.
And I really I think stood out for that reason,
which is a reason why, you know I got cast
in things, why I got hired for things. Because
people were like "what's wrong with you?"
Someone literally told me when I held an elevator
once for someone, they were like "you're not
from here, aren't you?" And I was like: "no,
what're you talking about?" and they were
like: "you're too nice."
>>Badgero says there is a greater sense of
community in Lansing, which fosters creativity
and professional growth.
>>There is this group here that I am now finding
and discovering and I'm really honored to
be a part of that is passionate about Lansing
and excited about where we can go and what
we can be and - but really crafting it from
like a bootstraps up kind of way that like
- we're just gonna do it. However it has to
happen, we're gonna do it. And so that's been
really my ideology for Peppermint Creek as
a theatre company, that like: I don't know
how. And I think that there is a community
here in lansing that that same ideology applies
to whether it be be small business owners,
whether it be young business professionals
that just wanna have a social network and
connect with people outside of their work.
We wanna get things done and we wanna go and
we wanna do and we wanna experience all that
there is, but it's like, but we're also laid
back and we are personable and kind and optimistic
and positive, and I'm really drawn to that.
>>Badgero says he was successful enough in
New York, but he’s not sure how satisfied
he would have been had he started his own
theater company there.
>>It could have been done, I think that it
is done, you know, but I don't know if I would
have been able to do it and have one been
as visible or successful, and I don't know
if I would have - I myself - would have had
as much of a say and a voice and a choice
as far as the kind of material that I would
have been working on.
>>Many of greater Lansing’s community cheerleaders
say it’s not true that Lansing is dull or
boring. And Badgero is no exception.
>>I think it's exciting, because there is
you know such a core of really young business
professionals and just people in general in
Lansing that are really working to make Lansing
a cool city, an amazing place to go and live
and work and play. I think - so there's a
whole lot to do. Stuff that I don't even know
about.
We have over 13 theaters in Lansing which
is the equivalent to a town the size of Portland,
which I think is amazing. We have so many
really brand new and eclectic and different
places to eat that are kind of popping up,
which I think is really cool.
We have so many parks and gardens right here
in the greater lansing area that I don't know
if a lot of people know about. And a lot of
hiking trails and running trails, the river
trail which is so amazing. It's really great,
so there's so much to do. I could go on and
on.
>>The Peppermint Creek Theatre is now in its
8th full season of locally produced and performed
shows.
For WKAR Public Media, I’m Rob South with
reWorking Michigan.
