Peter Michael Goetz

Character actor, teacher, survivor.

My acting 101 class was in the attic of an aging building on the University of Minnesota's main campus. Peter was the instructor, he was also a regular actor at the Guthrie theater, known even then (1970) as a versatile performer. It was a thrill to be taught by someone active in his field, who mixed the philosophy of acting with practical stagecraft (need to cry in a scene? Try memory of emotion or pull a few nose hairs before going on stage.) His assertion that one should not only try different things, but must in order to pursue an acting career has held true for me for other fields as well. We did small scenes in class, I found myself swept up in one of these playlets, he had us do it again, alas the magic was lost. That was the end of my dramatic career. His cv is here.