1.How has Paradoja evolved and how does it remain consistent?
“Paradoja has evolved from being a simple parody show poking fun at culture and government to a group that creates completely different worlds to explore and dissect. It has continued with each show to make people think and question themselves and their choices. The actors portraying these characters have remained the same for the most part but even they have evolved in their skills and the casts continue to expand with new talent. Paradoja continues to revolutionize itself.”
2. What is Paradoja’s core philosophy in creating and performing shows?
“I would say the core philosophy is to give it your all and hold nothing back. Don’t ever feel restrained or self conscious. A Paradoja show exudes self expression. We work our hardest as a group to be as successful as possible and be the best we know we can be creatively.”
3. What do people expect from Paradoja shows and why does the crowd continue to grow?
“First off people certainly expect not to understand everything they are about to see. They expect to be asked questions about life and see if they have their own answers. The mysterious glow that each show has mesmerizes the audience. This is why the audience continues to grow because more and more people are being drawn in by this glow.”
4. What has working on Paradoja shows taught you?
“It has taught me how a team of like minded talented people can accomplish anything they set their minds to. It taught me why its so important to appreciate and fund the arts and how amazing it can feel to create a story.”
5. What do you think of David Coonan? What have you learned from him?
“Mr. Coonan is an amazing man. He is an educator, director, writer musician, and mentor. The list just continues on and on. Mr. Coonan makes everyone around him feel included and important when working on a production because he knows they are. Coonan is an incredible visionary and gives great advice and direction to make each show not just a success but a true work of art. I’ve learned from him that hard work truly does pay off and that you must look at things from many different angles to understand them better.”
6. What do you think of Mike Pagano? What have you learned from him?
“Mike is such a unique person. I’ve truly never met another person like him. He envisions these amazing bizarre worlds in his mind and brings them to life in beautifully written scripts. I’ve learned much from Mike including story structuring and what it takes to create such strange and beautiful productions. Mike Pagano has the brains and talent to do so much on this earth and already has accomplished much.”
7. What do you think of John Ortiz? What have you learned from him?
“John Ortiz is a very talented young man with a bright future. He has a wonderful sense of humor and knows the hard work that needs to be put into creating a show. He is a beautifully talented actor and singer and is a joy to work with. John has taught me to love what I do and that you need to remember the important things when working on a show and discard everything else.”
8. What is the atmosphere like during a rehearsal?
“Rehearsal for Paradoja shows are events within themselves. They are very laid back and informal. There is usually a set of goals that need to be accomplished by the end of a rehearsal. Mike Pagano often reminds us of these goals before we get to work. Rehearsals help us reinforce the idea of teamwork and we get to experiment and learn tools and tricks to make scenes better. We also learn chemistry between certain actors when in scenes together. Rehearsals are such vital parts to creating a Paradoja show.”
9. How has Paradoja helped you explore and showcase your talents?
“Paradoja has been a very important group for me creatively because it has allowed me to work with others who appreciate and want to hear my ideas and thoughts just as I want to eagerly hear theirs. It has allowed practicing my acting skills and just truly enjoying the craft of acting. It also allowed me to showcase my comedic side of myself. I am forever grateful to every member of the team for allowing me to do all this.”
“Paradoja has evolved from being a simple parody show poking fun at culture and government to a group that creates completely different worlds to explore and dissect. It has continued with each show to make people think and question themselves and their choices. The actors portraying these characters have remained the same for the most part but even they have evolved in their skills and the casts continue to expand with new talent. Paradoja continues to revolutionize itself.”
2. What is Paradoja’s core philosophy in creating and performing shows?
“I would say the core philosophy is to give it your all and hold nothing back. Don’t ever feel restrained or self conscious. A Paradoja show exudes self expression. We work our hardest as a group to be as successful as possible and be the best we know we can be creatively.”
3. What do people expect from Paradoja shows and why does the crowd continue to grow?
“First off people certainly expect not to understand everything they are about to see. They expect to be asked questions about life and see if they have their own answers. The mysterious glow that each show has mesmerizes the audience. This is why the audience continues to grow because more and more people are being drawn in by this glow.”
4. What has working on Paradoja shows taught you?
“It has taught me how a team of like minded talented people can accomplish anything they set their minds to. It taught me why its so important to appreciate and fund the arts and how amazing it can feel to create a story.”
5. What do you think of David Coonan? What have you learned from him?
“Mr. Coonan is an amazing man. He is an educator, director, writer musician, and mentor. The list just continues on and on. Mr. Coonan makes everyone around him feel included and important when working on a production because he knows they are. Coonan is an incredible visionary and gives great advice and direction to make each show not just a success but a true work of art. I’ve learned from him that hard work truly does pay off and that you must look at things from many different angles to understand them better.”
6. What do you think of Mike Pagano? What have you learned from him?
“Mike is such a unique person. I’ve truly never met another person like him. He envisions these amazing bizarre worlds in his mind and brings them to life in beautifully written scripts. I’ve learned much from Mike including story structuring and what it takes to create such strange and beautiful productions. Mike Pagano has the brains and talent to do so much on this earth and already has accomplished much.”
7. What do you think of John Ortiz? What have you learned from him?
“John Ortiz is a very talented young man with a bright future. He has a wonderful sense of humor and knows the hard work that needs to be put into creating a show. He is a beautifully talented actor and singer and is a joy to work with. John has taught me to love what I do and that you need to remember the important things when working on a show and discard everything else.”
8. What is the atmosphere like during a rehearsal?
“Rehearsal for Paradoja shows are events within themselves. They are very laid back and informal. There is usually a set of goals that need to be accomplished by the end of a rehearsal. Mike Pagano often reminds us of these goals before we get to work. Rehearsals help us reinforce the idea of teamwork and we get to experiment and learn tools and tricks to make scenes better. We also learn chemistry between certain actors when in scenes together. Rehearsals are such vital parts to creating a Paradoja show.”
9. How has Paradoja helped you explore and showcase your talents?
“Paradoja has been a very important group for me creatively because it has allowed me to work with others who appreciate and want to hear my ideas and thoughts just as I want to eagerly hear theirs. It has allowed practicing my acting skills and just truly enjoying the craft of acting. It also allowed me to showcase my comedic side of myself. I am forever grateful to every member of the team for allowing me to do all this.”