It was a grade school production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown that gave Chad Badgero the acting bug. Years later, the founder and artistic director of Peppermint Creek Theatre Company would find a mentor in his high school drama teacher. "She had acted around the country, so I think at that point I saw that theatre and acting could be a real profession, if one worked hard at it," Badgero said.

What makes Peppermint Creek different from other theater companies?

For one, our choice of material. We gravitate to current plays about current issues and stuff that is happening in our society today. We won't do a show if it was done in the Lansing area already, and audiences have proven that they are yearning for new material. 

Two, we set really high standards.  Even though we work very much on a limited budget, we still work to make our shows as professional as possible.  I will never settle with the response, "Well, we're just a community theatre," as an excuse to make something less than great.

Why was it important to create this voice in Mid-Michigan?

I am just lucky that the theatre I am drawn to is something that isn't being produced in Lansing otherwise… There was a void in Lansing for challenging theatre that asked big questions relating to our society today and what we're dealing with...  I know I am lucky that when [Peppermint Creek] first got started, there was nothing at stake, in that we weren't renting space and we didn't have any official employees that we had to pay, so I could take big chances without much worry of failure. Thankfully, audiences responded well to what we were doing and that has shown us that there is a real thirst for the kind of stuff we're producing.

What are some memorable performances from Peppermint Creek?

"The Laramie Project".  This showed me how passionate people were about theatre that dealt with a cause or a serious issue.

"Skylight".  At the time, this was a play I had been obsessed with for a long time, just my favorite play. I was worried though, because it was a very dialogue-based play, that people would tune out.  But it was a huge success and this really bolstered my confidence in choosing plays that I loved, and that would translate in our end product.

The entire 2005-2006 season, which included Elizabeth Rex, Assassins, Take Me Out, Renegade Festival.  So many chances were taken this season: big casts, big shows, nudity, an entire festival and taking on an executive director.

Nine Parts of Desire.  This was a play I was so scared of when I read the script, but loved it.  It was thrilling to be performing a show by a Michigan artist.  (It was) so powerful and moving and I was happy that audiences loved it. 

Stuff Happens.  I love working with really tight ensembles, and this show was certainly that.  The political issues involved were so important for me to tackle in an election year.