Photo: Joey’s flower arrangement for Peter's burial ceremony, October 2022
Greetings August 2023:
This final Peter “update” is both a remembering and a thank you. Peter B. Schmitz died at the very end of August 9, 2022—one year after his car “accident”—i.e. his car was hit. The legal date is August 10, 2022.
His husband, Joey Schmitz, explains that the one-year Remembrance-Day in the Philippines is a special time. Loved ones go to the cemetery or any personally meaningful place, light a candle, offer a prayer, and include something that invites the spirit to visit. This is often special cooking to share or objects like a favorite book.
We are posting this note on August 9, 2023, imagining that those who knew Peter might like to do their own Remembrance Day sometime this year.
Updates:
Peter’s memorial fund, The Creative Coaching Fund at A.P.E in Northampton, MA will begin funding artists this year (Thanks to Kathy Couch, who writes: “A small group of artists who worked closely with Peter and whose work was greatly shaped by his mentorship will be gathering in September to create the process for offering support from the Creative Coaching Fund.")
http://www.apearts.org/the-creative-coaching-fund.html
Moving Through: Peter’s Memorial performance on October 15, 2022 at 33 Hawley in MA can be viewed here: (Thanks to Northampton Open Media for recording and the artists who participated):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1ueravoWS8
A Celebration of the Life and Art of Peter Schmitz on October 29, 2022 at the Mahaney Arts Center, Middleury College in VT can be viewed here: (Thanks to hosts including Penny Campbell, Alex Draper, and Cheryl Faraone with contributions from Theater and Dance colleagues—faculty, staff, students, and community):
https://www.middlebury.edu/events/event/celebration-life-and-art-peter-schmitz
Thank you, thank you, all...
Photo by Peter Raper, from Practicing Presence Festival through SCDT at Bramble Hill Farm (thank you Jen Polins and Peter Raper)
Words from Anne Woodhull, from a poetry series in Peter’s honor: “Peter as....”:
As Beer
Little explosions
opening again and again
where does that
effervesce
and slant of language
come from
bending wild
freedom irreverent
reverence boisterous
heavenly
laughter until
we cry
And an here’s an excerpt from Peter as Shoe…
so dance
so stomp and twirl
so animal pounce
August 2022:
Peter B. Schmitz (December 29, 1950 – August 10, 2022) was involved in the creative and performing arts for five decades as an actor, dancer, choreographer, and educator. With an MFA from Smith College, Peter served on the Theatre and Dance faculties of Middlebury and Amherst Colleges and held residencies at many universities. As a professional dancer/choreographer, Peter worked throughout the United States and in Holland, Germany, France, England, New Zealand, and Turkey. He was a founding member of Dance Gallery—a modern dance repertory company created in l972 with Andrea Olsen and Katherine Sanderson, a member of Creach/Co in New York City for over eight years, and has performed in the works of Wendy Woodson and Present Co., Yanira Castro/acanarytorsi (Bessie nominee for performance 2013), Tamar Rogoff, Chavasse Dance & Performance, Richard Colton/Amy Spencer, Jim Coleman and Terese Freedman/Freedman Coleman Dance, with Penny Campbell as “Two P’s in a Pod,” and, toured with Ann Carlson in doggie hamlet among other companies. He inspired and coached many artists, including The Architects, an improvisational dance ensemble with members Kathy Couch, Katherine Ferrier, Lisa Gonzales, Jennifer Kayle, and Pamela Vail. He received a “Best Performance” award in the San Francisco Film/Video Festival for his work in a film by Wendy Woodson, “Trout”. As a theatre artist, he has choreographed and performed for Medicine Show Theatre, New World Theatre, and Potomac Theater Project among others, and is a member of Actors Equity. Peter was on the Board of Directors of A.P.E. (Available Potential Enterprises) in Northampton, MA, and he taught and performed internationally. He lived at Bramble Hill Farm in Amherst, MA with his husband Joey Schmitz. Peter is survived by his husband, Joey Trazo Schmitz, older brothers Tim and Bill, a younger brother Bob, and a younger sister Susan. He was preceded in death by his parents Lois and Bill, and he enjoyed numerous nieces and nephews and forever friends. He will be truly missed.
About this year-long website:
As many of you know, Peter and Joey Schmitz experienced quite a challenging year from August 9, 2021 - August 10, 2022. Although this timespan was interspersed with some wonderful life-events, it required a tremendous amount of tenacity and forbearance.
Overview: On August 9, 2021, Peter was nearly killed when his car was hit by a reckless driver. After hospitalization and rehab-therapy, he regained mobility and returned home to Bramble Hill Farm in MA. He subsequently underwent neck surgery on October 8 to secure/fuse unstable cervical vertebrae and again regained mobility, walking with a cane. In April, while rehearsing for a play with The New Stage Theatre Company in New York City, he experienced extreme dizziness and returned to an emergency room. After being driven back to Bramble Hill Farm, he was soon diagnosed with a terminal glioblastoma brain tumor and underwent immediate surgery on April 18, 2022. Post-surgery, again walking with a cane and after consulting with many doctors and palliative care specialists, he chose to work with Fisher Home Hospice, forgoing treatment to prolong life and its resultant side-effects. Amidst all this, he continued creating, performing, and inspiring. This website is a testimony to a life fully-lived, with creativity at its core, and love—whatever that means to all of us—pouring in from hundreds of creative colleagues, former students, and family.
This site offers just a small sampling of Peterness for those who knew and loved his work and his person. It includes a few clips from works made by or sent to him during 2021-22, a taste of performances and choreography from the past, and recent audio recordings. It is in no way inclusive—it’s just a sampling that reflects the depth and breadth of his pervasive creativity ...
-- Hosted by Andrea Olsen, website by Joseph Schine, image editing by Joey Schmitz, and creative work from many…apologies for not hosting more and more and more…August 9, 2022, Bramble Hill Farm, MA
