Creating Characters, Finding Truth: A Conversation with Paul Melendy: Arts for the MASSes

Join host Ryan Malyar for a heartfelt conversation with Paul Melendy, one of Boston's most beloved actors and an Elliot Norton Award winner. In this episode, Paul shares his journey from a pivotal Boy Scout sketch at age 10 to becoming a powerhouse on Massachusetts stages.Paul opens up about his impressive career, including his award-winning solo performance in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow at Greater Boston Stage Company—a role he calls both terrifying and transformative. He discusses the challenges of memorizing and embodying multiple characters in a one-person show, and how that experience changed his approach to acting forever.The conversation takes delightful detours through Paul's memorable roles, from the physical comedy of Boeing Boeing at Barnstormers Theater to the post-apocalyptic world of Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play. Paul and Ryan reminisce about their collaborative summers in stock theater, sharing hilarious backstage stories and discussing the art of finding truth in comedy.