Meet the Team: Peter Atkinson!

What’s your name and where are you from?

Peter Atkinson: born in Canada; grew up in Washington, DC; went to school in Ave Maria, Florida; went to grad school in New York City; and now live near Chicago, Illinois.

What is your role at The Merry Beggars?

I am the Executive Producer for The Merry Beggars. I help steer the overall ship, decide what shows we are producing, and build a world-class team of artists.

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How did you join The Merry Beggars team?

founded it while at Columbia University in New York City. I was frustrated by turning down project after project because they did not align with my Catholic beliefs. So I founded a company to produce the stories that I wanted to perform in. Now, over 5,000 pages of produced scripts later, we are well on our way to becoming a household name for quality, exciting, and wholesome entertainment. Praise God!

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What is something no one knows about you?

“No one” is a broad term. My early career ambition was to become ‘Aristotle 2.0.’ Turns out that was not a realistic career choice. But I might end up producing Aristotle’s story! Which comes down to the same thing more or less… right?

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What is the favorite project you have worked on at The Merry Beggars?

I have no favorite children. They are all beloved. But a high point for me was writing and recording A Christmas Carol - one of our earliest projects. There were so many ‘firsts’ about that project - things we didn’t know we could do, or whether they would work. Also - I love so many moments in The Saints that move me to tears and add fervor and courage to my own faith. It’s such a privilege to tell stories like these!

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What is working at The Merry Beggars like?

Never boring! It’s like working at any start-up, some days you’re on top of the world and other days you don’t know if you will survive to the next month. Thankfully there are more of the former days than the latter now! But early on, there were many ‘near death’ moments for the company. Many moments of experiencing God’s Providence guiding us! Now it’s the next stage of building the company. We know we can produce world-class entertainment daily (which is amazing!) and now we are on a mission to get the word out to families everywhere. It’s truly a humbling experience to be working with so many exceptional artists and creatives. The adventure of a lifetime!