From Shawshank to Stand-Up: Pete George brings humor to Mansfield Playhouse

Nationally touring headliner Pete George has performed more than 8,500 comedy shows.  He has headlined at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, the House of Blues and Hard Rock Casino in Cleveland, winning critical acclaim.  George was in the Shawshank Redemption and will be returning from Los Angeles to participate in a Q & A panel discussion at the 30th anniversary of its release. 

MANSFIELD — Pardon comedian Pete George if he feels almost like he is coming home when he drives down I-71 from Cleveland to Mansfield.

Certainly, the nationally-touring comic feels like his comedy is at home here, which it will be Aug. 3 when he performs at the Mansfield Playhouse.

“My stuff normally plays the best in towns like Mansfield. People in towns like Mansfield are the blue-collar type. They just want to live their lives, have a good family and they don’t want to be told by other people what’s supposed to be funny or not,” George said.

“Their attitude is, ‘Let me choose what I think is funny and stop being so sensitive.’ That’s what I have noticed about towns like Mansfield. I really just appreciate that in the stand-up comedy world these days,” he said.

It will be a true homecoming of sorts for George. He was an actor in “The Shawshank Redemption,” a movie largely filmed in Mansfield, which celebrates the 30th anniversary of its release Aug. 9 to 11.

An actor, writer and musician, George said he has wonderful memories about time he spent on the Shawshank set while the movie was being filmed, primarily using the former Ohio State Reformatory as its base of operations.

“I worked on it for almost two months. I just enjoyed being on that set with everyone. It was such a great environment and you just tell it was something special at the time,” he said.

But as performers must do, George was looking for work even during the movie’s filming. A letter to a commercial casting director in Pittsburgh netted him an audition for a Giant Eagle commercial in the western Pennsylvania city.

“We had four days off in the middle of filming. I booked the commercial. I went there and we shot it and then the next day I am back on the set for Shawshank,” he said.

George’s efforts in the commercial actually “out-performed” the movie now ranked No. 1 all-time by IMDB. “The Shawshank Redemption” was nominated for seven Academy Awards, but received none.

“The production company shooting the (Giant Eagle) commercial gave away a plastic honorary Academy Award for the best performance. I think there was seven of us and I ended up getting it,” he said with a laugh.

George will also be participating in 30th anniversary events Aug. 9 to 11 for “Shawshank” in Mansfield.

From Cleveland rocker to nationwide laugh riot

The 62-year-old George grew up in Parma figuring he was destined for rock-and-roll stardom. He played guitar. His uncle was a record rep for MCA in Cleveland.

In 1985, he joined the alternative Cleveland band “Separate Checks,” which released two original songs and a music video during the height of the MTV music influence.

The band used its local fame to start the petition drive that succeeded in bringing the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and Museum to Cleveland, opening in 1995.

Music was his life. But it was not destined to be his primary livelihood.

He was a student at Cuyahoga Community College and found he enjoyed a speech and debate class. His professor asked him if he had considered a career in front of an audience.

“I was getting laughs, but I wasn’t trying to be funny. That kind of did it for me,” he said.

George entered a stand-up comic competition at the Cleveland Comedy Club.

“My first three times on stage, I won all three and then it just kind of took off from there,” he said.

George found he more enjoyed the solo life of a stand-up comic versus life in a band.

“Part of the thing with bands is you’re dealing with so many people. It’s like a marriage with four other people. I get to do what I want to do. I get to do stan-up (comedy), but I have also incorporated my electric guitar into the show, which makes it a lot of fun,” he said.

“The first half of a show will be me just doing stand-up. In the second half, I pick up the guitar and the audience seems to absolutely love it,” George said.

“Not only because it’s comedy and music, but they love it because it’s an electric guitar — and I am really good at it,” he said.

Comedy as a contribution

George went out on the road across the country doing comedy. He successfully paid his dues with more than 8,500 performances. He has headlined Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, the Laugh Factory in Reno, the House of Blues in San Diego and the Hard Rock Casino in Cleveland.

He has also continued his acting career in commercials and in films like “The Majestic,” which reunited him with “Shawshank” director Frank Darabont.

George said he has learned from thousands of hours on stage that his profession is not about chasing laughter.

“I think the reason I started doing stand-up was because I was trying to get validation, right? You get the laughs … you feel good.

“Over the years, it all changed for me. I switched to trying to contribute (to the audience). Instead of trying to get something, I’m giving them myself.

“That’s why it doesn’t matter if the audience is 10 people or 3,000 people. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Saturday night show or a Monday show, you just give it to them. They came to see you. They paid for something.”

Stand-up routines are honed on stages over time. Those who survive and succeed in the business learn what works — and what doesn’t.

George is a comedian. Not a comic. There is a difference. As the legendary Milton Berle once said, “A comic is a guy who says funny things, and a comedian is a guy who says things funny, and he has a style and point of view that will last much longer.”

“You can’t always control (audience) response. You never know how it’s going to go. You just go up and try to make a contribution. You want them to walk away having had a good experience,” George said.

His comedy is based on personal life experiences, including school, family, marriage, divorce and social issues. His show in Mansfield will be for adults only.

“I don’t really do anything political because it’s too weird nowadays. I will will talk about social issues. It’s like a potpourri of comedy,” said George, who bounces back and forth between Los Angeles and Cleveland these days.

“Someone asked me if I do clean comedy or dirty comedy. I said, ‘neither.’ I do my comedy. I might be clean. It might be blue. It might be edgy. It might be silly. It comes from my heart and you can interpret it any way you want,” he said.

“The more you can be self-expressed and not really care on stage, the more it allows the audience to be self-expressed.”

Also appearing with Pete George at the Mansfield Playhouse:

(Below: Rob Coleman (left) will emcee the show at the Mansfield Playhouse. Michael Gershe (right) is the opening act for headliner Pete George.)

Rob Coleman, a highly versatile comedian with over a decade of experience entertaining audiences. Rob’s comedic journey began at the renowned comedy open mic spot, Robin’s Nest, where he honed his skills alongside talented comedians such as Cool TLC, Rob Allen, Ryan Dalton, Joe Wiley, Courtney G, and many others. His talent quickly caught the attention of esteemed comedy veterans and earned him accolades from the Ohio Urban Comedy Council, including “Most Creative” (2003), “Most Original” (2005), and “Comic of the Year” (2006). Today, Rob’s unique style and ability to captivate diverse audiences have made him a beloved figure in the comedy scene, performing at various venues and leaving a lasting impression wherever he goes.

Michael Gershe has been performing comedy for almost 30 years.  Originally from Miami, Fla., he purposely attended college in Ohio on a swimming scholarship, and yet, still lives here!  His observational humor about his life and being “Jewish -Jamaican,” along with topical issues is unique. Michael has performed at The Funny Stop, The Improv, Hilarities and the historic Severance Hall. He is a two-time TedxTalk presenter, an author, an inspirational speaker, and photographer.