Woonsocket’s Peter Tedeschi comes home for Ocean State Theatre

Peter Tedeschi, left, as Alfred P. Doolittle performs “With a Little Bit of Luck” with Harry and Jamie portrayed by Jonathan Olivera and Daniel Larson in Lerner and Loewe’s Broadway classic, “My Fair Lady,” being presented at Ocean State Theatre in Warwick through Oct. 19. /PHOTO | MARK TUREKWARWICK – Former Woonsocket resident and member of Congregation B’nai Israel is back in Rhode Island to perform onstage as Alfred P. Doolittle in Ocean State Theatre’s production of “My Fair Lady.” Since leaving Woonsocket to pursue a journalism career, Peter Tedeschi is returning to his birth state to perform for the first time after a decade of success in the theater.

Upon graduating from Marquette University, Tedeschi quickly climbed the ranks as a producer and freelance journalist for CNN. His career there included working on the “Larry King Live” show. He developed and was the executive producer of Noticiero CNN, which later became CNN en Espanol. He also served as the senior executive producer for CNN Financial News. However, he soon discovered that his true passion was on the stage.

“Human beings are allowed to have more than one skill,” Tedeschi says. A journalist is drawn to tell different stories, he says. He has the same interest but in the theater domain. “It’s about being an all-around storyteller.”

After being forced to take some vacation time by CNN, he spent two months working with the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California. This helped to spark his interest to pursue a new career in theater arts.

Taking the risk to change careers, he applied to four different acting schools. He decided would make the career change if he were to be accepted to one. He was accepted to Carnegie Mellon University to get a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts. “It was a huge surprise when I got in,” he says. Surprisingly, CNN was nothing but “gracious and supportive” about his departure and allowed him to return to a freelance position after he graduated.

He was reporting on Wall Street in New York when the first tower was hit on Sept. 11 and was one of the first people to broadcast live footage of the tragedy. After almost everything settled, he made the decision to leave freelancing behind to dedicate his time to theater. “There was no way you could do both,” Tedeschi adds.

He went on to attend the Moscow Art Theatre Institute in Russia. Some of his favorite performances include John Adams in “1776,” Benedick in Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” and being a part of the original 1852 rendition of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” in which he played several roles.

Outside the theater, Tedeschi is very vocal in the Jewish community and continues to be a large part of Congregation B’nai Israel. Growing up in Woonsocket, the 1981 Bishop Feehan High School graduate worked closely with Rabbi William E. Kaufman. Now he returns to Woonsocket yearly for High Holy Day services.

Since taking the big step into the world of theater, Tedeschi never had the opportunity to perform in his home state until now. “My Fair Lady” tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a flower girl, who takes speech lessons from a professor to rid herself of her lower-class cockney accent so she can pass as a proper lady. The 1956 Broadway production was a giant hit and set the record for the longest run on Broadway for its time. It was later turned into a film staring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. Tedeschi plays Eliza Doolittle’s cunning father.

“It’s poetic for me.” Tedeschi admits, “It’s nice to be performing in my home state. It’s like coming home.” He left to pursue journalism and now has returned as a successful actor. It’s quite the achievement.

My Fair Lady is being presented at Ocean State Theatre in Warwick through Oct. 19. For tickets, call (401) 921-6800 or visit www.OceanStateTheatre.org.

SETH CHITWOOD is a Rhode Island College graduate with a double major in Film Studies and Theater Performance. He is the co-founder of the production company Angelwood Pictures and is the recipient of several awards for his numerous web series. To learn more, visit www.angelwoodpictures.com.