I interviewed a dark, smoky bar in downtown Tampa. He was affable and talkative — I guess I expected more of a pissed-off punk guy. I mentioned that I had seen his punk rock Macbeth at American Stage in 1997. It was a kick-ass production that still stands as the best-attended event ever in that series. For that reason, I can't wait to see Pericles at Jobsite Theater. Joe wrote the music and lyrics for Pericles and also plays guitar and functions as the narrator.
See what Popp had to say about how he turned Shakespeare's least-produced work into a modern, pop-punk-riddled tale of incest, intrigue and murder in the streets of New Jersey, where Pericles becomes Perry the mobster.
This article appears in Jul 29 – Aug 4, 2009.