Mary Jo Pehl got her start in this business called "show" performing in comedy clubs in the Midwest. She then took a writing position with Mystery Science Theater 3000 which aired on Comedy Central and the Sci Fi Channel. Over the years, Mary Jo also played bit parts, including a space mom, an overly-friendly neighbor, a white trash party girl, and Jan-In-The-Pan, a head without a body. She also voiced Shelly the Nanite and Magic Voice. Later, she was featured as Pearl Forrester, the evil nemesis. Mystery Science Theater was nominated for two Emmy awards and won the coveted Peabody award.

Mary Jo is a regular contributor to Minnesota Monthly, and her writing has appeared in many other publications, including Austin Monthly, The Rake, Catholic Digest, Funny Times, and Minneapolis Star Tribune. In addition, her work has appeared in several anthologies, including Life's A Stitch: The Best of Contemporary Women's Humor, and Travelers' Tales: The Thong Also Rises. Her commentaries have aired on All Things Considered and Weekend America on National Public Radio; KUT in Austin; The Savvy Traveler on Public Radio International; and Prairie Public Radio in North Dakota. Her book, I Lived With My Parents And Other Tales of Terror, was published in 2004. (To order a personal autographed copy, please click here).

Mary Jo has appeared around the country as a comedian and storyteller, often raconteuring away with Cheap Theatre in the Twin Cities. Her solo show, Here, There and Underwear, recently played to sold-out audiences in the Twin Cities, and Man Saved by Condiments, a solo show for a male actor, was a hit at the Minnesota Fringe Festival. She's also acted in many a stage production, including Inspecting Carol for Starting Gate Theater; Flats Fixed, an original play at the Sanford Meisner Theater in New York (very, very off-Broadway); Joel Sass's production of Valley of the Dolls in Minneapolis; and Bad Seed in both the Minneapolis and Los Angeles productions, which the L.A. Weekly named Best Comedy Ensemble. Mary Jo recently appeared in Starting Gate Theater's A View From The Bridge, and Violet Crown Radio Players' A Rose For Emily.

Mary Jo has also done some television commercials, in roles ranging from a slightly lesbian nun (MTV) to a flummoxed mother (Dayton's) to an Ingmar Bergman homage (Best Buy). In addition, she has lent her voice to various projects, including the Edward The Less series and Seeing Ear Theater, both on SciFi.com. She has also done voice-overs and radio spots.

Mary Jo can also speechify: she's spoken with humor and insight about her experiences and the creative process to such groups as the Minot's Writers' Symposium, University of Minnesota Communicators' Forum and Sisters In Crime, a writer's group.

Don't miss Mary Jo's recent guest turn on RiffTrax, lampooning and lambasting Mariah Carey's movie GLITTER!

INTERVIEWS

http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/366/366980p1.html
http://www.notmydesk.com/mjp.html
http://alleged.home.comcast.net/mjp.htm
http://www.scifi.com/transcripts/2002/pehl_chat.html