"Be Wrong Loud" John Biscello on Youth, Theater, and the Art of Not Knowing

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio. I’m your host, James Navé. In this episode, I have the great pleasure of speaking with my longtime friend, John Biscello—a gifted writer, actor, poet, and theater director who’s been shaping the artistic landscape of Taos, New Mexico for over two decades. John and I connected across the Atlantic—he in Taos and me in a 6th-floor studio on rue Dauphine in Paris. In this lively conversation, John and I discuss his latest youth theater production, Neverland Noir, a metaphysical remix of Peter Pan featuring 30 young performers. The show premieres at the Wildflower Playhouse in Taos, April 11–13. John founded the Taos Youth Ensemble over ten years ago, and in that time, he discovered just how transformative the creative process can be for young people. Our conversation explores how theater teaches flexibility, confidence, collaboration, and the power of embracing mistakes onstage as creative gold. We also dive into John’s rich, multidisciplinary creative life—his work as a novelist, playwright, spoken word artist, and filmmaker—and how Taos continues to be a haven for imaginative expression. As always, our talk reminded me why we make art first: to connect, grow, and honor the magic in things not going quite as planned.