The Courage to Stay Curious

What happens when love doesn’t arrive fully formed — but shows up anyway?

In this episode of Tampa Bay Arts Passport, Avery Anderson sits down with actor and arts advocate Samantha Marti Parisi to talk about The Pink Unicorn, a one-woman play being performed not on a stage — but in living rooms, backyards, and community spaces across Tampa Bay.

Parisi plays Tricia Lee, a conservative Texas mother grappling with her child’s coming-out as genderqueer. The story isn’t neat. It doesn’t preach. And that’s exactly the point.

The conversation ranges from:

• Why curiosity matters more than certainty

• What it’s like to carry an entire story alone onstage

• How unconventional spaces can unlock deeper connection

• And why some of the most important stories are still being quietly overlooked

This is an episode about motherhood, memory, theater without a safety net — and what it means to stay open when the world asks you to shut down.