This afternoon was bitter sweet. The curtain opened, we did a little song and a little dance, and the curtain closed, figuratively. And that was the story of my eighteenth stage performance. I recall sitting backstage and thinking "how many people get to be doing this today?" "is there anything I would rather be doing this Sunday afternoon?" "How lucky am I that I get to take part in something like this?"
Only three weeks ago, I walked into a basement dance studio to begin rehearsal for "Merrily We Roll Along." I took my shoes off and walked in, script in hand, ready for whatever. I met a lot of new people who would be like a second family for the next three weeks. The work was hard. The nights were long. The music was difficult. The choreography was intense. But, in the end it was all worth it.
Now I'd like to recount my experiences on stage so far. Some of this stuff is so old, I actually had to find my resume to remember the names of some of the characters. So, here goes.
How Santa Got His Groove Back.
In the 4th grade I played Santa Claus in a school musical. This was my very first experience on the stage, and I have to say, that play really stuck with me, no matter how embarrassing it was to me for a while.
The Wizard of Oz
In high school I played the Cowardly Lion. This is where I met my best friend James Reza. We always joke about this show. He really wanted the role of the lion, and was certain that whoever got cast as the Tin man was going to have to be a "total fruit." Ironically he was cast as the Tin man.
A Typically Atypical Day
This was my very first straight play. I played a wannabe-terrorist from the fictional land of The People's Republic of Puerto Nino named Carlos Ortega. This was the first time to be joined on stage by my cousin Eric Harris.
David and Lisa
While I was in high school, Eric, James, and I joined a local theater troupe called Youth Onstage. This was a great chapter in my life. This was my first experience in theater outside the school walls. I played David's Father.
Curtain Going Up
This was the second production with Youth Onstage in which I was involved. I played a janitor named Tony. This show was in danger of not happening, as one character was never cast. Luckily Eric came along and saved the day.
Quoth Ms. Raven, 'Nevermore'
Youth Onstage did a mystery dinner theater with this little show. I played The Gardener. This show was written by the director's mother.
The Sound of Music
Back at the good ol' high school, I did another musical. I played Max Detwiler. I really had a great time with this role. I always loved the movie, and specifically I loved the character of Max. I always thought he was interesting - devious yet lovable, mysterious yet harmless. I had a great time playing with the on-stage chemistry between him and the captain played by James.
Annie
I played Daddy Warbucks in a production of Annie. This was a mixed cast of junior and senior high students. I was probably the first incarnation of Oliver Warbucks to not sport a shaved head!
The Playroom
This show signaled a huge step up for me. This would be my last production with Youth Onstage. For this show, Youth Onstage was approved for a grant, and we got to do this show at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. For me, this was HUGE. I finally felt like I was doing some real theater. This show was a very heavy drama about a kidnapping. I played David Michaels.
Heaven or Hell (2 seasons)
During high school, I did this church play in which I played the character Satan two years in a row. It sounds very simple, but I actually learned a lot, had a good time, and got to wear awesome makeup which I designed myself.
Arsenic and Old Lace
College. I moved to Oklahoma City and enrolled in a small private college called Hillsdale. I didn't waste any time and jumped right into the theater department as Reverend Harper in this play. This was my first production to work with director Joshua Harris, who I would go on to work with on six more productions.
Our Town
This was the second production at Hillsdale I did. I took one semester off and jumped right back in as Dr. Frank Gibbs in this show. During this show, I really started growing as an actor, this is where I started taking my craft seriously.
The Odd Couple
Still at Hillsdale, this was my very first lead role in college. I played Oscar Madison. I had a great time working with a great ensemble and working with my counterpart, a Canadian named Colin Miles.
All In The Timing
This show was a new experience. It was a collection of one-acts by David Ives. This was the first show I did made up of separate comedic scenes. I played characters named Joe, Charley, and Pablo.
Improv
Once again, I had a new experience and set of acting skills under my belt. This time I took the stage as myself in an improv scenario. In this show I, along with my fellows, played improv games using information contributed by the audience.
Twelve Angry Men
This was my sixth play at Hillsdale under Josh Harris. I stretched myself to portray the roll of Juror Number Three.
Merrily We Roll Along
I took the stage alongside Eric Harris and under Josh Harris as a big shot Broadway producer named Joe Josephson. This was my first musical in five years. This also marked an important transition in my acting career, in very much the same way I felt being in the Tulsa Performing Arts Center for the first time, because we did this show at Lyric Theatre at the Plaza. That was the closest I had been to professional theater.
I realized today that I really like acting. It's hard work, no matter what anyone says, it's very hard work, but it's totally worth it. I've grown to accept that whatever I end up doing with my life, be it music, acting, writing, or film making - it will be something that I day dream about.
I stood in awe as we were striking the set. I realized the amazing thing about theater is this - it's life, it's real, it's raw, it's always new, and if you weren't there in the moment, if you weren't there to experience it when it happens the first time, then you can never really know what it was like. It's not a movie, you can't just pop it back in and watch it again. It captures a story and a moment the same way we capture the moments in our lives that we want to hold on to forever.
It's something beautiful.
