A Summer in Virginia and a Fall on the Road!

Howdy! It's been a hot sec, but my career has taken a massive shift that was unexpected to say the least. More details on that down below, but let's start where we left off!

This past May, I joined the Barter Players! The Barter Players serve as Barter Theatre's non-Equity Resident Acting Company, presenting TYA works while also working backstage (and occasionally onstage) in Barter Theatre's mainstage productions!

My first acting project with the Barter Players was Catherine Bush's brilliant adaptation of Robin Hood, which ran June 6-July 8th, 2023, in Barter's Smith Theatre. In Robin Hood, I juggled many characters, mainly playing the ambitious Will Scarlet and the proud King Henry. This production taught me so much about the art of acting, and completed redefined what I thought my limits were as an actor. That's the magic of Barter, they see actors for who they can be, not necessarily who they are at the first audition.

My next show performing with the players was another Catherine Bush adaptation, Rapunzel, which ran at Barter's Smith Theatre July 11-August 5th, 2023. In Rapunzel, I was honored to portray King Wilhelm, an admittedly hard role for me. I am so unbelievably proud of the powerful story our troupe got to tell, and I'm grateful to the incredible folks at Barter who helped me grow into a very heavy role such as Wilhelm.

Aside from my performances with the players, I was also able to fill many other types of roles in mainstage productions. I served as the understudy for Coach Dunbar and Principal Clark in Barter Theatre's production of Footloose, which ran on Barter Theatre's Gilam Stage June 3-August 20th, 2023. My understudying didn't stop in Beaumont, TX though. I was also Chet's understudy in the regional premiere of Stephen Brown's Country Girls, which ran at Barter's Smith Theatre June 23-August 12th, 2023.

Barter also gave me the opportunity to stretch my technical muscles. I served as an onstage, costumed crew member in the aforementioned Footloose, served as a repertory stagehand (switching sets between Footloose and Barter's other summer mainstage production: Sense and Sensibility), served on Rapunzel's wardrobe crew, and helped make racoon puppets for the Barter Player's production of Where the Red Fern Grows (Barter's Smith Theatre Fall 2023).

Through my short, but incredible time at Barter, I was also able to finish my degree! As of August 20th, 2023, I'm now the proud owner of a Bachelor's of Arts Degree in Theatre (Conc. Musical Theatre) from East Tennessee State University!

My contract at Barter ended August 20th, but the very next day I was on a plane fly towards my adventure. On August 26th, I opened the 2023-24 National Tour of PAW Patrol Live! I currently tour the country with my good friend Rubble the Bulldog, after opening with an unprecedented 3 and a half days of rehearsal. I'll be visiting cities all across the U.S. until May 18th, 2024! You can find more information at pawpatrollive.com

That's all for now! But shew! That was a long one! Thanks for sticking it out! Be back soon with a deeper look into tour life, and how to hope to continue growing as an actor and person on the road.