Meet the Eddies

Heather Cantrell (Nice Guy Eddie - female cast) Heather is greatly enjoying her role as Nice Guy Eddie. Her last role with Theater Artists Olympia was as Katherina in The Taming of the Shrew. (Going from the one of the bitchiest characters in literary history to a character named "Nice Guy" has given all involved multiple giggling fits.) Please remember to use cold water and ammonia on blood stains, don’t forget to test for color fastness and then wash it right way (Eddie’s tip). Heather also wishes to thank her husband Chris and their furbabies for all their support and patience. Lastly, she thanks her mother and promises that next time she does a show it will have less cursing!

Gabriel McClelland (Nice Guy Eddie - male cast) Gabe has been performing in the South Sound area for the better part of 18 years. He has done productions with Lakewood Playhouse, Tacoma Little Theatre, Pierce College, and with several gypsy theatre companies. He has been seen recently as Fred Gayley in Miracle on 34th Street, as Marcus Andronicus in Titus Andronicus, as David Sarnoff in The Farnsworth Invention, as James Reston in Frost/Nixon and as Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath to name a few.

To be painfully honest though, his favorite shows have all been with gypsy theatre companies - companies who live without fear and do the best work they can. Theatre that trusts that the audience can see something new, something bold and something unfamiliar and still feel at home. He has learned innumerable lessons from salt of the earth masters who teach a form of theatre that may not be consumable to the masses but are satisfying on a deeper level. The word that comes to mind most readily is fuck. When playing Conrad Birdie (in Bye Bye Birdie for those of you who were curious) the musical director informed him of his duty as an Elvis-type character to make it more realistic by "going out there and fucking the audience." When worried about how the audience would react to his performance, a mentor said to him to peer through the curtain at the audience and say to them in a whisper "you fucking sons of bitches!" And most importantly when recreating a scene many times he was told "don't fucking act that moment. Find it again."

Gabriel is an uncensored and foul mouthed performer with a love of language and spoken words that borders on obsessive. He makes no apologies and has learned that the work involved in theatre is its own reward. The actor must be willing to make a journey inside themselves and find the most horrific, most wonderful, most touching things about humanity and parade them around for all to see. It is about truth, vulnerabilty, and unbridled lust. It's about love. His love and affection go out to those who have taught him the most. Doug Kerr, Marc Englehorn, Maria Jensen, Stephen Borsuk, Henryk Wrosynski, as well as those whom we have lost such as the late Les Price, Doug Saxby, Marcus Walker, and Mary Kay Flint. He feels privileged to be working with a great group of performers in this cult classic. Much love as always to his supportive friends and family as well as his lady love, Kate Lick