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Theme park actors, Part II
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A sequel seems appropriate, in a blog about theater and film. Not surprisingly, the actors had a lot to say about their years in Orlando.
“Theme-park work can be very gratifying -- but not always,” said Philip Nolen, who most recently worked at Disney’s Comedy Warehouse. “Sometimes an actor wants a role that explores human themes a bit more deeply.”
Nolen, who worked at the Adventurers Club in the mid-90s, (left, in fez, with Darin DePaul) playing “every male role except the butler,” turned to Orlando Shakespeare, where his first role, in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged, was a huge success. He continues to appear with Orlando Shakespeare, and appeared at the former Civic Theatre, and the Orlando Theater Project. His future plans include more work at Disney, and a turn on the stage at Mad Cow next year, in the role of Salieri in Amadeus.
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Jay Becker, (left, in a Fringe performance of Solos) who has worked at Universal Studios and SeaWorld, was onstage at the Adventurers Club for its final year, and says he is a better performer for the experience. “It was a good training ground,” he said. “No one walks out the door not having learned a tremendous amount from our fellow performers. It required improv skills, interaction with guests, singing and more. I learned so much watching the other actors, learned about risk taking, and how to enter a room and draw the audience’s eye.”
But, despite a full-time schedule at the parks, Becker still wanted more. “I can’t not do theater; I need the outlet of telling different stories,” he said. He has performed a wide variety of roles at theaters around town, including the former Civic, Mad Cow, Orlando Shakespeare and the Orlando Fringe.
T. Robert Pigott, (right, in Finding Nemo: The Musical) who has worked many Disney venues, from the Hoop dee Doo Revue to Finding Nemo, also has been in Universal Studio's Beetlejuice's Graveyard Review as Dracula over a 13 year period. His local work includes stints at the Orlando Fringe, The Parliament House, Orlando Rep, Orlando Shakespeare and Orlando Theater Project.
“There's nothing like changing up the monotony of a year-long contract with acting in a play for a month or two,” he said.
While the shuttering of Pleasure Island put Nolen and others temporarily out of work, Disney has done its best to keep most of them employed. Nolen is off to a new adventure: He’ll be one of the judges in Disney’s upcoming live show, American Idol Experience, but plans to be back on local stages next year. Becker will be appearing in the “Velcro Show” at Epcot’s Innoventions, and Pigott will continue at Nemo.
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