Chris Shepard

How did you get your start in theater?

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away… I grew up on a mountain in a small Virginia paper mill town. After graduating college, I moved to Roanoke, and since then, I have been inching closer to Lynchburg all the time and I spend the vast majority of my theatrical and musical performance time in the Lynchburg area.

 

I first became involved in theater when most kids do: Kindergarten. I think my first role was either Little Boy Blue or as a Donkey in a Christmas play. In grade school, I went on to be Aladdin, Huck Finn, and Scrooge. However once I hit college, I didn’t do much of anything. I really had no idea how to go about getting involved, so I stayed pretty busy playing music. 
 

When did you transition over to community theater?

I have distinct memories of my grade school plays, but as a teenager being involved very sparingly. I was an awkward, skinny late bloomer with few opportunities in the area. I moved to Roanoke and after a years-long foray into playing music, I became involved in the theater as guitarist for a few productions at Mill Mountain Theatre (Idols of The King) and Little Town Players (Always…Patsy Cline). There was a little black box theater in Roanoke called Studio Roanoke which focused on original works. I became involved there only musically at first and that’s where I auditioned for the first time and had my first ten roles (in the same play). At the time, I felt a bit like an interloper as I was mostly known as a musician, but eventually that wore off and I was considered an actor who also does music.

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What has been your overall experience with the Lynchburg theatre scene?

I've done a lot between Lynchburg and Roanoke. Including Overnight Sensations at Mill Mountain Theatre, short plays, staged readings, and full-blown productions, I've done approximately fifty shows. That doesn’t seem like a lot, but considering it’s only been about twelve years since I jumped back in, it makes a person pretty busy! Lately, most of my theater work has been in the Lynchburg/Bedford area. My first show in Bedford was as Jonathan in Arsenic and Old Lace. Once I got my feet wet, I found myself jumping in the deep end on some shows where a character had dropped out due to illness and would have anywhere from a week to ten days to learn my part. I didn’t know much about the Lynchburg scene yet until I was in Elvis Has Left the Building. From there, I went on to do Jesus Christ Superstar, Hair, Godspell, and 1776 (which I now do every year) and most recently as Trevor in Bedroom Farce this past November at Little Town Players. I’ve been fortunate to have worked at Little Town Players, Renaissance Theatre, Commerce Street Theater, Wolfbane Productions, and Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, in addition to others in the Roanoke area.

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What has been your favorite show to perform in?

By far, my favorite show was Jesus Christ Superstar at the old Renaissance Theatre (now Commerce Street Theater). That show had always been at the top of my bucket list. I grew up listening to the original album, which is arguably the greatest rock album of all time, and I was already off book for every part by the time auditions were announced. I got the role of Jesus, lost almost 40lbs and fine-tuned my voice, and I loved every bit of it. I met many lifelong friends on that show and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.​

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What is your process to prepare for a role?

What I do varies from role to role. Sometimes there’s an accent or a character trait or a general personality shift, all of which can really get on the nerves of anyone living with you, but it’s temporary. I always write down  all of my lines, along with cue lines, in my Moleskine to help commit them to memory before I can feel comfortable making any broad character choices. I find fear is a great motivating force and I always begin a show thinking there’s no way I’ll memorize all of it. Eventually, I suddenly find myself off book and I cannot fathom how; it just clicks at some point. Fortunately, being a musician and playing for two to three hours at a time without lyric sheets or music has kept that part of my brain agile. I don’t have any formal training, but experience and imagination can take care of most of what you need I think.

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Have you ever considered directing?

I haven’t given any serious in-depth thought to directing. I know casting is a huge foundation on which to build a show and I’d love to cast something if everyone I wanted would be available at the same time. Behind the scenes, there is so much to consider from scheduling, set design, production, props, costumes, etc., and it all takes up a lot of time. So I think I’ll stick to armchair directing for now. Any sufficiently advanced direction is indistinguishable from magic.

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What's your dream role/show?

Well, I’ve already done Jesus Christ Superstar as Jesus, but I would do it again. I would actually love to try all of roles in Jesus Christ Superstar (not at once however). I would also like to see Tommy produced in the area. If I could be Tommy or even Uncle Ernie, that would be fun. I can already start imagining the cast…

 

Tell us an embarrassing stage story (everyone has one).

Oh, I certainly have at least one! I played Adam in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers years ago, and during the song “Where Were You,” I completely forgot a verse. So I struck a pose, standing there alone on stage staring boldly over the audience for what seemed like an embarrassingly generous slice of eternity, waiting for the next verse to come around as the band played on. When the song approached the next verse, I suddenly had a new burst of adrenaline, as I had no idea how to begin that verse either. Fortunately, I remembered the verse in the nick of time and finished the song. Strangely, nobody seemed to notice.

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Is there any advice you would give other actors or people who are considering getting involved? How should someone prepare an audition? 

Be fearless! Follow local theaters and show up to auditions! Follow the Mark W. Foreman Foundation for the Performing Arts and find shows for which you would like to audition, even if just to practice auditioning. You won’t be cast in everything, so you shouldn’t be discouraged if you’re not cast in something. Not everyone is right for every role, but when you are cast, learn your lines, listen to your director and don’t worry about looking silly or ridiculous. Get out of your comfort zone. It’s all about taking chances and experimenting with your character. Get inside your character’s head and figure out what motivates them. Watch great actors, and even bad ones, so you can see what works and what doesn’t. If you see yourself as the character, your voice and actions will follow suit. In the end, it all just boils down to having fun.

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What is special about community theater?

Well, the two most special things are in the term itself. Where else can anyone get the chance to dress up in costume and act like someone completely different in front of a crowd on a set? It’s a strange activity if you spend too long thinking about it, but it’s as old as communication itself and has the added value of aiding imagination, problem solving, and empathy. The community aspect, even for somewhat of a hermit, is infectious and a true benefit to mental health and youthfulness. There is an astounding social contract inherent in theatre. Every person involved, whether on stage or off, is integral to the whole. Without everyone striving to do everything right every night, the whole thing can fall apart, and there’s nothing but trust and love of theatre holding back mayhem. Community theater certainly can have its ups and downs with the ebbing and flowing of talent pools and occasional off-stage drama, but the people who truly love it will always keep it a living being. The wealth of talent and comradery in this area is why I love it so much and keep coming back.