Jerry Trods The Boards: Alfie Doolittle

Since last we corresponded, I have had a few adventures. Not the least being I got to work at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater in Ft Myers, FL, for a number of productions. While there, a local theater reviewer did up a piece on me for her blog, and I have re-created it here -- complete with the photos she published.

ENJOY!

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Bekki: Tell me where you are from and we'll go from there!

Jerry: I was born and bred in the greater Boston area, lived there until I was 20.

Bekki: When did you decide the stage was DEFINITELY for you?

Jerry: "I knew what I was meant to do when” — I was in the school Christmas play, probably 5th or 6th grade - CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD. A nondescript man tells a brother and sister (me and a little girl) of Christmas customs around the world. The man turns out to be Santa, and when he revealed his identity, I did a double take in performance. Unrehearsed, unplanned, but it felt right. I got a HUGE laugh - and that’s when the bug bit me. I have been trying to make people laugh ever since. I stayed on stage all through Jr and Sr High - variety shows, plays and musicals. Not just acting, but writing and directing as well. In straight plays I did a variety of drama and comedy. Our school took first place in a state wide High School Drama competition at Emerson College in Boston 2 years in a row (never been done before) with Arthur Miller (The Crucible and then Death Of A Salesman.) In the big musicals, I specialized in the “third curtain call from the end” roles - the last cast member to bow before the 2 leads came out. (Fagin in OLIVER!, Luther Billis in SOUTH PACIFIC and like that)

Bekki: Do go on!

Jerry: While deciding if I wanted to go on to college and get a theater degree, I discovered a

touring drama troupe called The Covenant Players based in the LA area. They perform in churches, schools, nursing homes, military bases - anywhere! - doing material written by the founder and designed to get people to think. It involved travel, possibly international travel, and lots of performing. I joined them initially for a year to see what it was like. I stayed with the company for 21 years. I studied and honed my craft on the job and performed well over 300 roles, directed nearly 50 plays, and traveled to 7 different countries (including Germany, Scotland, Australia, China and South Korea). It was there that I met my bride to be, and we worked together for about 3 years before “retiring” to her home town, Spokane WA.

Bekki: So, now you're "settled down" - what have you been up to?

Jerry: Since being in Spokane, I have been active in the local theater and film scene. Quite a few chances to get on stage, and that was augmented with commercials (TV and radio), radio work as DJ and production director, feature films (5 or 6 pretty good roles - some of which actually ended up in the finished film!) as well as discovering a whole new area of performing. I started recording audio books in 2000 at Books In Motion (www.booksinmotion.com) and currently have about 140 titles to my name.

Bekki: And how did you come here to Fort Myers, with all of us living in Paradise?

Jerry: I started my trips to Ft Myers and the Broadway Palm in 2015 and have been involved in 4 productions thus far, starting with THE ODD COUPLE. I also got to workshop and premiere SECOND CHANCES - The Thrift Shop Musical. And currently A WONDERFUL LIFE as Clarence.

Check out more of Jerry below. An amazing actor and such a joy to watch him in his element.