Cast interview: Kevin Schellhase

Arrrrr, Pirates is in full swing and has gotten nothing but 5-star reviews from critics! It's officially a hit!  You still have a chance to see it this coming weekend, but tickets are going quickly, so get yours before they sell out!  To give you a bit of a preview, we talk today with one of our fearless pirates, Kevin Schellhase.

What's your role in the show?
I play a Pirate for both acts.

Is this your first time in Pirates? If no, how many Pirates productions have you been in?
This is my first time!

When and how did you first get involved with VLOC?
Pirates is my second show with VLOC. I got involved last winter when [director] Kate Huntress-Reeve asked me to fill in for an ensemble member who'd dropped out of The Yeomen of the Guard. I love Gilbert & Sullivan's works and was thrilled to find a local group doing them, so here I am. It's been a blast.

What's your favorite part about being in a show (this particular one, or any show)?
The singing experience is the most rewarding part of any show for me. I studied classical vocal performance in college, and approach any production mostly from a vocal standpoint. Although I'm trained as a baritone, I have enjoyed singing tenor in ensemble roles for both VLOC shows this year.

What's your least favorite or the hardest part of the rehearsal process for you?
Probably dancing. I don't take well to lots of movement on stage. It's not as much of a chore as it could be, though. Felicity is a great director for bad dancers like me, and Amanda's choreography work is fun enough to be worth the effort most of the time.

When you're not performing in community theatre, what do you do? (job, hobby, family, etc.)
I work in the administrative department of the Washington College of Law in northwest DC, and I round out my income with the occasional piano student or singing gig. I enjoy singing as a chorister at All Saints Church in Chevy Chase, and I'm working on starting a career in voiceover acting. When I have time, I love to run, play racquetball, or spend time with friends and family.

What's your Gilbert & Sullivan show and why? (If you don't have one, pick a favorite musical or opera)
H.M.S. Pinafore was the first Gilbert & Sullivan show I ever saw, and it's been my favorite ever since. I feel it strikes the perfect balance G&S were looking for: delightful staging, clever lyrics, and withering satire of contemporary cultural trends. I can't wait for Pinafore to come around in VLOC's rotation! The Yeomen of the Guard is a close second, after Kate's brilliant direction of that show this spring.

What is your Pirate name?
Alistair "Lefty" Graham.

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