Spotlight on Theatre: Doug Dunahee of the Little Theatre Players Shaping Centralia’s Performing Arts.
Passionate about the culture of acting at the Cultural Society through storytelling and dedicated to bringing the stage to life, Doug Dunahee has been the driving force behind Centralia’s Little Theatre Players Group, inspiring actors and audiences alike.
First of all thank you for taking time and sharing your story. Can you briefly tell us about yourself?
Doug: Thank YOU for doing this! My name is Doug, I’m a volunteer firefighter with the Centralia Fire District and I dispatch for Lifestar Ambulance in Centralia. I’ve been acting at the cultural society since 2010 and directing since 2017.
“It was my freshman year of high school! A couple friends and I decided we were going to audition for the show Peter Pan.”
Doug Dunahee - Little Theatre Players Group Leader
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Cast
You are a group leader of the Little Theatre Players and a contributor to the Centralia Cultural Society. Were you a practicing actor before joining the Cultural Society or was it the CCS that brought you to acting?
Doug: I had only 1 or 2 shows under my belt when I first started with the Cultural Society. We were lucky enough in high school to perform our shows on the CCS stage, so the transition to doing shows with LTP was super easy. A lot of the people were very welcoming to the new crowd of high schoolers we had that year!
You have been a part of many memorable shows at the CCS. Does any one in particular stand out? And/or a moment of performing?
Doug: There’s been so many! I’ll always remember getting my first role for a CCS show, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. On top of it being an incredible, well known show, the people that were involved were amazing to me, and a huge reason I fell in love with CCS. We won’t discuss splitting my pants on stage mid performance 😉.
2017, directing my first show, is my fondest memory, that was when I felt like I had made it. I’ve always wanted to direct, and getting the opportunity, kinda sealed the deal for me.
Can you recall your first time acting for a show? What was that like for you?
Doug: It was my freshman year of high school! A couple friends and I decided we were going to audition for the show Peter Pan. I played the Lost Boy, Tootles. It was extremely intimidating but, my directors, Kati Cox and Alan Guehne, were phenomenal. They made it an enjoyable, comforting experience and I credit all of my confidence in theatre to those two.
What is the culture like for the theatre groups? Are there unspoken rules to acting?
Doug: The culture is my favorite part! A theatre group, especially ours, has people from all walks of life, different heritages and backgrounds, and CCS does a wonderful job of bringing them together. You really feel like, no matter who or what you are, you’re welcome in our group of crazy folks. And, of course, there’s some unspoken rules (which I love to break) like don’t light fires on stage and don’t say Macbeth. Oh, and it’s “break a leg!”, not “good luck!”
“The culture is my favorite part! A theatre group, especially ours, has people from all walks of life, different heritages and backgrounds, and CCS does a wonderful job of bringing them together”
“It is honestly shocking to me how incredible the talent in this town really is.”
Can you describe the growth you see from other performers inside or outside of the CCS shows?
Doug: Coming up on my 8th year directing, I’ve seen some extremely talented individuals at CCS! It is honestly shocking to me how incredible the talent in this town really is. We’ve had people start as young kids, move through the “ranks”, and continue their careers in acting or directing for life. That’s the great part about this place! From a young age, all the way through adulthood, CCS has given so many people the opportunity to expand their range and experience with theatre and watching it happen is so inspiring.
If someone were to be interested in joining LTP (Little Theatre Players) what would they need to do?
Doug: I’d say first, check out our website! We have so much information and pictures of what we do, how we operate, and what you can expect when joining! Or, of course, give Dawn a call!
