Butch Garrett will proudly tell you that he made his Springfield Little Theatre debut later in life than anyone else on stage. The senior member of the WAITRESS cast was a fan for decades before attending an audition.

“It’s something innate that just drives you to be onstage. It changes from sitting in the audience for hundreds of productions to actually stepping on stage. There’s something there. It’s mystic, cosmic, planets in proper alignment,” Garrett marveled.

Garrett and his wife, Patty, were “theater buffs” for decades, often incorporating live shows into their travels. He still breathlessly recalls using their last penny to see Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in PRIVATE LIVES in 1983. “It is something I won’t forget. There’s something about stage presence. Those two people would be on stage, and you couldn’t see anybody else. It was just an aura.”

The Garretts were season ticket holders at Springfield Little Theatre for the majority of their 48-year marriage. He released their assigned seats when Patty passed away in 2021, but he eventually felt a calling to return to the Landers.

“It was an ‘us’ thing and there was no ‘us’ anymore, but I’m back and this is a big deal to me,” Garrett explained. “This is my debut, not that I’m special or that my part is special, but it’s a big deal to me. Some of the kids in the show, they’ve been in numerous productions, and this is probably going to be my first and last. I’ve enjoyed it so much.”

Garrett had rarely considered being in one of the productions that his family so greatly enjoyed attending, but he always lived his life by seizing opportunities and pushing himself. As a first-time auditioner, he took advantage of the WAITRESS workshop. With no on stage experience, he wanted an opportunity to discover his talents.

“In November, we went to an audition workshop and [associate choreographer] Austen Padgitt – who is super –was giving dance instructions,” Garrett recalled. “She was speaking a language I did not understand. The dancers did speak that language, and they had that part done in ten minutes. Well, I would have to learn the language first, but they really knew it.”

Once Garrett was cast as Joe, the owner of the diner where Jenna (Sally Trtan) bakes her infamous pies, he did learn a few dance steps. “I dance a little bit with Sally when I sing to her. It’s a fun part,” Garrett shared. “It’s such a positive environment and it’s such a commitment I’ve never seen anywhere before.”

Garrett has marveled at every element of production since stepping onto the other side of the curtain. He now has a greater appreciation for all elements of live theater, including details like changing sets between scenes.

“I never realized how, number one, time consuming it is, and how complicated [theater] is,” he professed. “There’s like 45 people in our cast and to do all the changes between scenes, that’s practically choreographed. You’re moving specific things to specific places at specific times. It’s really cool to see. It gives you a different perspective of how productions are done.”

Perhaps his only regret, is not having auditioned sooner. “I wish I had done this fifty years ago because [director] Josh [Inmon] has a lot of management skills. That’s what it is – management. How to manage a production like this. He’s the most patient guy that there is. Obviously, this is my first production, but I can’t imagine not having Josh as the director. Josh is just a champ, man.”

Garrett is quick to praise the entire cast and crew, giving special shout outs to stars Sally Trtan and Seth Hunt as well as music director Kathryn Cole. “Kathryn is just amazing. I don’t know what we’d do without her,” Garrett applauded. “I don’t know what her day job is, but her day job and night job should be doing music for productions. It’s super talent.”

The experience has been joyful, if not a little exhausting, for Garrett. After more than 30 rehearsals and sixteen performances, he will admittedly be ready for a break. “I’ve learned so much and the people that you deal with are so positive and so talented and I think, ‘What am I doing here?’ But it’s fun and I really looked forward to the night we opened, and I’m also looking forward to February 16 when we close,” Garrett joked.

After dedicating a lifetime to SLT productions from his designated seat in the audience, Garrett has found a new joy in receiving the applause he and his wife so generously offered. That turn is something he would recommend to everyone.

“It’s been so much fun. I’ve learned so much. There are some super cool and kind people. They’ll do anything to help you,” he smiled. “I’m having fun and I’m learning a lot. That’s what life is about. You and I will never be any younger than we are today. If you don’t push the envelope a little bit, you become stagnant. That’s in all areas of your life and sometimes it’s tempting just to want to fly under the radar, but you don’t learn stuff and you don’t get challenged. It’s just so cool.”

WAITRESS continues its run through February 16. Tickets are available now.