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SLT Super Volunteer Cindy Timson Has Helped Bring Dozens of Shows to Life

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SLT Super Volunteer Cindy Timson Has Helped Bring Dozens of Shows to Life

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Springfield Little Theatre volunteer Cindy Timson has one response to new challenges: face them head on with a smile. Growing up, Timson’s parents encouraged her to explore and learn, even if a task seemed intimidating.

“I followed [my dad] around everywhere and learned how to use just basic drill and saws,” Timson recalled. “My mom was always very encouraging as far as, ‘Hey, if you don’t know how to do it, give it a try. Figure it out. You can do that.’ She was the first one to say, ‘Just try it. What have you got to lose?’”

That philosophy served her well when her daughter, Caddie, showed an interest in performing. Theatre was a completely new world to the Timson family, but Cindy was game and fully committed to the new adventure. Without hope or expectation, Cindy took Caddie to auditions for the play TOM SAWYER.

“This was our very first crack,” Timson explained. “I had never done theatre. I had never done choir except for as an elementary school kid. It really was just the very first exposure to it.”

SLT Executive Director Beth Domann recognized young Caddie’s potential and cast her in her first production. Cindy was thrust into the role of a theatre parent and joyfully embraced the calling of a backstage volunteer.

“At the time, we didn’t know anybody who was involved, but [Caddie] had an interest, so she auditioned for the first time, got in, and was absolutely hooked. We both were,” Timson gushed. “I was just so drawn in by how excited she was and how much fun it was. Beth, [the director], was just so inclusive. She made sure every single person in the cast had a line, so she got her own line. She was like a 3rd grader at the time. It was such a big deal.”

Caddie was cast in several shows and even went on to join Y.E.S Troupe while Cindy plugged into her own projects at the Landers. She frequently assisted with assembling costumes, even for shows that none of the Timson family performed in.

One dream production for Timson was LES MISERABLES, which is returning to open the 92nd SLT season this September. Timson assisted with the primary assignment of sewing scarves for the student revolutionaries. She had first watched the musical in London and was thrilled to see it produced in her own community.

“I think the level of the production quality [at SLT] is just so good for such a small town,” Timson marveled. “I’m always so proud when we’re the ones that get the first [licensing opportunities] in the nation. It’s such a big deal.”

Calling on the construction skills she learned from her father and armed with her own set of tools, Timson also began volunteering with the technical team assembling sets. She explained that there is no ‘tool shaming’ at SLT and that volunteers without experience are welcome, but it was a fun outlet to use her experience. Timson most recently put in hours on the SWEENEY TODD set. Seeing audiences appreciate all the work that goes into the show thrills Timson.

“People were there [at SWEENEY TODD] early and some people were dressed up to look like [the characters]. I was like, this is something special. This is really cool,” she reflected. “My participation in the show was small, but there’s something about being in that environment and feeling the excitement of the crowd and knowing I had a part in that that feels so good.”

Timson enjoyed watching her daughter’s interests and abilities blossom as her family became more involved. Her son’s band played in the orchestra pit for THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL and SignalPoint Asset Management, owned by the Timsons, has sponsored SLT shows. The family have also been longstanding season ticket holders.

“We’ve been patron members for years. I will always be,” Timson declared. “I love it. I love the productions they put on. I love the people down there. I love the creative aspect. I love the projects. It’s all project oriented. I love creating something and then moving on to the next thing. Getting to be a part of the buzz of the next show coming and the next show coming is so much fun.”

Timson has truly stepped into every volunteer role, even spending three years on the SLT Board.

“I pretty much figured out that I was way more suited for the creative side of volunteering than the business side,” she laughed. “I 100% appreciated everything of the business side of getting the theatre running. I am so glad those people exist.”

Although Timson has spent most of her volunteer hours behind the scenes, you might have been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of her onstage. She first stepped into the footlights as Mrs. Pugh in ANNIE alongside her daughter. When both her kids had graduated and left home, she gave herself the empty-nester gift of performing in MAMMA MIA. Rather than remembering that period as a time of mourning with her kids leaving to begin their young adult lives, Timson formed a warm memory of her own.

“MAMMA MIA was something I had always wanted to do,” Timson admitted. “I auditioned in the summer of 2017 and got cast. That production was in September so that was sort of my big, ‘Oh my gosh, I get to do what I want now. I can do my own thing.’ I met one of my absolute dearest friends. We are still best buddies to this day after that show. That was just an incredible experience. Seriously, it was some of the most fun. It was just amazing.”

Both of Timson’s adult kids are thriving today and Caddie continued her career in the arts. She is now an English teacher in St. Charles and is involved in her students’ musicals.

Timson continues to make major contributions behind the scenes at SLT. She feels at home now in the Landers Theatre and adds her own special magic with every screw on a set or stitch on a costume.

“I have heard this so many times over the year: Beth Domann telling audiences, ‘This is your theatre. This is your community theatre.’ It resonates and is absolutely true,” Timson shared.

Join the SLT legacy and find your place at the Landers Theatre this fall.

Performer and Scenic Designer Andrew Wilson Dives into DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID for the Third Time

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Andrew Wilson knew DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID by heart before he had even heard of Broadway or knew what it meant to be on the stage.

“When I was a kid, we watched THE LITTLE MERMAID all the time. There was this bonus feature on the DVD, and it showcased the Broadway show. I was just enamored,” Wilson recalled. “I didn’t even know what Broadway was at that point because I was a wee baby. That was my first discovery of theatre. I would perform little shows for my grandparents and dad with my Ariel dolls along with the soundtrack.”

Now, Wilson is performing the starring role of Prince Eric for a third time at Springfield Little Theatre.

“My first big deal, lead role was actually Prince Eric in THE LITTLE MERMAID JR. in 2017,” he explained. “That was the first time I did the show. That featured [Broadway performer and SLT alum] Aryn Bohannon [as Ariel]. That was really cool.”

That production was presented through the SLT Summer Institutes under director Andy Willadsen. Summer Institute shows are rehearsed and performed at a rapid pace.

“Obviously, the Summer Institutes are way different than the actual shows we do,” Wilson recognized. “We had two weeks to do it. It was a more mature role than I was used to. I was very nervous for it.”

His second time going under the sea was opposite Hayden Gish Collins two years later. It was during that production that he bonded with best friend, the late Hannah Curnutt. The SLT community was devastated last year when she passed away suddenly. Wilson holds tight to their memories.

“It was a very, very special experience. A lot of people from the JR. version in 2019 felt how special it was because of Hannah. Hannah made that show very special,” he shared. “Going into this one, I kind of brought her spirit with me. I think of singing ‘Her Voice’ to her every night. ‘Her Voice’ is my favorite part of the show because I get to dedicate it to her and sing to her. It’s just really, really special.”

Although the character is familiar territory, Wilson’s role in the full-length version is expanded from those productions. The rehearsal period was extended compared to a Summer Institute, but he had significantly more material to learn. The “JR.” version consolidates the plot and even cuts down on musical numbers. As Prince Eric, he looked forward to longer versions of songs with additional choreography.

“Eric has a lot more singing in the full version than the JR. version,” Wilson noted. “I had a snippet of one of my songs in the JR. version and that was about it. So going into this one, I’m really excited about doing all the songs I’ve loved since I was a kid. I was glad to do the full ‘One Step Closer’ dance break with Reghan [Skiles] as Ariel.”

The extended scenes and songs weren’t all that Wilson had to prepare. In addition to being the scenic designer at the SLT’s The Judy education building for more than three years, Wilson stepped up to design a mainstage Landers Theatre set for the first time. He jokingly admits to ‘dropping hints’ to director Lorianne Dunn about his interest in helping with the set. She eventually called on him to submit ideas, but he didn’t anticipate that he would end up as the show’s scenic designer.

“I came up with a concept. I thought that really was all I was doing,” he confessed. “I thought I would help paint the stuff, but I just wasn’t sure how involved I was going to be in all of this yet. Once I showed [Lorianne] the concept, we went into all the other designs for the show like Urusla’s throne, her lair, Ariel’s grotto. She kind of just gave me free rein. She trusted me.”

Immediately after designing and constructing the set for THE ARISTOCATS, KIDS at The Judy, Wilson jumped into creating the aquatic and seaside worlds of THE LITTLE MERMAID. He recalls being nervous about the set construction, expecting to shoulder the entire execution of his designs single handedly, as he often does at The Judy. The scope and scale of this project, however, was more than he had tackled before. Wilson was relieved to find there was a community effort that included technical directors Jamie Bower and Corbin Chaffin leading construction.

“I remember going into rehearsal, I saw these bubble sliders that I designed. The Ursula throne was cut out, Ariel’s grotto was cut out and built. I was like, ‘Whoa. This is so cool,’” he smiled. “I felt such relief to have Corbin and Jamie and all of our other volunteers already working on my designs. It made me feel so much better about how everything else was gonna go. It really set the stage for the rest of the construction and painting process. I’m very, ver,y very grateful to Corbin and Jamie and Cindy [Timson] and Trudie [Courtney] and Barb [Parker] and Melissa [Briggs] and all of our other volunteers who helped contribute with all of that.”

Wilson had assisted with Landers set construction before, including on another Disney title. That experience set the standard for the quality he wanted to design on THE LITTLE MERMAID.

“I know, since I have been here for so long and seen [former SLT Scenic Designer] Chuck [Rogers]’ work, the scale and quality that we need to produce at the Landers consistently. I knew it could not be wimpy. It needed to be pretty,” Wilson explained. “It needed to be the same level as BEAUTY AND THE BEAST that we did a few years ago. I was lucky to help on that. I got to do that big rose proscenium for that show. That was really cool. That was the first big thing that I worked on over at the Landers painting wise.”

In place of Belle’s roses, Wilson opted for a seashell and seahorse motif for Ariel. The majestic ocean life frames the stage in whimsical water tones. Wilson let his best design secret slip when discussing the magnificent set piece.

“I think what’s very important in set design is a great proscenium,” he advised. “I think as long as you have a great proscenium, you’re golden.”

Wilson credits his grandparents with introducing him to the arts. His late grandfather, Wes Wilson, was a famed poster designer for rock artists including Jefferson Airplane, Otis Redding, the Grateful Dead, and even The Beatles. He is also credited with creating the popular ‘psychedlic’ font. Wilson attributes his fine art skills to inheriting his grandfather’s talents.

Wilson’s grandmother, Eva Wilson, grew up dancing in Hollywood as daughter to an Oscar nominated screenwriter. She began taking Wilson to SLT performances as a young boy.

“My grandma was the one who really started taking me to shows,” he recalled. “We went and saw BIG RIVER and then I started to get an inkling that maybe I should be up there with everyone during that show.”

Wilson’s inclination was correct. Although he didn’t land a role with his first audition, Wilson’s mother recognized his interest and signed him up for an education series production. He was hooked, participating in summer programs, mainstage shows, Y.E.S. Troupe, and tech camps.

Wilson has since headlined as Danny Zuko in GREASE, Buddy the Elf in ELF: THE MUSICAL, and he shared the role of SpongeBob SquarePants with Eli DePriest in SLT’s first ever production of THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL.

Wilson’s first ever character role at SLT was Lennie in JUNIE B. JONES. Coincidentally, that show would become Wilson’s first directing credit at The Judy this season. Wilson has found his calling working professionally in the theatre, but his most difficult task is determining his path from here. As a performer, director, and designer, he anticipates having to narrow his interests.

“To be honest, I am very much on both sides at the moment – performing and designing. That is something I am honestly really trying to figure out,” he admitted. “Obviously, I would love to do both. I have much love for both in such different ways. I love performing because I get to be on stage and I get to sing, which I love to do. On the other hand, I love to design the world. [Directing] was a really fun experience because the two coincided with each other more than acting and scenic design did. Directing and designing go hand in hand much better. I didn’t have to go to anyone else. I just had to talk to myself and come up with everything. I would love to do more directing in the future.”

For now, Wilson says he’s open to all opportunities, soaking up each experience. He earnestly and often professes his gratitude to past and present mentors at SLT including Andy Willadsen, Chuck Rogers, Lorianne Dunn, Josh Inmon, and Zoe Zelonky who recognized different facets of his talents and gave him opportunities to explore his abilities. Wilson is constantly seeking out opportunities to learn, including from other artists like set painter Barb Parker.

“I remember growing up seeing a lot of her stuff – just being amazed by what she can do with paint,” Wilson marveled. “I still find myself referencing her work, like for FROZEN, JR. I had to replicate these icicles that she painted the last time we did it. That was like a whole paint study. I just got to do a study on her work. For her to come in to work on MERMAID was full circle. She made so many of my things come to life with her artistry for LITTLE MERMAID.”

Catch Andrew Wilson’s design and performance talents in DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID through May 11.

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