Mar 27, 2008
Drummer catches acting bug
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When Dennis Jackson went onstage to play drums at the Redding Roadhouse one night last winter he had no idea a new creative outlet was about to drop in his lap.
During a break between sets longtime friend Kit Briner approached Jackson with the opportunity to try out his acting chops. Briner had written a skit years before in high school that had never been produced. It involved a man fashioning a set of drums from discarded junk.
Never mind that Jackson had never acted. Briner felt he would be perfect for the role.
A couple of months later Jackson went onstage again. This time it was to make his acting debut in last year's production of the Easton Arts Council's annual Readers Theater show.
“I was up for a challenge, for trying something new,” said Jackson. “I never realized how tough it [acting] was to do. I learned a lot. I'm glad I did it. I had a blast.”
He had such a good time that he is performing in this year's Readers Theater production on Saturday night in Easton.
This year's show is “The Substance of Fire,” a full-length play written by Jon Robin Baltz. The play centers on Isaac Geldhart, a childhood survivor of the Holocaust who later found fame and fortune in New York City as publisher of historically important work. He now has to fight the hostile takeover of his company by his children.
The play is “gritty” and contains material and language that is not suitable for children.
Readers Theater productions are staged readings. This means the actors carry their scripts. But the actors do not sit on stools and read. Readers Theater shows are fully staged productions and include costumes, props and lighting.
This year's show will mark Jackson's first time performing on a stage without drums.
He has been playing drums since he was five years-old when his mother got him his first snare drum.
In 1997 he joined The Rafter Bats, the “new-grass” band [an offshoot of traditional bluegrass - which does not normally use drums] that he would be playing with that fateful night at the Redding Roadhouse.
“They were looking for a drummer and I was totally excited about joining,” Jackson said.
A few years later Jackson decided to start his own carpentry and remodeling business and the demands of the business made it necessary for him to leave the band temporarily.
“I did a lot of writing [of music] during that time and playing on my own,” he said. “But I really missed playing out.”
Once his business was under control and going strong he joined the band again.
The next change of direction in his life came about because of how busy his business had become.
“I would get home at night and be up until midnight doing paperwork and all the other stuff that goes along with running a small business,” Jackson said. “I started looking to make changes. I started to look at things with new eyes and question what I wanted and how I could do what I wanted.”
Jackson had been on his own since the age of 16 when his mother passed away. He had learned to sustain himself. And once he had a wife and two children it was important to him to take care of them.
But he also wanted to nourish the part of himself that would make him happy.
“I wanted to figure out what I could do to fulfill myself as well as the obligations I had,” Jackson said.
To that end, Jackson took a job with Sacred Heart University doing carpentry and general maintenance with Campus Operations.
“I get to work with my hands all day and I work with a great bunch of guys,” he said. “I have great benefits for me and my family and my commute is only 7 minutes. Before I was a madman trying to make that living.”
The benefits and extra free time are allowing Jackson to follow one of his longtime dreams.
“I'm making a [music] studio in my basement,” he said. “I'm writing songs and want to create my own CD. I now have the time.”
Jackson is putting together a blues-based folk rock CD.
“I think people put a lot of things to the side. I need to fulfill these needs in order to be complete.”
Jackson has lived in Trumbull for 10 years with his wife Tammy and their two children.
Readers Theater is being held this Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Easton Library's community room at 691 Morehouse Road. There will be a reception following the show. Admission is free.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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