He’s had a lengthy career as an actor, director and singer throughout this province and across the country, but Jerry Doyle considers Stephenville and the local theatre community to be home.
“Most things you do, you do it for the love of it,” said Mr. Doyle of living and working in Western Newfoundland. “I just did a 14-month stint in Fort Mac, but the thing that keeps me going is that love.”
He’s currently working on two shows for local audiences – “Shenanigans,” an Irish music celebration for St. Patrick’s Day, and “Tuesdays with Morrie,” which is slated for an April premiere.
“Shenanigans” is scheduled to start at 8 p.m., March 17 at the Stage II venue of Stephenville’s Arts and Culture Centre.
“What I want to do is to create a pub atmosphere in there and have some fun with it,” said Mr. Doyle. “It will be a happy atmosphere with some of the music being performed right next to the patrons on the floor … with an impromptu kind of feel to it.”
He said the musical and theatrical components of the show will feature a combination of familiar and lesser-known performers.
“There’s a group from Port au Port that I’m happy to have – it’s Chris Conran and his son Donovan and their friend Paul Smith,” he said.
Some of the other performers scheduled to appear are Doug Benoit, Dave Benoit, the Kippers, Susan Fowlow, Jennifer Dawson, Germaine White and Fred Cluett.
Dramatic role
Mr. Doyle is also taking to the stage in “Tuesdays with Morrie” alongside Don Dunphy and Germaine White.
The play tells the true story of a retired sociology professor, Morrie Schwartz, with a terminal illness – and the life lessons he gives to one of his students.
“That’s who I’d like to be and I’d love my family to look at me and say, hey, this is guy who even though he’s a dad or grandfather, you’ve got to respect him for who he is and what he’s done for others.” - Jerry Doyle
Mr. Doyle previously played the role of Morrie with the Beothuck Street Players of St. John’s in 2009.
“Every old actor wants to run back to a role that he’s done before or feels like he’s never had the proper chance to do a good run of it,” he said. “I’m very close to the character of Morrie Shwartz. … Every time Morrie opens his mouth in that show there’s a lesson to be learned and he’s teaching all the time.”
Mr. Doyle said he sees much of himself in Morrie.
“That’s who I’d like to be and I’d love my family to look at me and say, hey, this is guy who even though he’s a dad or grandfather, you’ve got to respect him for who he is and what he’s done for others.”
The tentative dates for the play are April 8 and 9 at the Arts and Culture Centre.
Other projects
Not one to slow down, Mr. Doyle is also working with fellow Second Stage members on a new show for the upcoming Feather and Folk Nature Festival.
And he’s also working on his own material.
“Everytime I look at something, I think, ‘God, that would make a great scene, that could be a great show, I could adapt that, I could write something about that,’” he said.
Mr. Doyle noted he’s also interested in developing workshops and other projects to engage young people in the theatre.
