Published: February 28, 2009 04:38 pm      

Immersed in the arts

Tamarack events director finds plenty of inspiration everywhere around him

When the office becomes too confining for Chris McLaughlin, the events director at Tamarack has only to take a short walk to get his creative juices flowing again.

“This is a great environment where I’m surrounded by art, and it’s inspiring just to be immersed in it all,” McLaughlin said.

Although many people knew him first as an actor in the cast of outdoor and educational productions done by Theater West Virginia, McLaughlin said his job dovetails perfectly with his training in the arts.

“I truly love art, and I see the value it has in the lives of other people, whether it’s a great painting, the work of an artisan, live theater or some great music, creativity brings a balance into our lives, and I think that’s really important,” he said.

“When I get up in the morning, I want to create art or to help somebody else create art. That fits perfectly into the mission of Tamarack.”

The son of a Lutheran minister moved around a lot growing up. He enjoyed participating in school plays, but his yen to become an actor was birthed when he entered the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.

He started out as an English major and took a theater appreciation class as an elective.

“An associate professor got me excited about acting and awakened something inside me. He put me into some productions at the college, and before long I was getting more involved with theater,” McLaughlin recalled.

When an English professor told him he was taking too many theater classes, McLaughlin knew what he had to do — switch majors.

He earned his bachelor of fine arts degree in theater with an emphasis in acting.

“I thought the degree would put me on stage, but I found out it did more than that. It prepared me for learning. I think that’s the most you can ask from a bachelor’s degree. It makes you open to lots of possibilities.”

During a casting call, in which actor wannabes have about 60 seconds to impress one of nearly 100 theater companies who have come together to see them audition, McLaughlin caught the attention of Theater West Virginia.

In 1999, he came to Beckley and during his first season, took on the role of Dave Morgan in “Honey in the Rock,” Tolbert McCoy in “Hatfields and McCoys” and performed in the chorus for “Grease.”

“I had never done outdoor theater before. I was used to smaller spaces,” he said. “It can be really daunting to perform before a 1,300-seat auditorium where you have to be able to tell the story to the farthest corner of the audience and still be honest in your acting.”

In Beckley, he met Stephanie Nerback, a member of the West Virginia Dance Company, and romance ran its course. The couple married, took a few years to experience other artistic opportunities in California, then returned in 2004.

McLaughlin became a technical director at the Hulett C. Smith Theater at Tamarack, where he met Tim Pyles, the former events coordinator.

“Tim was my supervisor, and I got very interested in what he did. When it came time for him to retire, I could make a good case for taking his place. He was incredibly gracious to me. Tim is a real stand-up guy,” McLaughlin said.

In 2004, McLaughlin also founded Treehouse Arts Ensemble, a small arts company that keeps him in touch with his love of acting and helping to stage productions.

In June 2008, they welcomed their son Rowan and are putting down some roots in Beckley.

“We enjoy being part of this community, and it’s been rewarding to see the arts continue to grow in this area,” he said.

— E-mail: bdavis@register-herald.com