“I knew I had to be involved after I saw Legally Blonde, so I did crew for Escape to Margaritaville, and I signed up with a mindset of curiosity. I thought to myself, this is all so new, so I’m going to just follow directions. I grew in the role really quickly, and then I wanted to do even more with GREAT!”

Tim Johnson will be onstage for the first time in Guys and Dolls, September 14-25th at the Paramount Center for the Arts! Tim works for CentraCare as Recruitment Marketing Specialist. He’s spent years attracting professional talent to the area, but never as an actor!

“Theatre in our community is a draw to physicians who relocate to Minnesota. Having a community with cultural options is important to professionals, plain and simple. Two of the first people I met when I was crew for Margaritaville were physicians, Julie Bell and Chad Holien. So it’s not just that doctors and nurses and radiation specialists are going out to see shows, medical professionals are alive and well participating in creating local theater!”

Tim has met many people in the community who have been involved with GREAT Theatre through the years, but he finally decided to volunteer after seeing Legally Blonde. 

“I saw that Escape to Margaritaville was the next opportunity, but the rehearsal schedule didn’t work for me, so I signed up as crew instead. Going into it, I knew that the actors were talented. What I didn’t realize, was how much work they put into honing that talent. Talent on its own has no value. It’s when you add hard work that you get something amazing.”

For the last five weeks, Tim has been putting in hard work with the rest of the cast. 

“It seems to be coming easier to some people than it does for me, but it is also my first time being in a show. When I see my castmates get the choreography right on the first or second try, it feels like they’re memorizing pi out to fifty digits after the first time reading it. So it’s important to remember that we’re here to grow! And my castmates also help me, which shows their kindness and warmth. That’s a healthy transition that I’ve seen in my experience with GREAT, where you come curious and wanting to listen, and with time you grow to lead.”

Don’t miss your chance to see Tim and the rest of this amazing cast in Guys and Dolls, onstage at the Paramount Center for the Arts September 15-24! As Tim might tell you, it’s all hard work– luck has nothing to do with it!