SOU Grad Returns Home to Inspire and Mentor Next Generation of Actors
Gavin Douglas’ theatre journey began at age 5 when he performed as an elf in “The Littlest Christmas Tree” at Marshall Elementary School in Bend, Oregon.
Douglas went beyond elfhood to participate as a student in The Bend Theatre for Young People (BYTP) and then as an educator/director for three years following high school. BYTP ignited his love for theatre and now decades later, he has returned to Ashland to inspire and guide future actors.
The newest Adjunct Instructor of Acting at Southern Oregon University (SOU), in the School of Arts and Communication, Douglas is a 2012 BFA graduate of the theatre program at SOU and an alum of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) Acting Trainee Program. He has spent the past decade training actors and honing his own craft at Indiana University (IU) where he earned his MFA in Acting.
The defining moment that put Douglas on the path to become a theatre educator was working in Bend at BYTP. While directing a production of “Treasure Island” a student playing the role of Blind Pew came bouncing backstage with excitement and leaned over and whispered to Douglas enthusiastically – “It’s so much fun out there.” Douglas had an epiphany. He knew at that instant that he was destined for a career in theatre to teach and empower young actors.
Douglas’ passion is for comedy and improv. “There are multiple mediums of comedy and there’s a lot more to it than just being funny,” Douglas said.
This fall, Douglas is teaching several courses including “Intro to Acting”, “Acting 1”, and what he’s most looking forward to is teaching a course called “Comedy in Performance.” He hopes to inspire students to discover what they think is funny, solve problems, and focus on the teachings of Viola Spolin known as the mother of improv – who developed techniques for teaching comedy in theatre in the 1930’s. “We’re going to play games, develop characters and delve into a greater understanding of how to be funny,” Douglas said.
His fervor for teaching is fueled by his mentors and the foundational experiences in Bend, Ashland, and Indiana that set the stage for his work in the classroom. “This is a big step up and I am so excited to seize this opportunity to share my vision and creativity to develop a group of actors. I look forward to sharing my ideas and dreams for crafting a series of classes for a group of actors. This is a huge step forward for me in my development as a teacher. I know how scary it can be for actors and the risks they take. I want to create a comfortable, safe environment for our actors to create,” Douglas said.
My time at SOU and OSF really laid the groundwork for my love of multiple mediums of comedy, improv, and performance,” Douglas said.
While at SOU, Douglas played a variety of roles in campus theatre productions from 2008-2012 that included “King Lear”, “Dog Sees God”, “LaTerrasse”, and “Invisible Threads.” Douglas was chosen for the actor trainee program at OSF and went on to be an understudy for “Heart of Robinhood” and Shakespeare’s “Cymbeline”, “Taming of the Shrew”, “The Winter’s Tale,” and “King Lear” during his time there.
Over the past decade Douglas has worked professionally as an actor in Portland and Seattle.
Most recently at Indiana University he played Leontes in “The Winter’s Tale”, Sir Edward Clarke in “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde”, Basilio in “Sueno” and Colonel Brandon in “Sensibility.” And nearby at Constellation Stage & Screen, a professional film and theatre company in Bloomington, Indiana, Douglas also played the role of Holmes 3 in “Holmes and Watson.”
This past spring at Constellation State & Screen, Douglas describes his all-time favorite performance in
“The Play That Goes Wrong”. The Broadway hit swept national theatres and was notorious for stunts and physical comedy. “There were a lot of actor injuries due to the physicality of the roles and story, but it was the most rewarding performance experience I have ever had. It was fun for the actors, fun for the audience, fast and crazy. I played Chris the director/inspector. It was an electric, exciting physical comedy that I will never forget,” Douglas said.
While Douglas will be front and center in the classroom, his wife Alex will shift from a role in the Airforce National Guard to behind the scenes as she joins Douglas’ parents in the family business- as a master goldsmith jewelry artist. SunstoneStore crafts one-of-a-kind jewelry from Oregon’s official state gem – the Sunstone (as of 1987). The sunstone has an amazing array of naturally occurring colors from reds to greens, champagnes, to the unique coppers that is found nowhere else in the world.
The family-owned sunstone mine in Southeast Oregon has been operating since 2001 and their beautiful work is available at sunstonestore.com.
Douglas and his wife are also dog parents to a 9-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback named Bronson and schedule their activities “around whatever makes the dog happy,” Douglas said.
Douglas identifies himself as “a big nerd” and his hobbies include role playing games, video games, and board games. In addition, he has just recently rejoined a group of friends that play Belegarth – a Medieval combat sport where participants wear medieval or fantasy-themed clothing and fight with foam-padded weapons. The full contact fighting is hard and fast and has refined into its own brand of martial art.
Looking to the future, Douglas hopes to hone his teaching skills, guide his students, and eventually direct a show. He also looks forward to reconnecting with past mentors and friends, meeting his new colleagues, and developing long lasting relationships in the Rogue Valley community.
“I really see acting as a vehicle for mentorship, building confidence in my students, and developing their skills needed to maneuver a difficult world. I am delighted to offer guidance and support to those who seek it and share my journey as an educator. It’s good to be home and I look forward to inspiring the next generation of actors,” Douglas said.
