By: Oliver Weber - Dickon | The Secret Garden
Like many of you, I grew up in an area where there doesn’t seem like there's a whole lot to do.
A risky decision...
Living in a small rural community, days are often spent by going to sporting events, tending to the farm, and late-night trips to Walmart. So, I decided to branch out from the normal trends of our area and take a risk. That risk was joining musical theater and later connecting with Decatur Underground Theater. After fifteen years of musical theater and three years with Decatur Underground, I can happily say it’s the best decision I have ever made in my life.
One of the things I love the most is the sense of "community" that surrounds community theatre. It can be life changing - it has been for me. The wonderful community that Decatur Underground Theater (DUT) brings is second to none. You get a sense of home and family by just seeing DUT's wonderful shows. I believe if you take the risk to come see DUT's production of The Secret Garden The Musical just once, it could change your life too!
Theater shaped me into the person I am today. I was only four years old when I first discovered the fine arts and this thing called "theatre." I started performing on stage, and there I found myself and the person I dreamt of being. When on stage, you are whoever you want to be, whoever your character is, and people applaud you regardless of who you are. After a few years amongst theater lovers, I learned to love myself and live what I love.
My lifelong goal is to bring smiles to those who need them most.
Theatre is a way to do that.
The door's open, come on in....
Fast forward to now, and I am still enjoying theater and especially enjoy the community theatre
that I can call home - Decatur Underground Theater. Decatur Underground is a unique, welcoming family of friends who love performing, building sets, helping out as stage crew, theater (musicals in particular), and all things theatre related. Whatever your interest or giftings, you have a place in the DUT family - come on home.
After a decade and a half of musical theatre, professional and community, and fine arts, I try to inspire other boys who haven’t felt supported to pursue the arts. A mom came up to me one day at a high school game and said her son saw me dancing with the girls' dance team, and it “made [him] feel like it was ok for him to be a boy dancer too.” She later shared that seeing my performance changed his entire demeanor at school.
Take a risk...
Even if you think you are not the type to enjoy musical theatre, take the risk. Check it out yourself, and maybe even bring your family, and come The Secret Garden ~ The Musical. There you will see me play Dickon and many other amazing actors and actresses I can happily call my friends, bringing a classic story to life.
There is no better place to catch live theater in Decatur, Illinois, than with the Decatur Underground Theater.
Show dates for The Secret Garden are March 24th through 26th and March 31 through April 2nd at the Decatur Civic Center. The entire DUT family (me included) will be thrilled to see you there!
Take a risk... get your tickets HERE.
Oliver Robert Weber, Cast Member: The Secret Garden - Dickon
DUT is Decatur's Premier Musical Theater Company, bringing Awesome Musical Theater to Decatur, IL Since 2010.
copyright 2023 Decatur Underground Theater Corporation
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