From playing a porter at a decrepit French inn to a bellhop at a
reputable Cleveland hotel, Dick DeBolt, 73, makes his final exit
from community theater with fond memories of stage mishaps,
unforgettable characters and the support of fellow actors.
From playing a porter at a decrepit French inn to a bellhop at a reputable Cleveland hotel, Dick DeBolt, 73, makes his final exit from community theater with fond memories of stage mishaps, unforgettable characters and the support of fellow actors.
“It’s a pleasure to work with people who have been in many more plays and who have assisted in pre-production activities more than I have,” said DeBolt. He has worked with South Valley Civic Theatre Company, in 14 productions.
DeBolt, who is retired from IBM, made his theater debut in his high school senior play and continued with amateur work in college productions and radio.
After moving to Morgan Hill in 1984, he performed for Gilroy’s Center Stage and in 1992 was cast as the Captain in “South Pacific,” his first play with South Valley Civic Theatre. Since then, DeBolt has continued appearing in the company’s musicals and adult productions, playing mainly character roles.
“I have never really grown up,” DeBolt said.
In his final role, in “Lend Me A Tenor,” which runs through Saturday at the new Morgan Hill Community Playhouse, DeBolt plays a comic bellhop who is dying to meet the famous tenor but keeps missing his chance.
“I get my share of the laughs,” DeBolt said. “I have great lines.”
He said especially enjoyed the experience because, “the marvelous director encouraged me to play it broadly.”
DeBolt was happy to be given the “Helper Award” for the Lend Me a Tenor production but is more delighted to act in it.
“I unabashedly feel it’s an honor to appear in the first production of the new lavish Morgan Hill Community Playhouse,” he said. Recalling times in the Gilroy High School Theater when his “dressing room was a nail,” DeBolt appreciates the luxuries of the new playhouse.
The best part of theater is “the people that I work with – their personalities, dedication and contributions they make to the community.” and DeBolt said he will miss the fun of performing in front of his friends.
One of his most memorable experiences on stage was during the production of “Deathtrap,” when he turned from a “stuffed-shirt lawyer into a demented maniac who makes obscene phone calls.”
As he reminisced about his days in the spotlight, he recalled one of his most demanding roles as the last man killed in “Ten Little Indians.” Another highlight he shared was “being complimented on my imitation of FDR in ‘Annie’ because I was the only one old enough to remember how he sounded.”
DeBolt still lives in Morgan Hill with his wife of 45 years, Carol. They have three grown sons. Although retired from IBM, he works part-time for Alliance Credit Union. In his spare time he teaches people at the Willow Senior Center how to use the Internet, surfs on his own computer and listens to old radio and movies from the 1940s and 1950s.
Despite the fun he has had on stage and the number of roles he has played, DeBolt said he never took his acting career too seriously
“The only way I will get my name in lights is if I change it to ‘Don’t Walk,’ ” he joked.
