Resident thespian plays more than one part in life
Resident thespian plays more than one part in life
Community theater regular enjoys storytelling
MOSES LAKE — Eric Suitter's mustache is a little longer than normal.
That's because Suitter wanted it to look longer and more evil for his part as the wicked chancellor Covet Spring in Masquers Theater's production of children's play, "The Land of the Dragon," which continues through April 23.
Suitter first got involved in community theater while stationed in the Marine Corps in California in late 1969.
"I was involved down there for a couple of years until I got out of the Marine Corps in 1971, and I took a really long hiatus from it," Suitter recalled. In 1999, he auditioned for a part in a Big Bend Community College production of "Carousel."
One night after the show, Masquers Theater artistic director Beverly Hasper asked Suitter to audition for a part in a play.
"I've been going at it ever since," Suitter said with a grin. "I did all but one last year."
Suitter has also appeared in productions at the now-defunct Old Chapel Theatre in Moses Lake, and for the Quincy Valley Allied Arts.
Suitter has played a wide variety of roles. "I take anything that comes along," he reflected.
One of Suitter's most favorite parts was the Storyteller in the Old Chapel Theatre production of "A Christmas Story" several years ago.
"It was different in that unlike a regular part where you have a fourth wall between the cast and audience, where you ignore the audience — they're not there — as the Storyteller I was directly interacting with the audience, which made it very much a change from everything else I'd done," he said. "But I also like doing bad guys. I like doing good guys, too, as far as that goes. I just enjoy acting."
Performing gives Suitter a chance to express himself in ways he wouldn't in real life.
"When you're in normal life, you've only got one role," he said with a laugh. "Whether it's your job or your home life, you're basically doing one thing at a time."
Roles on Suitter's wish list include Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle's father in "My Fair Lady," as well as John Proctor in "The Crucible." Comedy and drama are both fun, he says, noting that they both tell a story, sometimes a funny one and sometimes a sad one.
"I think that's what most of it is, is I enjoy being a storyteller," he said.
Suitter would like to see more people get interested in theater. In addition to what he calls the "glory jobs," like acting, he says, there's always a need for people to help out backstage, behind the scenes.
"I mean, I'm blessed with some talent in this area, apparently, because I'm in demand, I get called by directors to come up for it or just particularly liked me for a certain role that they've got in mind," he said. "But all the talent in the world doesn't do a thing without having a venue, and there's no way, no matter how good I am, without other good people, like the people I've been fortunate enough to be associated with over the years here in community theater, to do it and have fun at it. There are a lot of talented actors and actresses in this area."
Born in Miami, Fla., Suitter moved to Moses Lake from north Idaho in June 1994 for work.
"I was born in Miami and raised all over the country," Suitter explained, noting his father was in construction work after getting out of the Navy in World War II.
By day, Suitter is a land mobile radio technician for Day Wireless Systems, working on two-way radios for public safety and business dispatch agencies. His interest in radio began as a child, and Suitter spent four years in communication while in the Marine Corps, but then got away from it when he got out.
He got back into radio in about 1981, as a single parent looking for a job that would allow him to stay home more than his previous career as a long-haul truck driver. Suitter's twentysomething son still lives in Moses Lake; he also has several daughters.
"It's always a challenge, and while there's a lot of stuff that's always the same, there's always new problems," he said of the work. "And I like fixing things, I like to make things work."
Suitter's hobbies include being a licensed radio amateur, and he recently joined local barbershop group the Basinnaires. But Suitter wouldn't mind if he were even busier.
"If I could find time to work it into my schedule, I wouldn't mind going back to dance class," he revealed. Suitter took ballet for a year several years ago, dancing in the spring recital for the ballet academy, after picking up a woman's magazine in a waiting room with a cover caption about people over the age of 50 getting into ballet.
"I thought, 'You know, that sounds interesting,' and as luck would have it, at the time, we were in rehearsals for 'Brigadoon' out at Big Bend," Suitter remembered. "Lot of dancing in that one."
The choreographer worked at the Moses Lake Ballet Academy. Suitter mentioned the article to her and asked if there were any classes for beginning adults. She told him to come on down, and the following spring, Suitter danced the part of the king in "Sleeping Beauty": "It was real easy to pretend to be asleep."
Asked something about himself that he thinks would surprise other people, Suitter responded with a laugh, "Most of the people that know me are never surprised by anything. Anyone that knows me well knows they don't really know me."
"He's a pleasant person to work with, very intelligent in the line of business that we're in — he can fix most anything that involves electronics," said Elton Miller, service manager at Day Wireless, adding that Suitter has an eclectic taste in music, which Miller gets to listen to while they drive to projects.
"I get quite an education in music that I'm not normally accustomed to," Miller said, adding of Suitter, "He's just as apt to break out in song as he is to curse."
Hasper has directed Suitter in several different plays, and said he is a person to count on.
"He studies his character, does the job very well," Hasper said. "I consider him a really fine actor, and he's also quite versatile."
He also tends to get roles that don't quite show his sensitive side, she added.
"He's really a sensitive guy," she said. "People wouldn't expect him to be as sensitive as he is, partly because of the roles that he plays."
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