Gavin Mann
Johnson City-born Gavin Mann has been living and breathing theatre since his first acting camps, polishing that passion at Northeast State CC and later Greensboro College, where he picked up a BA in Performing Arts—and the UPTA audition that steered him to WHDT. He’s loving the chance to dig into Charlie, a villain who’s equal parts justified whistle-blower and wonderfully weird troublemaker. Offstage, he’s usually flipping through a good book, dealing Crazy 8s backstage, or sketching out scenic-painting ideas (illustration’s his other creative outlet). Gavin sends big love to the family and friends who cheer the loudest and keep fueling this wild, rewarding journey
My Story
1. What initially hooked you about this role, and how has your understanding of the character deepened (or shifted) since rehearsals began?
When I first heard about the role back in March, I was excited to play another villain. I don’t know how, but villains have become my cast type. However, what I found interesting playing Charlie was that he has two sides in the show. On one hand, he does have legitimate grievances with Harold and the effect he’s had on the tracing salesman following him. On the other hand, he’s a weird, angry, pervy man. So it has been a fun challenge balancing the two.
2. Can you walk us through the journey that led you to the Wolfahrt Haus stage-any turning points or mentors who nudged you in our direction?
I’ve always been acting in some shape or form either in acting camps, Forensics competitions in high school, or community college at Northeast State where I became a theater major thanks to the tutelage of Elizabeth McKnight and Brad McKenzie. However, if it weren’t for my time at Greensboro College, I wouldn’t have learned about UPTA. After trying it for a couple of years, I met George Bailey and Ali Bales and read for the Foreigner. Later that month I got the call, and I’ve been here ever since.
3. Performing several shows a week can be a marathon-what personal routines or backstage rituals keep each performance feeling fresh for you?
Gavin has a couple of routines, both in and out of the theater. Whenever Gavin is backstage during a stretch of time, he likes to either read a book he enjoys or play crazy 8s with his fellow cast members. Outside the stage, he just tries to maintain a decent sleep schedule and eat his meal preps.
4. Is there a recent audience reaction or behind-the-scenes moment that really stuck with you? What made it memorable?
Honestly, the best fan interactions come from the people closest to me. During the last and second-to-last production of “The Foreigner,” my family was able to arrive. Once before the show, my brother made it clear he was going to cheer the loudest in the room for me. Sure enough, he was there screaming his support.
5. Outside of acting, what creative passions fuel you, and how do they spill over into the work we see onstage?
Personally, I have always enjoyed illustration as an artistic outlet. It’s something I’ve tried to keep up with since elementary school, and it’s been a great way to get some of my wackiness onto a page. That’s led to a nice middle ground for outlets like scenic design and, more importantly, scenic painting.
