Idyllwild local Chris Doshier has been a musician since he was a kid. His passion and drive for music brought great joy over the years. It wasn’t until adulthood that acting became an interest.
Doshier started acting back in 2017 after taking his first acting class with Suzanne Avalon, of Idyllwild, leading him to his first performances with the Idyllwild Actors Theatre.
“I took an acting class with Suzanne Avalon and that got the ball rolling,” Doshier said. “In 2017, I auditioned for a play called ‘On Golden Pond’ and I got the acting bug. I wanted to act. Before that, my artistic pursuits were mostly as a drummer.”
While Doshier always wanted to learn how to act, he didn’t have the direction on where to start or the time to make it a priority. That all changed with Avalons’s class.
“She would have us develop characters, listen to other people as they said their lines, pay attention to our body language and play improv games,” Doshier explained. “It was fantastic. I loved it.”
Since “On Golden Pond,” Doshier has performed in “Stella and Lou” and “Nice Fish” with the Idyllwild Actors Theatre.
In 2018, Doshier enrolled in the College of the Desert and started taking acting classes. He performed in “Addams Family Musical” in the fall of 2019.
He has done readings of William Shakespeare, one being “King Lear.”
After only three years of acting, Doshier played the role of Sir Toby Belch in “Twelfth Night” by William Shakespeare and won an award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama. He beat out four other nominees.
The award was given by the Desert Theatre League, which holds an annual award ceremony. Unfortunately, with COVID-19, they could not hold a ceremony, but Doshier was able to attend a virtual ceremony in September.
“Playing Sir Toby was one of my favorite roles,” Doshier admitted. “I love Shakespeare and Sir Toby is an interesting guy. There’s a lot of meat there. Like, why does this guy just hang around his niece’s house? Why does he drink all the time? It was really great to get to know his character.”
Right before COVID-19 shut things down, Doshier was able to do the opening night of “The Producers” by Mel Brooks through Desert TheatreWorks. The plan to pick up the rest of the showings is in the works when they are able to go back to the stage.
Doshier explained his joy for acting: “I like that you can take a story and bring it to life. I really like getting into characters — what motivates them, what they want and what drives an individual character. I like learning accents, also.”
Doshier wants to learn more about vocalizing for musical theater. He’s been studying and taking private lessons with a professor at College of the Desert. He’s even considering learning opera.
With his love of Shakespeare, Doshier wants to expand his acting talents and eventually play his dream role of King Lear.
“He’s so complex and tortured,” Doshier said. “It’s such a rich character and I find it fascinating. How do you play him and not venture into just total insanity?”
Now an award-winning actor, Doshier provides some guidance for those interested in acting.
“If you’re interested in acting, really go after the character and know the story,” Doshier said. “Understand what they are saying and really know it. Don’t worry as much about how to say a line. Focus more on why you’re saying what you’re saying. The how will come organically.”
