Anthony Nedelman first hit the stage in 2005 as a shy, soft spoken sophomore in Chardon High School's production of "Bye, Bye Birdie."
But two years later, he can say hello to opportunities in the local performing arts as part of the Geauga Lyric Theater Guild.
Nedelmen appeared in "Birdie" as Randall MacAfee and received a phone call from choreographer Lisa-Marie French shortly after. She invited him to be a part of "The Bargain," an independent production at the Chardon-based Geauga Theater. The experience solidified his passion for the dramatic arts.
He started taking small acting parts in shows like "Dark of the Moon," but soon realized his talents were served on the technical side of productions. Nedelman became the assistant stage manager of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical "The King and I" in spring 2006.
"I was in charge of moving all of the set pieces - which I also helped to design - and I made sure that everything went smoothly," he said. "And it was the first time I got to wear a headset too."
The next show - "Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus" - involved his role as a renaissance man. He designed the set, painted it and played guitar for the children's choir. His hard work netted him the "Most Outstanding Teen Award" at the Guild's 2006-2007 award ceremony.
He has not allowed himself to be exclusive to the Guild. Nedelman joined French as the technical camp counselor at Rabbit Runs Children's Theater Camp last summer.
Nedelman said he embraced his role as a teacher for young, aspiring actors and actresses.
"We taught the kids how to run lights, sound, and be on the stage crew as well," he said. "Teaching the kids, passing along all of the knowledge that I've picked up was such a fun experience. They really get excited learning about each aspect of putting on a good show."
Nedelman, now laden with experience, challenged himself in a professional theatrical venue after being hired as the assistant stage manager for the Cleveland Playhouse's recent production of "Bunnicula."
The opportunity gave him the chance to work with professional equity actors and learned how hard and difficult it is to create high quality shows.
"The days were long, sometimes nine hours at a time," Nedelman said. "We did two performances a day, so I had to rush in between shows to reset the props and move set pieces back into place. There was only 15 minutes before the second show started, everything had to be done at a much quicker pace."
The Cleveland Playhouse has hired him for two more shows in the spring. Nedelman will continue to pursue a degree in theater studies at Kent State University.
"I never would have thought that I'd be working in professional theater after two short years, but here I am," he said. "Look out Broadway!"