Artist of the Month: The Brilliant Traces of Colin Thelen
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WLAX/QWEUX) – Colin Thelen encompasses what I love about the talented people who call the “Driftless” home. 1, he is passionate 2, he is wildly talented 3, he is not who you would expect him to be as a performer or an individual, and, 4, he works harder than most everyone else doing the thing that he’s best at, or known for.
I could go on and on with anecdotal stories about the passion that Colin holds for, literally, everything that interests him. Whether it’s non-alcoholic IPAs, his beloved motorcycle, or the latest information about aliens, chemtrails, and other such “fringe” topics, Colin dives in headfirst and readily shares his findings with anyone within earshot. Nowhere is that more on display than with theatre. Telling stories that people can relate to… painting pictures with intent and performance as the medium… capturing an audience in a moment in time that we all can share… those are the things that truly get Colin lit up like Times Square. That is when you see Mr. Thelen at his absolute best.
Having been privileged enough to work beside Colin on numerous occasions, I can say with absolute certainty that Colin is the type of performer that makes the other performers better. Through his work ethic, his attention to detail, and the amount he gives to a scene partner, he raises the tide of the actors and, thus, the production as a whole. Yes, all of those same attributes can make him an intimidating performer to act with and direct, but once you realize that his number one priority is the product we will be presenting to a paying audience, that anxiety fades into respect and trust.
Every production needs a “Colin,” be it on stage or behind the scenes, Colin will give you the same effort no matter where he is contributing. The same passion that allows him to fully immerse himself in Dr. Frankenfurter in a production of Rocky Horror Picture Show is the same guy that (along with his father) built set pieces for Mitzi’s Abortion, painstakingly hung and focused lights for… everything… and set decorated, prop mastered, sound assisted, and jack-of-all-traded any and every production he has had a hand in. When I met him, he was hanging lights to help another friend who was co-directing a production of Glengarry Glen Ross (as a favor) for a production company that neither of them had any ties to.
Why does he do these things? Why would he put in this much work? Because theatre. Because he was asked to help do something he finds incredibly important and valuable.
Because… Theatre.
It’s hard to talk about how special a performer like Colin is without feeling a tad silly. I was backstage when Colin used the show we were currently performing, and the character he was playing, to tell an aggressive audience member that maybe tonight wasn’t the night. I was on stage when Colin, playing a very troubled 3-year-old’s imaginary friend in the show Mr. Marmalade, made an audience member forget he was the bad guy when his death scene came. He’s been murderous, broken, egomaniacal, anxious, bulletproof, a loser, a winner, barbarous, passive, and everywhere in between. I can say that I have been left in awe of Mr. Thelen on more than one occasion and I keep coming back for more.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to see Colin do the thing that makes him electric, you’re in luck. One of the many projects he finds himself involved with is opening, Friday, April 19th (with a special “Pay-You-Can Preview” on Thursday, the 18th) and running through the 28th. Brilliant Traces, by Cindy Lou Johnson, is the story of a recluse and a runaway bride… both wounded and embittered by life and both refugees from so-called civilization… forced together by an Alaskan blizzard. Co-directed by Chelsea McManimon-Moe and Luke Erickson, with co-star Taylor Goodine, Brilliant Traces proves to be another in the long line of impactful and special productions from Grey Area. Get your tickets to see our Artist of the Month on The Pump House website.
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