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For Ringgold resident Jake Waters, his lead role in an upcoming production for the Catoosa County Foundation for Performing Arts at the Colonnade is truly a fantastic event.
Waters who played the sidekick, Silent Rob, in a 2005 showing of the “Captain Fantastic” now has the lead role, a school reporter with a vivid imagination and a love for comic books named Waldo Puppybreath.
The Colonnade’s theater coordinator, Johnlee McNair, explained when Waters started the acting group at the Colonnade, he was shy and wouldn’t speak much.
“That’s probably not the side you see now,” McNair said.
Waters said McNair has helped to instill confidence in him and has become more outgoing with the help of friends he’s made at the Colonnade.
Waters’s first role at the Colonnade was as an Oompa-Loompa in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
“That was when he was shorter than me,” McNair said. “He’s no longer shorter than me.”
In the 2005 showing of “Captian Fantastic,” Waters, who was “hysterical” as Silent Rob, was clapped off the stage because he was “so good,” according to McNair.
“I’ve been very fortunate to work with Jake,” McNair said and added Waters is a “versatile” actor who plays “over-the-top characters.”
McNair has watched Waters grow throughout the four years of his participation in the Colonnade’s productions. He was there when Waters received awards and even wrote a recommendation letter for his acceptance to a college program.
“Now I have to call him ‘young man’ instead of ‘kid,’” McNair said.
Waters has received awards for two of his non-speaking roles. He was named Best Young Adult Actor for Silent Rob and Best Cameo Young Adult Actor for his role in “They Went Thataway.”
“He’s great even when he doesn’t speak,” McNair said.
Waters has received one award for a speaking role; he was named Best Young Adult Actor for playing Plato Voltaire in “The Great All-American Musical Disaster.”
While most of his performances have been in comedies, Waters said he would like to pursue other types of roles.
His only non-comedy role at the Colonnade was in “Dear Diary.” He played the lead character’s boyfriend, Richard.
“He was a drug addict and very promiscuous,” Waters said.
Waters has been accepted to the Chattanooga State two-year acting program and will begin classes in the fall.
“I look forward to seeing what Jake will do with his career,” McNair said.
Inside the play:
According to Johnlee McNair, theater coordinator for The Colonnade, “Captain Fantastic” lead character Waldo, played by Jake Waters, knocks himself out in the first act. McNair said the second act is a “nonreality” sequence where his friends and enemies are all superheroes and supervillans.
“But you don’t know I’m dreaming until I wake up,” Waters said, adding that when the character wakes up when he knocks himself out again.
Show Dates
Feb. 6, 7, 13 and 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Colonnade
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