Master Of His Craft

"When Jim Stowell tells a story people listen. It's not just what he says, but how he says it – shouting, laughing, grimacing, rolling on the floor, tracing the memory of a caress, inventing sound effects and punctuating the story with detailed gestures."

Years ago a reviewer said I was “lucky” to have such a great job, being a storyteller. Yeah, I said, but I worked like a fiend to get here. I am proud of how hard I have worked over the years. I can honestly say I always gave my best. That is not to say I never screwed up. I am confident I have made pretty much every kind of mistake you can make in the theater.  

But in theater I have always had another chance to do it right during the next performance. I learned by working with great people to take advantage of the basic belief in theater that every rehearsal and every performance is a chance to achieve excellence. I learned that in the theater I had a chance to go to work everyday where I would change and learn and have fun, sometimes laughing until you fall down. I had a chance to be challenged to grow and become more than my best. Like everyone there have been days when I said to myself that I wish I had done something else…be a musician for example and make a little money for a change. But I know better. The theater is my path.  See, that is where I think of myself as lucky. I have always loved my work.