Alumnus Has Unique Connection to CCHS Fall Play
The Central Catholic Drama Club is excited to welcome back alumnus, Brian McCartney (Class of 1988), to Saturday’s performance of the fall play, Leaving Iowa: A Comedy about Family Vacations. Brian lives in Chicago and will drive in to see the 7 p.m. performance and to meet the cast, and he has a unique reason for doing so.
When Brian was a student at CCHS, he participated in several musicals and plays. The first play he ever did was The Diary of Anne Frank, which took place at the Ohio Theatre, where this year’s play will also be performed. But that’s not the only connection.
“I live in Chicago now and have been here since 1995 when I moved here to be an actor,” Brian explained. “Back in 2006, I was lucky enough to get involved in a brand new show that had its opening a few months earlier at the Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea, Michigan, to rave reviews. The writers of Leaving Iowa were producing a sit-down production for an open-ended run, and I was cast as Multi-Character Guy, playing about a dozen characters in each performance. I understand that most school productions utilize different actors in all those parts now so that more kids have a chance to be in the show, but I had a tremendous (and exhausting) time with the show for eight full months. I had to go through 13 costume changes every night! Leaving Iowa now gets produced around the country and has had great success.
“The only reason I left the show was to take on another really special role. I serve as Santa Claus for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's annual holiday concert series called Merry, Merry Chicago! I still do that each year and consider myself very lucky to be a part of such a huge production with one of the greatest symphony orchestras in the world.”
At CCHS, Brian was involved in the Drama Club as well as the Glee Club, the Marching Band, and Student Council. He earned a bachelor’s degree in teaching from Bowling Green State University, and he taught British Literature at Central Catholic from 1993 to 1995. He then decided to pursue acting, and he has been acting in Chicago pretty consistently, both on stage and on camera, since he moved there.
Brian appeared on the season 10 finale of the NBC television show Chicago Fire last May, playing Captain Herrera, a boat captain who performed the wedding ceremony for the two main characters. He previously appeared in Chicago Fire in another role, as well as having small parts in Chicago Med and Sirens. He also works as a sales manager for The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
“I am thrilled to know that CCHS has revived the Drama Club,” Brian said. “And to find out that they're doing a play that means so much to me personally is thrilling! I just had to reach out to Angela Mills [CCHS Drama teacher and Drama Club moderator] to introduce myself to her and share my excitement. I'm super excited to see the Central Catholic performance!”
The biggest piece of advice that Brian would like to give to our current students appearing in the show is to tell them to have fun and stay true to the characters. “Comedies can be tricky if you try to push it too hard,” he explained. “The humor comes in the truth of the situations the characters find themselves in and how they react to it. It's easy to play for laughs, and that's not the right tactic. Stay rooted in the truth and enjoy every moment. It's a great show and I'm sure they're having a fantastic time.”
Central Catholic presents Leaving Iowa: A Comedy about Family Vacations, on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 1 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. The show will take place at the historic Ohio Theatre (3114 Lagrange Street in Toledo). All tickets are general admission and are available for $12 at centralcatholic.org/tickets.
A $1 discount code for Sunday’s tickets will be given to anyone who attends Central Catholic’s Open House on November 5 between Noon and 3 p.m.
