Theater group tour is good start for Appling nativeActor's goal is to be in theater
Clint Morris believes dreams really do come true.
Clint Morris, 23, and Erica Conrade, 24, of Chatham, N.J., look at a family portrait while eating dinner at Morris' grandmother's home in Harlem.
Photo by Quandra Collins
The 23-year-old Appling native recently got his first acting gig in a classic children's play with the New York touring company Theatre Works/USA.
"It's totally a dream," said Morris, a resident of Brooklyn, N.Y., who received a bachelor's of fine arts degree in theater from New York University.
Morris is playing the character Templeton in E.B. White's Charlotte's Web. "It's not a real glamorous thing, but it's a good start. I'm glad to be on my way."
While touring the Eastern states, Morris and his six other cast members made a stop in Augusta on Thursday to perform Charlotte's Web at Bell Auditorium. The group's next visit will be in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Morris' father, Darwin Morris, said he was ecstatic to see his son perform.
"This is my first time I've seen the play," he said. "This is his first acting job. He's always had acting in his blood."
Before embarking on his career, Morris said, he had to learn a lot about the hard knocks of life. In the day, he would audition for acting roles, spending countless hours in a crammed lobby with hundreds of people waiting for their next big break.
At night, he juggled a variety of jobs, waiting tables and singing and playing piano at a piano bar. Weeks would go by and there still were no roles to play. And just when it seemed like his hope was gone, Morris said, he decided to persevere.
These days, he's no longer having to wait on people, instead serving people a performance he hopes they'll never forget.
"You have to remind yourself of all the work that you've done to get to this point, and that keeps you from giving up," he said, adding that he'll see a New York movie or play occasionally to draw inspiration. "I just keep trying. It's just a matter of connection and eventually you'll be in the right place at the right time."
Through his perseverance and determination, Morris said, he feels he'll continue his lifelong goal.
"My main dream is to be in the theater," he said.