ARTSCENE By Gus Gordon
10 Questions with Rich McCoy
Where might we have seen your work?
I have directed or acted in Central Illinois theatre for the past forty-seven years at the Hoogland Center for the Arts, Muni, Springfield Theatre Centre, and in Jacksonville, where I taught high school for thirty years. My wife Laurie and I also owned and operated the Playhouse on the Square, a storefront theatre in Jacksonville, for six years.
Can you give us a twenty-word description of yourself?
I am the luckiest seventy-three-year-old person I know, with a loving wife and family.
How long have you been in Central Illinois?
I moved to Central Illinois in 1974.
What is your day job?
I taught English and Theatre at Jacksonville High School for thirty years. I recently finished my second one-year stint teaching stagecraft at Illinois College in Jacksonville. I am now retired.
Who are some of the people in your life?
That starts with my wonderful wife, Laurie, and our three children, Jacob, Jesse, and Virginia and their families. I also want to mention my buddies Darin Harms, Tom Lawton, Harvey Mack and Gus Gordon, who have shared the stage with me in several productions.
What was your first artistic experience?
In 1970 I auditioned for, and got a part in, Muni Opera’s Paint Your Wagon. Besides introducing me to some life-long friends, it also inspired me to make theatre my home.
What has been your proudest artistic moment?
That would be starring as President Lyndon Baines Johnson in the play All The Way, a challenging but fulfilling role. I thank Phil Funkenbusch for believing in me.
What is your latest project?
The Hoogland Center for the Arts is presenting a reading of the play The Sangamon River Poets: Masters, Lindsey, and Sandburg next month. The show will be presented in the Peggy Ryder Theatre on July 25, 26 and 27. I am reading the poetry of Edgar Lee Masters.
What advice can you give to those who would like to do what you do?
Take the first step and audition. Challenge yourself. Keep learning. Don’t assume you know enough – you don’t. Theatre will reward you like nothing else if you work hard enough.
Why do you do it?
Theatre, whether directing or acting, provides such joy and inspiration for me. It has been the artistic roadmap of my life.
