Pondering their next act: Retiring Heritage, Hockinson theater teacher, former student reflect on bond formed on stage

When it comes to theater, there are two camps that people generally fall into: those who shy away from the spotlight and those who go running into it headfirst. But every so often there comes along a third kind, the type of person who stumbles on stage by chance and comes to find it's where they've been meant to be all along. Charlie Jackam and Daniel Carpenter are two people who fall into that final category.

Jackam and Carpenter share a close bond, having worked together as mentor and student during their respective times as theater teacher and drama club member at Heritage High School. Now that both retirement and graduation have come to pass, the pair recently sat down together to reflect on their journeys. Each recalled how taking part in high school theater deeply impacted the course of their lives.

Jackam has spent decades immersed in the world of theater, first as a stage actor and most recently as a theater teacher at Heritage High School. He's had a lifelong love for the performing arts but didn't officially get his start until his sophomore year of high school, when you could say that the inspiration hit him like magic.

Jackam had long dreamed of becoming a performer but never had the encouragement to try. While attending an ASB fundraiser, he was called on stage by a professional hypnotist. Under the hypnotists' spell, Jackam was instructed to believe he was a stand-up comedian.

"I did five minutes of stand-up comedy. I was cheered by the full audience, and I remember to this day how much I liked that concentrated love and approval," Jackam said. "It was that single event which led me to audition for theater."

Jackam would go on to perform in the school musical every year for the rest of high school and later earned his bachelor's degree in theater at San Diego State University. After many years spent acting in the San Diego theater scene, he returned to school for his teaching certification, which would eventually lead him to becoming a theater teacher for first Hockinson High School and then Heritage.

Carpenter was a shy and reserved kid. When his friends were taking part in Heritage's production of "Peter and the Starcatcher," Carpenter preferred to cheer them on from the audience as opposed to joining in himself. But when the curtain fell on the performance, it seemed that the same magic from Jackam's youth - or in this case, pixie dust - struck Carpenter as well.

Though it would take some convincing, first starting out as a stagehand for the school's next play, Carpenter would finally audition for Heritage's production of "She Loves Me," where he would play the leading role.

From then on, Carpenter jumped at every opportunity to participate in theater. He took part in every play and musical, excelled in drama classes, participated in the school district's annual drama festival and eventually became president of the drama club in his senior year.

All the while, Jackam served as his mentor.

"It did wonders for my confidence and in turn my social life," Carpenter said. "Without feeling confident enough to perform, I wouldn't have met all of my closest friends - and I'm far less shy now than I was before ever getting on stage."

The pair spoke at length about how valuable it is to work in such a collaborative art form.

"My favorite part of theater is that transfer of emotional energy from one person to another," Carpenter said. "That sounds super corny, but I really appreciate the fact that artists of all kinds care enough to share their point of view with others."

As a fellow classmate of Carpenter's once said: "Theater is learning who you are while being someone else."

When reflecting on his career as a teacher, Jackam said: "Theater changed the course of my life. That is why I wanted to teach it. I wanted to help others plot the course of their lives."

Carpenter graduated from Heritage in 2020 and Jackam recently retired from teaching earlier this year.

While the curtain has closed on the pair's theater days for now, both hope it will merely be an intermission as they explore other avenues for their next act.

With Carpenter having gotten a few college-level performances under his belt, he has since shifted to focusing on his studies in computer science at Clark College while always brainstorming new ideas for sci-fi writing projects in the background.

Meanwhile, Jackam looks forward to seeing where life takes him post-retirement, expressing interest in getting involved in Clark County's theater scene, developing a graphic novel and maybe even trying his hand at becoming a playwright.

When asked what advice they had for young artists, both expressed the importance of being open to new possibilities and having the courage to pursue what you love wholeheartedly - in art and in life.

"Try to find joy in whatever it is you do to be creative. Give yourself permission to start by making the 'worst' version of the thing you're trying to make," Carpenter said. "It's a difficult time for artists. If you're wondering whether your work matters or not, it does."

Jackam has had countless students over the years. Many have gone on to pursue the arts as performers, directors and set or costume designers. Others have moved on to more traditional careers outside the arts.

"I am just proud to have been a part of their lives and gotten to know them," Jackam said. "If they are happy and fulfilled, they have won the jackpot."

What exactly the future holds for Jackam and Carpenter is uncertain. Both stand on new horizons with a whole host of possibilities open for them, but one thing is certain. No matter where life takes them next, the theater will always be calling out to them, beckoning them to come home. Just as it does for everyone who discovered who they truly were while pretending to be someone else.

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Clark County Youth Arts is a new feature dedicated to uplifting the stories of young creatives and their mentors. Suggestions for future features can be sent to hope.martinez@columbian.com

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