Friend of The Month (11/24):Drew Maidment

1. How did your love for theatre begin?
Describe the moment that first sparked your passion. Was it a show, a character, a song, or a stage moment that captured your heart?

My parents are both teachers and for the first 5 years of my life, I lived on the campus of a boarding school where they both worked. I always loved playing pretend and had an extremely overactive imagination. One day my mom decided to take me and my sister to see the school’s production of West Side Story. I’ll never forget being so in awe at the fact that people were up there PLAYING PRETEND in a controlled environment. The violence, the songs, the deaths, the heartbreak, it all felt so real, but I knew it was fake and I fell in love with that contrast even at 5 years old. I knew I wanted to keep playing pretend for as long as I’d be allowed to. 

2. How would you describe your theatre personality in three words, and why those three?
Choose three words that capture the unique magic you bring to the stage or behind the scenes, and give a little insight into why each word fits you perfectly.

Friendly: I truly believe that treating others with kindness and patience will only make your life easier. Even if I’m in a stressful environment, I try to meet everyone with a positive attitude. 

Collaborative: The beauty of theatre is that it takes a village. I love seeing what my fellow actors, directors, and designers bring to the table and how it can inform my own work. 

Goofy: I like to have fun! A director of mine once told me that we weren’t saving lives or curing cancer here. It’s just a play. PLAY! We could all be doing literally anything else right now, but we chose to be here. Let’s make it as enjoyable as possible. 

3. Share your most memorable onstage or backstage story.
From hilarious mishaps to unforgettable performances or behind-the-scenes magic, share that one moment that stands out for you in your theatre journey!

The one that always comes to mind for me is from when I did a regional theatre production of Hair. We were teching the nude scene at the end of act one and it was the first time the entire cast was going to go out on stage without clothes. I don’t know if I was caught up in the moment or if my ADHD kicked in hard, but I missed the memo that we were going to do the first run in just towels so we could practice getting our clothes off without exposing ourselves. So while everyone lined up backstage in towels, I emerge from the dressing room fully naked, ready to go, big stupid grin on my face… 

4. If you had a personal show-stopping anthem, what would it be and why?
Whether it’s a classic show tune or an unexpected song, share what you’d belt out if the spotlight was on you in your own one-person show.

Oh man, this is a tough one… My brain goes to “Being Alive” from Company. I love how contemplative and emotional that song is and it builds to such a cathartic place both as a singer and as an actor. It’s so much fun to sing and I’ve always wanted to perform it. 

5. Who in the theatre world do you admire, and what makes them stand out to you?
Whether it’s a fellow actor, a director, or someone behind the scenes, who inspires you and why?

Wow there are so many people whom I admire in the theatre world. I could say any number of actors that I look up to and whose careers I’d love to imitate like Brian D’Arcy James or Norbert Leo Butz… But the real people in the theatre world I admire the most are the people I’ve met doing small, local theatre here in Los Angeles. People who put so much time and energy into an art form they feel truly passionate about because… because they’re passionate about it! I find that really inspiring, being surrounded by so many people here in L.A who give so much love to the theatre world all just to receive love in return. That makes me wanna keep doing theatre at any and all levels until the day I die. 

6. If you could live the life of any character from any show for a day, who would it be and why?
Whether for drama, comedy, or pure fun, we want to know who you’d love to be and what you’d do in their shoes for 24 hours.

Well, a lot of my favorite shows take place in bleak, violent worlds I would never want to live in BUT I think a fun way to game the system with this question would be to choose J. Pierrepont Finch from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. That show is literally about the luckiest guy in the world who gets everything he wants just by pure chance and a positive attitude. I mean, he succeeds without really trying! What could be better than that?!

7. What’s one fun or unexpected fact about you that might surprise people?
Let’s add a little twist! Reveal something that’s uniquely you—whether it’s a hidden talent, a quirky hobby, or an unforgettable experience.

I was also an athlete growing up and was captain of my varsity baseball team. I used to coach baseball at a high school in Glendale and I still play recreationally in adult leagues. Not all that quirky, but a hobby that may surprise some people. 

8. Do you have a dream role? If so, what is it and why?
Tell us about the role you’ve always dreamed of playing, and why it speaks to you above all others.

I’ve always wanted to play Sweeney Todd. I love stage combat and getting to murder people while singing beautiful Sondheim music!… Perfection.

9. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received in the theatre world, and how has it shaped you?
Share the words of advice or encouragement that have stuck with you and influenced your theatre journey.

I actually received this advice from my grandfather about baseball, but I apply it to theatre and, honestly, in all aspects of my life: Control what you can control. The number 1 thing you can control is your attitude. You can’t control if you make a mistake, or if things go wrong that are out of your control. If you spend all your time trying to be perfect, you’ll only ever be disappointed. Just focus on the task at hand, if it doesn’t go well, focus on the next task at hand. Keep moving forward and don’t linger. That’s the only way you can control your attitude and the only way you can keep getting better. 

10. How would you sum up your experience in the theatre world in three words? Explain why you chose each one.
Describe what theatre means to you in three words, with a little insight into why each word is meaningful.

Community: No matter where I go, the theatre world provides me with community. It’s where I’ve met my best friends, my future wife, and some of the greatest people I could ever know. It’s an inviting and loving place that’s expanded my worldview and helped me grow as a person just from feeling that incredibly strong support.

Love: It’s all love. We all do this because we love it and you can feel that love in every rehearsal, show, or post-show cast drinking binge. I feel surrounded by love when I’m working with people I barely know on a show and that speaks to the incredible power art has to bring folks together. 

Passion: People work so hard and give so much of themselves just to put on a show that, as I’ve realized, audiences are gonna appreciate no matter what. But people in the theatre world are so incredibly passionate about their favorite shows, or whatever they’re working on that they put in more hours than sometimes seems humanly possible and never stop until their dream is realized. It’s inspiring every time I get to be a part of a production and see that level of passion on display. 

11. Bonus Question! If your life were a show, what would the title be, and what’s the one-sentence plot?
Get creative! This is all about capturing your unique personality in your very own featurette.

Really?: The Musical. Drew continuously makes questionable life decisions as the people in his life sing about all the ways they’re predictably going to go wrong.