Welcome to our TWENTY QUESTIONS series. Here, team members from administrators to designers to teachers answer questions about themselves. Have a question you want us to add to the list? Leave a comment!
About A.J.
Before joining the Compass team as Education Director, A.J. has toured with us as Scruffy in Beauty and the Beast. His favorite Compass play is Cinderella, but really enjoys the music in Jungle Book. A.J. is familiarizing himself with most of the Compass plays.
A.J. and his tour partner, Kelsey, on tour for Compass Creative Dramatics' "Beauty and the Beast".
| #1 What's the best gift someone gave you when you were a kid? Charlie McCarthy ventriloquist doll replica for Christmas in 5th grade. I did not ask for it, but I had become enthralled by the “Night of the Living Dummie” books in the Goosbumps series by RL Stine. My dad took note and I ended up with the doll on Christmas morning. This led to my first endeavor into performing as well as writing. I spent hours at the public library with stacks of joke books finding ways to work jokes into routines that I would perform for my classmates. I was lucky to have a teacher who gave me 5-10 minutes out of his schedule to perform. |  |
 | #2 What was your favorite music group in middle school? Sugar Ray |
#3 What teams did you belong to when you were growing up?
I was a competitive distance runner for Cross Country and Track. I also was involved in Drama Club, Speech/Forensics Team (competitive speaking and acting), Choir, Band, Student Council.
#4 Soup or salad?
Salad. Shaken, not tossed.
#5 Villain or hero?
Villain. Heros are so commonly one dimentional.
#6 Cake or pie?
Rich, dense, dark, choclatey cake, please.
#7 Mountains or beaches?
Mountains if I have to choose. But can they be oceanside mountains in Costa Rica, please?
#8 Top five favorite snacks:
Oreos, Mr. Goodbar, Puppy Chow, Brownies, Chocolatechip Cookies
#9 What’s the practical skill in your life that you’re most proud of?
I keep a meticulous personal budget. I geek out over budgeting best practices.
#10 What’s something you do to relax?
Tap dance.
#11 If you weren’t an artist, what would you be?
A carpenter or some other vocational/trade work. I enjoy creative work and designing and building useful, beautiful things is quite enjoyable for me.
#12 Tell us about your pet or your future pet. Share a photo, if you have one!
They used to be my pets, but we still visit from time to time. Meet Fig (grey) and Marcel (orange). Siblings adopted from a foster/adoption agency in Indianpolis called ReTails. Fig was always sassy and silly. Marcel was my best bud and always made sure I was well groomed (see other photo)
I was a competitive distance runner for Cross Country and Track. I also was involved in Drama Club, Speech/Forensics Team (competitive speaking and acting), Choir, Band, Student Council.
#4 Soup or salad?
Salad. Shaken, not tossed.
#5 Villain or hero?
Villain. Heros are so commonly one dimentional.
#6 Cake or pie?
Rich, dense, dark, choclatey cake, please.
#7 Mountains or beaches?
Mountains if I have to choose. But can they be oceanside mountains in Costa Rica, please?
#8 Top five favorite snacks:
Oreos, Mr. Goodbar, Puppy Chow, Brownies, Chocolatechip Cookies
#9 What’s the practical skill in your life that you’re most proud of?
I keep a meticulous personal budget. I geek out over budgeting best practices.
#10 What’s something you do to relax?
Tap dance.
#11 If you weren’t an artist, what would you be?
A carpenter or some other vocational/trade work. I enjoy creative work and designing and building useful, beautiful things is quite enjoyable for me.
#12 Tell us about your pet or your future pet. Share a photo, if you have one!
They used to be my pets, but we still visit from time to time. Meet Fig (grey) and Marcel (orange). Siblings adopted from a foster/adoption agency in Indianpolis called ReTails. Fig was always sassy and silly. Marcel was my best bud and always made sure I was well groomed (see other photo)
Look at these fur babies! □
This photo is adorably "PURR-fect"!
#13 What would you do if someone gave you a million dollars, no strings?
Start a theatre company whose sole core mission was performing for young audiences. Idianapolis would be a good candidate as far as location goes.
#14 What’s the household chore that you would avoid forever if you could?
Ironing. No matter how long you take… there is always going to be a wrinkle. 😡
#15 Tell us three things you remember about kindergarten.
The rainbow napmat my mom made me for naptime.
Taking naps on my rinbow napmat.
The generic nursery-rhyme/song record the teacher would play every day durring naptime.
#16 What’s your favorite day of the week when you are teaching a performance residency?
Wednesday. It is the first day the full cast is on stage together. I love the student castmembers’ faces light up as they hear the jokes for the first time and start puting together the flow of the show.
#17 What’s a product or service that you love so much, you would happily be their spokesperson? What’s so great about it?
You Need A Budget (or just YNAB, for busy people). In fact, I have genuinly considered trying to work for them in the past. It is a simple tool that does exactly what I need without being bogged down by dozens of fancy features. Ask me about it sometime, I’m happy to tell you more. :-)
#18 What’s your favorite kids’ movie?
Hook! I think the acting is just great. Especially the kids.
A Goofy Movie is high on my list as well.
#19 What’s something about you that some people might consider a weakness, but is really a strength?
I often get cought up thinking about the process and details of many things which can cause otherwise simple tasks take me a long time to complete.
#20 Tell us all of the towns you’ve lived in.
Salt Lake City, UT
Perry, IA
Carbon Hill, IL
Mazon, IL
Wabash, IN
Indianapolis, IN
Chicago, IL
Start a theatre company whose sole core mission was performing for young audiences. Idianapolis would be a good candidate as far as location goes.
#14 What’s the household chore that you would avoid forever if you could?
Ironing. No matter how long you take… there is always going to be a wrinkle. 😡
#15 Tell us three things you remember about kindergarten.
The rainbow napmat my mom made me for naptime.
Taking naps on my rinbow napmat.
The generic nursery-rhyme/song record the teacher would play every day durring naptime.
#16 What’s your favorite day of the week when you are teaching a performance residency?
Wednesday. It is the first day the full cast is on stage together. I love the student castmembers’ faces light up as they hear the jokes for the first time and start puting together the flow of the show.
#17 What’s a product or service that you love so much, you would happily be their spokesperson? What’s so great about it?
You Need A Budget (or just YNAB, for busy people). In fact, I have genuinly considered trying to work for them in the past. It is a simple tool that does exactly what I need without being bogged down by dozens of fancy features. Ask me about it sometime, I’m happy to tell you more. :-)
#18 What’s your favorite kids’ movie?
Hook! I think the acting is just great. Especially the kids.
A Goofy Movie is high on my list as well.
#19 What’s something about you that some people might consider a weakness, but is really a strength?
I often get cought up thinking about the process and details of many things which can cause otherwise simple tasks take me a long time to complete.
#20 Tell us all of the towns you’ve lived in.
Salt Lake City, UT
Perry, IA
Carbon Hill, IL
Mazon, IL
Wabash, IN
Indianapolis, IN
Chicago, IL
Keep an eye out for more from our TWENTY QUESTIONS series. Questions vary a bit each interview, so if you have a question you want us to add to the list, leave a comment!
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