Justin Dudkiewicz currently holds the title of President at the Habersham Community Theatre in Downtown Clarkesville. Dudkiewicz has been in show business since the age of three and has brought his knowledge of the theatrical arts to Georgia and to the venue that brings Habersham quality entertainment.
Growing up in the business
Justin Gallagher: Where are you originally from, Justin?
Justin Dudkiewicz: I say I am from South Georgia, I was born in California but I was raised in South Georgia.
Justin Gallagher: When did you begin your career in the performing arts?
Justin Dudkiewicz: I was a kid, I mean I was doing little modeling gigs and plays and stuff when I was really little, like two or three.
Justin Gallagher: Do you remember your first performance?
Justin Dudkiewicz: Um, I don’t remember my first thing but I do remember this play that I was in when I was a little kid and it wasn’t even like a professional thing , it was a church play….it was Psalty the Songbook and I was just a little chorus member but that songbook play sticks out in my head.
Justin Gallagher: Were you trained for theatre and where did you attend college?
Justin Dudkiewicz: I was. I studied with someone from Broadway, his name is John Campbell in Waycross and the Campbells were very nice. They opened a community theatre where I lived. He was very strict for his rules for theatre. He expected the community people to be just like the Broadway people and those were his expectations. I think I now have a higher standard for my community people because that’s how I was brought into this whole environment. I took acting lessons and in high school I was governors honors and all those things. I am a Piedmont graduate. I have a Bachelors and Masters from Piedmont.
Finding HCT
Justin Gallagher: How did you hear about the Habersham Community Theatre and what was your first memory there?
Justin Dudkiewicz: I was in between my bachelors and my masters program in 2002. I had to wait for the fall to start for my Masters degree and I was really bored. I just graduated and I was like, ‘Okay, now what do I do? I’m here, my stuff is here, do I move away, do I stay here…what do I do with my life?’ It was a post graduate kind of scenario, so I was just going through the Northeast Georgia online and there was this little ad in the help wanted section, but it was under the miscellaneous stuff. It’s like ‘Community theater seeking actors for play’ and it had this phone number and I called and they’re like ‘Yeah, we’re having auditions tonight for Out of Sight Out of Murder’ and so I was like ‘Do I want to do this or not?’ because I had a history in theater but I had been away from it for several years since I was over here in college. So, I convinced my self and I came over and auditioned and got the lead male part in 2002 and I’ve been here ever since.
Justin Gallagher: What was your favorite production that you’ve participated in thus far at the community theater acting and directing wise?
Justin Dudkiewicz: (Acting) Here, I would have to say the Cotton Patch Gospels because I played Matthew retelling the story of Jesus and all of these things so you play multiple Biblical characters but it is done with a Southern accent. You tell all the stories from a southerner’s perspective so I really enjoyed that. I think the community really enjoyed it as well. (Directing) I think, most recently, the first cast of Avenue Q. The first time we did it was very cathartic and interesting because it was a growing process because we were learning how to build puppets. We had to do all of this for the first time. The second time it was like ‘Okay we know what we are doing now’ but the whole growth and good process of getting through that was pretty interesting.
Justin Gallagher: When directing shows, what shows do you prefer to direct?
Justin Dudkiewicz: Farces and Southern Comedies and Southern Dramadies. Steel Magnolia’s is one of my favorite shows ever so we did that here in 2009. I like Southern humor even though you probably wouldn’t recognize that in me as a person (laughs). I love the whole Jeff Foxworthy sort of ‘You might be a redneck if’… I mean those things are really funny to me. When you put people with big hair in tight clothes and twangy accents it’s just larger than life.
Justin Gallagher: Any advice for future directors or actors that will venture onto the Habersham Community Theatre stage?
Justin Dudkiewicz: For me, like I said before, I have a pretty high standard. Yeah, to me we are running a theater. We have expectations and standards and a lot of parents have a bad habit for kids. Kids that say ‘I wanna do theater’ that are also doing football, softball , basketball , chorus , track, soccer – whatever. So they’re like ‘Oh, well little Johnny can come on Tuesday’s from 6 to 6:30 and then he has soccer practice.’ This is a working moving object and you have to get in here and get involved. Only being partially involved, it doesn’t work and you don’t get a good finished product. So actors, just be prepared to work. For older folks, be prepared to give up your life for six weeks because you really are making a full commitment and the same with kids, but the parents have to recognize that for the kids. From my standpoint it is almost like a full time job, you know, you work forty hours, I mean you give a lot of yourself.
Justin Gallagher: What’s it been like for you as the president of HCT? What are your duties?
Justin Dudkiewicz: The people that are on the board here are made up of folks that have a history in the arts mostly or have a technical background. There are some business folks that enjoy theater but are not theatrically creative but they have enough knowledge that they can have an opinion. For me, it’s just making sure that those parts are moving in the right direction. I lean heavily on Alta (Moseley) and Mary (Decker) and those people in the box office and we dialogue everyday about something. Just because there is not a show going on for two weeks there’s something going on every day here as far as us. It’s like a full time business. We have monthly board meetings, we have community meetings: Special events are a large portion of our income. There are a lot of moving parts and so I have to lean on those people to help me get things done.
HCT’s Next Season’s Sneak Peek
Justin Gallagher: Can you tell us about the upcoming season?
Justin Dudkiewicz: It’s in the planning stages. We’re talking about some things, we are not sure. There is talk about Shrek the Musical. It is not finalized yet. There will be some things for kids. I think Alta is doing a mystery. I am still vacillating between a musical and a farce. Musicals are not my thing, per se, but I am thinking about doing one.
That’s A Wrap!
The Habersham Community Theatre continues to thrive under Dudkiewicz’s leadership and continues to grow in the Northeast Georgia community. Having members at the community theater who are knowledgeable about the arts is fundamental to HCT’s success and vital to its future. If you’re interested in joining the theater email [email protected] or call 706-839-1315. For more information on memberships visit the theater’s website at www.habersham theater.org.
The Next Mainstage Production
The Habersham Community Theater will present its next production A Biddy Full Day April 17-18 and April 23-25 at 7:30PM and April 19 and 26 at 2pm. Make your reservations now at www.habershamtheater.org or call 706-839-1815.
