Setting the stage

Aug. 13—A young man living with autism found his niche on stage, and he just landed his first lead role.

Connor Olen, 25, lives in Old Hickory. He's starring in the production from Mt. Juliet's Playhouse 615, "Murders of 1940."

Olen plays Eddie McCuen, an unsuccessful stand-up comedian living in 1940. It's the closest thing that Olen said he has ever had to a leading role.

"It's more lines than I have ever had," Olen said. "It's a lot of pressure to get those lines down and be on stage for pretty much the entire show."

The challenges of center stage are eased somewhat by a reflection of himself that Olen sees in the character.

"I think the character is closer to myself than any other role I have played," Olen said. "I will make jokes, sometimes not in the best situations, because it is the best way that I can break the ice. Sometimes, it is the only way that I can feel validated. If I can make people laugh, even if I don't interact much with the people around me, then that is something."

The role of McCuen gives Olen a chance to showcase that humor, but it also pressed him to confront some of the symptoms of his autism.

"The role is basically me with a slightly different voice and slightly louder," Olen said. "It is interesting, because when you are on the autistic spectrum, you get told a lot that you need to be quieter and not call as much attention to yourself. You are taught to sink into the background. Playing a character like this, you are so often the center of attention."

Careful not to give away any spoilers, Olen shared another instance where he must shun his standard teaching.

"There is a moment in the show where Eddie gets very violent with another character, and that was really hard for me," Olen said. "Growing up in school, I was taught never to be violent. I had that drilled into my head for so long that finding a way to act was hard."

Unlike many people, Olen has known what he wanted to do since he was young, but several failed auditions dampened his spirits.

"I auditioned for every show," Olen said. "One time, when I didn't get the part, I asked the director if there was anything I could do differently. He told me these things you did wrong in your audition ... you were too quiet, not looking at the audience or making eye contact. He was basically describing symptoms of Asperger's (Syndrome). Subconsciously, telling me this is why you can never be an actor, that really hurt. I didn't think I could ever be in a position like this."

A move to Old Hickory prompted a resurgence of theater ambition for the 25-year-old.

"I was just getting over a depressive slump, and I needed something to get me out of it," Olen said. "There was this play that had auditions the day after the move. So, I made a spur-of-the-moment decision. I was sore from lifting boxes the last couple of days, but I came in and randomly got this part."

His first role was a small part in "The Gift of the Magi."

"I was pretty grateful that it was a relatively small part because I had not really acted in a while," Olen said. "It was sort of like putting your toes in the water."

He started getting reacclimated to the theater.

"I did a big show at Lakewood Theatre Company, which was 'As You Like it,' " Olen said.

It was his first time doing a work of Shakespeare.

"It was a pretty big deal," Olen said. "That show exhausted me. I understand why Shakespeare is considered the hardest thing to do, because you have to understand all the dialogue and the dialogue other people are saying. That show took a lot out of me."

Playhouse 615

Olen's tenure with Playhouse 615 did not begin with "Murders of 1940." It actually began with a failed audition.

"I found out Playhouse 615 was doing 'Next to Normal,' which is one of my all-time favorites," Olen said. "I auditioned and did not make it but asked to be involved on the crew. I ended up running lights for that show, which was a great experience."

Olen wasn't sure if he was ready for another show, but he decided to audition for "Murders of 1940." After a hiccup on stage, he thought there was no way he would get the part.

"When I auditioned, we were going through the scenes," Olen said. "At the time, the stage (was still set) from the previous show. They had a shelf with some glasses on it, and while doing the scene, I bumped into the shelf, and a glass fell and broke into a million pieces. I thought, well, I just blew that audition. When I got the call that I am going to get the part, I figured I must be the first person in history to break something and still get the role."

Representing individuals on the autistic spectrum is not something at the forefront of Olen's mind when he is on stage. He's just acting, but he has noticed something.

"I have realized recently about being on the autistic spectrum, and that is when you look in movies and TV for depictions of autism, it's almost always kids and teenagers," Olen said. "You don't see that many adults dealing with the autistic spectrum. Growing up, I thought maybe this is the sort of thing that you just grow out of, that the symptoms fade, but they don't really fade."

It's not holding Olen back though.

"Once you become an adult, it is much easier to find a community that accepts you for who you are," Olen said. "It's much easier to find people who are totally fine with you being different and can see what you bring to the room. So, I am very grateful for community theater."

Ann Street-Kavanagh, managing director of Playhouse 615, is acting alongside Olen in Murders of 1940. She plays Marjorie Beaverstock, a possible love interest opposite McCuen in the production.

"(Olen) is very precise in what he does," Street-Kavanagh said. "He knows everyone else's lines. He is great if someone forgets, because he will just pop in there and save your butt. He has memorized the entire script."

Through their performances and rehearsals, Olen has won Street-Kavanagh over on stage.

"He is funny," Street-Kavanagh said. "He has a natural comic ability that we weren't expecting when he came in and auditioned, because he was so quiet when he worked on 'Next to Normal.' "

They knew he wanted to be on stage but had no idea how funny he was.

"'Next to Normal' is a very serious show," Street-Kavanagh said. "So, all of a sudden, he came to audition (for 'Murders of 1940'), and we were like, wow, we had no idea. He was so naturally funny in the delivery. He just got the character. One-liner after one-liner, it was like Bob Hope. He was so funny."

She mentioned his audition. The broken glass made them remember him even more.

"Even beyond that, he was so funny and natural," Street-Kavanagh said. "We could only imagine where he would go with the character if he is already doing this in a cold read. He jumped up there, reading it for the first time, and already being that funny and having that whole take on the character. We couldn't believe it."

There are five remaining showings of "Murders of 1940." Playhouse 615 is located at 11920 Lebanon Road in Mt. Juliet. One show begins today at 7:30 p.m.

A 2:30 p.m. matinee will be held on Sunday. Two more 7:30 p.m. showings will be held next Friday and Saturday, and a final matinee will be shown one day later at 2:30 p.m.