It is a Saturday afternoon. Director Neil Weiss along with student actors cast in “The Epiphany” are hard at work rewriting lines, working on stage movements and getting everything ready for their Nov. 6 debut in the Citrus College Little Theatre.
Noticeably absent from this weekend’s rehearsal is the playwright and creator of “The Epiphany,” Bruce Olav Solheim, Ph.D.
Solheim is on his way to Los Angeles International Airport to collect an essential player in his drama set in World War II, Nazi-ruled Norway: Åge “Johnny” Olsen, a Norwegian-born actor and soldier who will be lending his voice in the role of the narrator.
As a member of the Royal Norwegian Guard, Olsen traveled in 1992 from the small Southern town of Kongsvinger, where he grew up, to serve as a member of the King’s Guard at the Royal Palace in Oslo.
It was there that Olsen unwittingly became connected to Solheim’s script. “The Epiphany” details the Norwegian resistance as the Nazis came to occupy their country in 1939.
“The King’s Guard were the ones that did the first fighting in Oslo when Germany invaded because they protected the King,” Olsen said.
“The Epiphany” has been in development for three years, with Solheim’s own family history providing much of the background and inspiration for the play.
As he began researching enough material for a script, Solheim turned to social media to find Norwegian actors for a staged reading that he was hosting in Seattle in January 2015.
“I contacted a friend of mine, a Norwegian colonel, and he put a message on Facebook, and [Olsen] responded,” Solheim said.
At the time Olsen was working as a prison guard. His only prior acting experience was in high school as part of a theatre group.
“I wrote an application for the fun of it,” Olsen recounts. “I didn’t expect to be part of it at all.”
Student veteran John Carter (left) and Norwegian veteran Åge Olsen, meet for the first time during a rehearsal of “The Epiphany” in the Little Theatre on Oct. 17. Olsen, who served in the Royal Norwegian Guard be the play’s narrator.
Although Solheim had already found a Norwegian veteran for the part, the two kept in touch. Then fate intervened. The other veteran had to drop out of the play when he was deployed to Afghanistan, leading Solheim to reach out to Olsen once again.
“He sent me the script, and we talked over the phone and found a connection right away,” Olsen said. “We call ourselves the ‘brothers from another mother.’”
For the Seattle reading, Olsen played the role of Anders Strand, the patriarch of a family featured in “The Epiphany.”
The role provided Olsen the incentive to continue with acting. The Seattle reading gave him the opportunity to delve into some powerful scenes and interact with the audience, he said
“We got some really strong reactions,” Olsen said. “I can imagine when we get up and running [at Citrus], it will be the same.”
When the time came to bring the production to the Little Theatre, Solheim had written in a part for a narrator to help tie the play together.
“We decided to use Johnny as the narrator,” Solheim said. “It seemed natural to have someone who has a Norwegian accent, because of the twist at the end.”
Olsen’s personal family history also provides “The Epiphany” with a sense of authenticity that Solheim believes enhances the production.
“It’s a story of his homeland, so he will have close emotional ties to what the story is about,” Solheim said. “He has relatives that were in the resistance, so it’s very close to his heart.”
As part of the resistance fighters, Olsen’s grandfather actually helped refugees escape Norway into neighboring Sweden during Germany’s occupation.
His participation in “The Epiphany” is a tribute to his late grandfather.
“My grandfather died when I was 3, so I never got to talk to him about [his role in resistance],” Olsen said. “I’m really proud of him, but he never got any recognition for his service, but I know he contributed and that’s more than enough for me.”
Joining Olsen in the wartime production is Jon Carter, Marine Corps veteran and Citrus College student.
Carter was stationed at Camp Pendleton in San Diego county before being deployed to Afghanistan in 2012. In 2014, Carter enrolled at Citrus College while also pursuing his other passion, acting.
“I’ve always wanted to act,” Carter said. “I’ve been wanting to since I was 12 years old.”
Carter, who with the help of an agent has been doing commercial auditions for about a year, decided to pursue theater acting after Solheim sought out veterans to audition for the play.
“I prefer the theater atmosphere more than the Hollywood scene,” Carter said. “It’s not nearly as fun as doing [theater acting].”
Carter plays The Black Cat, a French resistance character who helps the Norwegians. Carter notes that both Solheim and director Neil Weiss cast him especially for the role because of his military background.
“It was a character I was looking forward to playing because it was in my realm,” Carter said.
Olsen and Carter met for the first time during rehearsals, forming an instant bond.
“It was good to have another veteran, especially one who can relate to some of your experiences,” Carter said.
“As soon as he walked in and started narrating, it changed the entire atmosphere of the play. It made it that much more real.”
Despite the challenges that rehearsals typically bring, Carter and Olsen are bringing discipline and commitment to the stage in hopes of making this production the best it can be.
“I think it is pretty cool that a story based on Bruce’s family in Norway can be brought to life here in the States and get so much attention,” Olsen said during a break in rehearsals.
“This is something his family has experienced,” Carter said.
“When you know it is something personal, you want to perform to the best of your ability.”
