By Kayla Loveless, Social Media Editor
Have you ever heard the phrase “laughter is the best medicine?” It’s scientifically proven that laughter releases endorphins that can help with chronic pain and improve your mood, so if you ever feel down or feel a cold coming on, Alex Tine is your guy.
Tine has a knack for acting, impressions and comedy. He has been a part of First Flight’s StageKraft Productions for two years, but he found his calling when he was a 12-year-old in the Dockside Theatre Company.
“Dockside was a theater thing inside of a church that me and my brother did,” Tine said. “I am not still at Dockside, but I was in ‘Peter Pan,’ ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘Willie Wonka’ (while I was there).”
His current cast mates depict him as a charismatic, funny and all-around kind guy.
“He’s an incredible actor and really brings his roles to life,” senior Johnathan Rawls said. “Off of the stage, though, he’s just an all-around great guy. He obviously cares about his friends and would do pretty much anything for them. He’s silly and fun to hang around with, always knowing how to get a laugh.”
Getting a laugh is not the only skill of Tine’s. He shows immense promise when it comes to acting after performing in last year’s play “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” as Rom-emo (Romeo). He also played multiple roles in the musical “All Together Now.”
Tine can blend acting and comedy in a fascinating combination. In the most recent play, “Peter Pan and Wendy,” he played Smee, Captain Hook’s right-hand man. His performance brought the audience to uproarious laughter, and he managed to convey genuine emotion during his time on stage.
That easy-going personality can be beneficial during the stressful days of practices leading up to a show, said co-director Lauren Deal.
“We did check-ins at the beginning of most rehearsals and asked each actor how they were feeling,” Deal said. “Ninety-nine percent of the time, Alex said ‘I am hyped’ or ‘I am slaying’ and this was absolutely true. Alex brought positive energy to the rehearsal every day.”
The way Tine sees it, with all the fun he and his fellow cast members have, there’s no reason for there to be anything but positive energy.
“Theater kids just have a vibe,” Tine said. “They’re just really funny and fun to be around.”
Theater kids certainly are fun to be around, with their many rituals, wild moments and eccentric humor. They can make an entirely new concept for a character, and completely change how you feel about them.
“Smee is a funny character, but Alex was able to play up the humor and made Smee not only entertaining, but also endearing,” Deal said. “When another character said, ‘There’s just something so lovable about Smee,’ she was absolutely right.”
Junior Kayla Loveless can be reached at 24lovelesska73@daretolearn.org.
