Christian Michael Rowley was the second smallest kid in his sixth grade class and the number one geek, but in his mind he was at least as talented as the kids he saw on TV shows and commercials. An audition with Faces International confirmed what he already knew: he had talent; and for $800 for photos and another $300 for acting classes, he could be rich and famous. It was suggested that San Diego Junior Theatre, with more than forty years of experience, might be a better place to start.
In May 1990, he signed up for his first class and was eligible to audition for both summer shows. He prepared “Great Balls of Fire” for his “Grease” audition, but when the time came, he couldn’t follow the pianist’s intro. He tried twice to begin and failed, then fled the audition in tears. That might have been the end of his JT career; except director Jim Saba saw him flee. Jim sat Christian down on the stairs and explained that every actor chokes sometime in his career. It was no big deal. He suggested that Christian might be better suited for “Charlotte’s Web”. Christian took Jim’s soothing words to heart and auditioned. He got the part of John Arabel. He continued auditioning and eventually landed the starring role of Peter in “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.”
Undoubtedly, Christian could relate to Peter Hatcher. After all, he’d been a fourth, fifth and sixth grade nothing himself. But seventh grade was a magical year. He participated in every show at JT. He fell in love for the first time and she liked him back. His role In “Tales” led to commercial and movie auditions and a voice over for “Eclipse” at the Space Theatre. From a belittled, unsure geek emerged a self-assured, witty, good-looking, intelligent young man. Perhaps it was just time for Christian to emerge from his cocoon, but those who knew him best attribute the change to his incredibly positive experience at JT.
He learned discipline, to follow directions, that each performance demanded your best and that everyone involved in the production is important, not just those in the spotlights. He learned of the camaraderie that builds when you are a part of a theatrical production. He learned that if your screw up in front of an audience, you keep going. All valuable lessons in life.
Even after leaving JT, Christian felt attached and would return often to check on “the kids”. In the summer of 1996, Christian checked on a production when he was volunteering at the Globe. He was pleased to note that his name was still known around JT. Someone had been caught pulling a “Christian”, that is, sitting in the dark hall by the stage romancing a female.
In a diary written at the end of his junior year, Christian concluded: “I’ve learned a few things: 1) Do NOT procrastinate. 2) Women are trouble. 3) God will help. 4) Friends are priceless. 5) Happiness is key. Never, ever, settle for second best.”
At the end of his senior year, he wrote: “In ten years, who knows what could have happened. Maybe, I’ll be dead. If this is ever used to interpret what kind of person Christian Rowley was, I would like to point out that he was a person who desired nothing more than to be happy. He was caring and loving. He tried to live his life to the highest level he could achieve. He tried to be the best person he could be.” A lesson he learned well at San Diego Junior Theatre.
