Giant!

Frank Takacs is a hard guy to forget. If you were to typecast Frank you would slot him in as the scary bouncer or hit man; roles he most certainly has played throughout his long career because he is a big, strong guy. However once you have seen him in action; where he commands not just the stage, but also the small and big screen, you feel like you have made a friend. Frank has the natural gift to create compelling and likable characters even if they sometimes are fearsome pirates or murderers and this talented actor lives right here in Kelowna.

Photo: Contributed

Frank Takacs

I have been lucky enough to work with this phenomenal talent on several occasions for Bumbershoot Theatre where he is also General Manager- happily working alongside groundbreaking Artistic Director, Tracy Ross. Frank and I have done a couple of improv shows I wrote for kids and teens together, but he also runs his own murder mystery company called Murder and Mayhem Ink where he designs decidedly more dangerous improvisations for adults.

Frank grew up in Southern Alberta and like most Canadian kids he wanted to be a hockey player, but after numerous injuries he was forced to find another dream. So it was a life changing event when Frank was encouraged by this drama teacher to attend Artstrek- a renowned arts camp for teenagers when he was 14. There he discovered that acting was his true passion and he has since spent his life pursuing it. On the way back from a gig last spring, Frank and I discovered we must have both been at Artstrek at the same time -1986- and we agreed we had a similar life defining experience there. I believe that is one reason why we both feel the importance of creating arts opportunities for children and teens like offered at organizations like Bumbershoot.

Moving on to University of Lethbridge and working with esteemed theatre companies such as: New West Theatre, Stage West and Shadow Productions, Frank later went into the world of film both as a performer and in the office for one of Canada's top agencies, Dagaz Talent. You might have seen Frank in commercials, films like Snow Day or on the television series Honey I Shrunk The Kids or Tom Stone - all filmed in Calgary when he was based there.

While film and TV gigs are a great way to pay the bills, Frank's first love has always been the immediacy of theatre and you can see him in his element in two upcoming shows - Bunnicula, a fun campy musical for all ages that opens at Bumbershoot this week and later in November in Erinara Production's first production The Good Game, directed by Ray Mordan. The Good Game is about men “of an age” and Canada's favourite pastime, hockey. Both plays are going to provide audiences with lots of laughs and are a tremendous opportunity to see this masterful actor (and his equally talented cast mates) at work. This Christmas season also provides Frank's murder mystery company, Murder and Mayhem Ink, lots of shows out of their home base, Bunches Bistro.

Frank muses, "the more I try to slow down the busier I get." I also look forward to working again with this busy guy in New Vintage Theatre's musical, The Astonishing Adventures of Awesome Girl and Radical Boy in March.

For more information about Frank's many upcoming shows be sure to check out www.bumbershoottheatre.com; www.erinara.ca and www.murderandmayhemink.com

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.