October 4, 2024

Young alum feature: Jordan Wolfe ’20

Jordan Wolfe makes appearances as the Cowardly Lion for the costume character troupe, The Spirit of Oz.

Jordan Wolfe graduated from Earlham College in 2020 with the dream to become a full-time working theatre artist. He felt divided between acting and sound design but knew that theatre arts was the world he belonged.

And he was willing to put in the hard work necessary to make a name for himself in this competitive field.

His early start

Wolfe majored in theatre arts and minored in computer science at Earlham College. When he thinks back on his time on campus, he remembers the faculty that mentored him, the theatre groups he spent his time with and the shows he gained experience from.

“I was with a lot of the same faculty year after year and through that I was able to get a very tailored experience,” he said. “But my highlight of my time at Earlham was definitely doing the shows.”

Wolfe had several gigs lined up after graduation, but they were cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic. He spent his days auditioning to see what parts he could secure during a time when most people weren’t attending shows or even leaving their house.

He secured his first Internet Movie Database (IMDB) credit by playing John Mutz in the PBS/WFYI special “Dreaming a City”. He also found an opportunity acting in haunted houses.

Wolfe secured a role at the 13th Hour in Indianapolis, playing the main villain of the house for their third section. Since then, he has worked in several other haunted houses and found it to be an excellent way to practice his improv skills.

“My favorite thing about acting in a haunted house is the improv aspect of it. I like not being tied down to a script and the fact that you can go big and all out. I feel like those are the roles I excel at,” he said.

Growing his experience

Wolfe has been working on growing his portfolio over the last several years. He completed his first tour last year with Bright Star Touring Theatre, where he would travel to different schools and youth centers to introduce young audiences to the theatre arts. He performed in plays including “Old MacDonald’s Sing Along Farm”, “Captain Friendship” and the “Bully Bandit” and “Turkey Trouble on Friendly Acres Farm”.

“Acting is not an easy profession, and there can be a lot of setbacks, but it’s what I love to do.”

— Jordan Wolfe ’20

“It was a lot of fun. There were times I missed home, but at the same time I really believed in their mission and goal of bringing theatre to communities that may not get it as much,” he said.

His most recent work was this past winter at the Indianapolis Zoo, where he played an elf in their Christmas event, but he has also acted at the zoo for Halloween and spring events in the past.

His favorite role he’s done to date has been with “The Spirit of Oz”, a company that brings Wizard of Oz characters to events.

“I am their main cowardly lion right now,” he said. “This has always been a dream role of mine.”

Wolfe has also worked for companies like Southbank Theatre Company and Nettle Creek Players. He’s also acted in several independent short films, including some that never made it to production.

He continues to sound design professionally. Most recently he designed for BardFest’s “Titus Andronicus”. He frequently returns to Earlham as a contracted sound designer — his most recent show he designed for his alma mater was “The Further Misadventures of Martin Hathaway: Shipwrecked Off Heramathea’s Cove”.

Wolfe is constantly auditioning for different opportunities, and he supplements his work with freelance coding.

Looking to the future

Wolfe continues to audition for shows that interest him, growing his experience while practicing his acting, singing and dancing. He is excited to keep auditioning, finding roles he’s passionate about and is even considering a big move to Chicago or New York in the near future.

“Acting is not an easy profession, and there can be a lot of setbacks, but it’s what I love to do,” he said.

Story by Kelsey Mackey

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