Stage is a passion for local actor fighting real-life foe

Published 1:30 am Sunday, September 2, 2018

Felix in “The Odd Couple,” Richard the Lionheart in “The Lion in Winter,” Big Daddy in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” — community theater actor Justin Tinsley has played them all. Villain, goofy dad, or a character he describes as “a big loud oaf,” he relishes becoming someone else on stage.

“There are no small parts,” said Tinsley, who has done most of his roles with the Edmonds Driftwood Players.

At 46, the Lynnwood man has had to step off the area’s stages while fighting a real-life foe. In 2016, he learned that his persistent cough and a broken leg were the results of lung cancer that had spread to other parts of his body.

Twice this year, due to brain lesions, he underwent Gamma Knife surgery at Swedish Medical Center’s Cherry Hill campus in Seattle. And every three weeks, he has chemotherapy.

He’s absent from the stage, but not forgotten by fellow actors. Both the Driftwood Players and thespians at the Historic Everett Theatre recently honored him with touching tributes and a special curtain call.

“He lives the theater,” said Curt Shriner, manager and part owner of the Everett Historic Theatre. One seat in the house now has a gold plaque with Tinsley’s name on it. “It will be here as long as the theater is,” Shriner said.

Tinsley was supposed to act in “Farce of Habit,” staged Aug. 9-26 at the Historic Everett Theatre by Outcast Productions. Laura Shriner, Curt’s wife and the theater’s box office manager, directed the comedy. Before choosing the show, she looked for a role perfect for Tinsley — and found it in Jock McNair, a relationship guru with a big ego. Tinsley was two months into rehearsals when he had to drop out due to a seizure.

Last weekend, at the last performance of “Farce of Habit,” Tinsley was in the audience. For the curtain call, the cast joined him in front of the stage.

“Of course I had wanted him to fill that role and go out with a bow,” Laura Shriner said. “He never once came in feeling sorry for himself. He always made us laugh. He’s touched my life.”

A 1990 graduate of Edmonds High School, Tinsley attended Edmonds and Shoreline community colleges. Before his cancer progressed, he was a janitor at Denney Juvenile Justice Center. Theater, though, “has been his whole life,” said Joan Tinsley, Justin’s mother. They live together in Lynnwood.

Joan Tinsley was at the Wade James Theatre, home of the Edmonds Driftwood Players, for a July 28 potluck lunch and tribute to her son.

He has had a long-standing goal of performing in 100 shows with the Driftwood Players — but is 63 shows short.

Molly Hall, a friend of Tinsley’s who has acted for years with the Driftwood Players, helped organize the July event, attended by nearly 80 friends. It began in the lobby and advanced to the stage. They had planned to stage a performance with snippets from 63 shows — to help Tinsley reach 100 — but that wasn’t possible.

“It was such a sweet dream,” Hall said. Eventually, they all sat on the stage and sang “The Impossible Dream” from the musical “Man of La Mancha.”

“Justin was sitting in the middle,” Hall said. “People were weeping.”

Hall, who met Tinsley during a 2014 production of “Miracle on 34th Street,” said “he played a drunk Santa, among other things.”

“He’s someone who loves theater in such a pure way,” Hall said. “He doesn’t just love the attention. He doesn’t just love the applause. He loves the art form in its entirety. He’s amazingly talented, and also really humble. And he’s funny as heck.”

Retired Seattle police officer Randy Yamanaka was new to community theater when he met Tinsley in 2014 with the Driftwood Players. At first, Yamanaka said he felt like an outsider trying to break into the theater “in crowd.”

“It’s not an easy thing to do, but Justin was always positive,” said Yamanaka, who also acted in “Farce of Habit.”

It was Tinsley who called to tell Yamanaka someone had dropped out of a play at the Everett theater last year. “Justin kind of opened the door for me,” Yamanaka said.

On Thursday, Tinsley talked about his passion for theater. It began at Edmonds High, where he was encouraged by drama teacher Sue Roberts. He showed page after page of memory books filled with publicity pictures, play programs, awards and notes from fellow actors.

He has a hard time picking a favorite role — but finally decides on Big Daddy from “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” a long-ago Shoreline Community College production.

He’ll turn 47 later this month. Friends at the Historic Everett Theatre didn’t wait for his Sept. 20 birthday. They already celebrated with a cake.

More than an actor, Tinsley recently directed a show as part of Driftwood’s “Festival of Shorts.” Because of what he calls his “forced hiatus,” he isn’t sure he’ll act again — but hopes to.

“What’s wonderful about community theater, it’s community,” Tinsley said.

Joan Tinsley said her son stays upbeat.

“You can’t take away someone’s hope,” she said. “I’ll tell you what the miracle has been. It’s all the loving support at the Driftwood and the Historic Everett Theatre.”

Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460; jmuhlstein@heraldnet.com.