Paul Henderson II: Local thespian and karaoke host

How did you get involved in theater and singing?

One day my mom dressed me up and said, ‘We’re gonna go do something,’ and I had no clue what was going on. It was a tryout for something called the Missoula Children’s Theatre, this beautiful organization that puts on a theater show for kids in the space of a week. You come out and not only pretend and make believe and use your imagination, but people will come watch you do it. I was hooked … I owe a lot of it to my parents.

What is the process of being part of a show like?

It’s fun because you get to sort of play around with [a character.] It’s like when Michelangelo talked about getting the sculpture out of the marble that was already in there. You sort of chop away at unneeded bits, and it’s very much a refinement process. [Before performing], you hear the audience, the murmurs — there’s a little bit of anxiety, excitement, adrenaline … When you’re at the applause and you’re getting the bows, you’re smiling so big that your face hurts. [Sometimes] you feel like you’ve just run a marathon, it’s a weird kind of euphoric thing.

What is the most difficult role you’ve played in local theater and why?

With ‘Royal Society of Antarctica’ I was playing a character that had some serious emotional baggage and a lot of unresolved trauma. You have to put yourself in a position where you have to feel that, but then you have to let it go at the end.

What is your favorite show you’ve been a part of?

That’s like asking me to pick a favorite child! I love them all for different reasons. 

For the past six or seven years, I’ve been part of the Hamsters in Fishnets’ ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ shadow cast. We’ve gotten to be on the main stage of the Mount Baker Theatre, it’s one night only. You’re up there with 1,500 people. It’s the weirdest kind of energy to have that many people cheering you on. That’s probably one of my favorite things to do locally — and now I’m directing it.

How many local shows would you say you are in at one given time, or what’s the most you’ve been in at once?

Since the beginning of August this year, I have been in constant rehearsal/production and will be up until Dec. 21. Meal prep is very important. Trying to get an adequate amount of rest, making sure that you keep everything you need basically in your car — the shoes you need to practice, your songbook, your script. As much as I love this, it can wear you out very quickly. The unfortunate thing is I haven’t really seen a lot of my children when they’ve been awake. I love [my wife] so much for being OK with me doing this. She’s a huge fan of mine — I get her support and encouragement. But the other side of the coin, at some point I’m going to have to take a break and go, ‘OK, can I just be dad for a little while?’