Meet Eli Underhill, a 20-year-old local performer.

Eli has been a part of the theater community for about five years. He enjoys thrifting, watching movies, spending time with his lovely girlfriend and finding great deals on Facebook Marketplace. Eli plans on attending community college and finishing his associate of arts degree, then transfer to a university. 

1) When did you first catch the acting bug and what was your first gig?
I first got the acting bug when I was in eighth grade at Northwest Christian. My friend, Abe Mckinney, convinced me to do the play for that year. The play was an original show written by a local playwright, titled "Cindee Lou Ella." It was a country spin on the classic "Cinderella" story.

2) Who are some of your biggest influences and mentors when it comes to the performing arts?
I would say some of the performers I have looked up to the most are Murray Head ("Chess," "Jesus Christ Superstar"), Gavin Creel ("She Loves Me," "Hair") and Raúl Esparza ("Company," "Tick Tick Boom"). My personal mentors in the local theater world who deserve a special thank-you are Trigger Weddle, Presley Dupuis and Rick Taylor.

3) What are a few shows you have been in and what do you have coming up?
A few of my favorite shows I have been in are "The Who’s Tommy," "Into the Woods" and "Beauty and the Beast." In "Tommy," I played Cousin Kevin and I loved the gritty and rocky score. I also loved how heartbreaking and moving the story was. In "Into the Woods" I played the Baker and I loved how intricate and detailed the score was. Every theme and motif was intentional and added to the story. In "Beauty and the Beast" I played Gaston and had a blast playing a ridiculous and larger-than-life villain. The next project that I am in is "Catch Me If You Can" with Aspire Community Theatre. I am playing Frank Abagnale Jr., and the show runs Aug. 1-10.

4) What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
People would be surprised that I grew up in Indonesia. My family lived there for 10 years.

5) Where do you see yourself in 10 years, and what is your acting dream at this time?
In 10 years, I hope to pursue theater on a professional level. I would love to get more into vocal performance, specifically, and focus on that educationally. The next few years I will be dedicating to school and after that I plan to be living on the East Coast, most likely in New York or a surrounding state.

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Do you know someone in Kootenai County who makes our community awesome? Send Fast Five suggestions to Devin Weeks, [email protected], to highlight locals who contribute their time and talents to make North Idaho such a special place.