Dwayne, Theatre, and the Search for Me

Decades ago, on a clear, crisp Winter day in Lodi, California.

School bells echo loudly throughout the halls of Lodi High School as students exit their now-concluded classes and make their way to the next one. Groups of students brush shoulders against each other, passing through the halls like schools of fish in opposite directions. While some chat as they walk, others hang around their lockers, killing as much time as possible before heading to class.

One of those students is me.

An outside shot of Lodi High School (Lodi News Sentinel, 2011)

Halfway through my Sophomore year, this student is not heading toward the football field, track, or even the music room. Instead, this student boards the school bus because he has no extracurricular interests.

I grew up playing baseball and both flag and tackle football in the years prior. In baseball, I started in right field and eventually moved on to toggling between first base and catcher. As for my football specialty, I was an offense lineman, usually at center. I remember having a lot of fun. One of my favorite moments in my baseball years was one of those plays at home plate, where I caught the ball just before taking a hit—and hanging on to it for the out at home.

As time passed, I lost interest in playing these two sports. I still loved watching them, but it became apparent I would not excel to the level of a college or pro athlete. I knew that and decided I was done with them both before I entered high school.

Fast-forward to high school. There were no sports or extracurricular activities. All I was involved in outside of school each day was my continued love for film. Whether I had homework or not, a movie would be playing on the television. It didn’t matter how often I had seen a film or how well I could recite every line; my love for films ensured they would always find a home on my TV.

I had friends but lived on the outskirts of town, about nine miles away from school and neighboring several dairies and Interstate 5. Hanging out with friends after school was not an option since I relied on the bus to take me home. I thought not to bother my parents about picking me up, even though they would have tried to make it work. Anyhow, I had no reason to stay after school for anything.

This was not a case of depression or a dark time; nothing that heavy. Instead, it was more a feeling of being lost. I lacked a drive or a goal to strive for. I loved movies, but film appreciation classes were nonexistent at our school as far as I knew. Instead, I would run around our acres of land with a camera and edit them on Avid Cinema in my attempt to be Steven Spielberg. Aside from that, I had no clue what I wanted to do with my time in high school. Additionally, when a teacher who was loved by many at this school pulls you aside on numerous occasions to tell you “you are wasting your life” and “you are going to amount to nothing” without providing any empathy or ways to succeed, I’d say that probably left a negative impact on me.

(No, I won’t name that teacher here. I’m saving that for a different day.)

Then one day, a random classmate set me on a path with one request…

“Hey, you can raise your eyebrow?”

I looked at them with a confused look, then nodded.

“Do it again.”

I raised my eyebrow.

“Nice, you do that just like The Rock.”

I had no clue what they meant. At this time in my life, “The Rock’ was the title of one of my favorite action movies, starring Sean Connery, Nicholas Cage, and Ed Harris. The classmate saw my confusion and had another request.

“Watch Raw. You’ll see who I’m talking about.”

Now I understood. This classmate referred to the WWE (then WWF) show Monday Night Raw on the USA Network. I grew up watching WWE back when Hulk Hogan, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Bret “The Hitman” Hart, and The Ultimate Warrior were the big names. When Hogan left WWE for WCW, my viewing dwindled. I kept some tabs on who the big names were—especially “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels—but as my viewership decreased, so did my knowledge of who the current stars were. I’d gain a slight resurgence whenever I visited my cousins in SoCal. Two brothers specifically who would give me quick recaps on the dominance of the nWo under the  WCW banner. However, once I returned home, I’d forget to keep up and lose my grasp on the industry.

With this comparison based on a raised eyebrow, I had to tune back in and find out what they were talking about. I tuned in to the entire program when Monday night arrived. I was reunited with some stars from before, like Michaels and The Undertaker, while meeting new names like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Hunter Hearst Helmsley, later known as Triple H. After an hour or so, the time would come when I would see this eyebrow-raising character… and one could say it made an impact.

There he was. The Rock. A 6’5” mixture of Black-Samoan ancestry, out on the stage in a flashy shirt, black slacks, black dress shoes, expensive-looking sunglasses, a shiny watch on his wrist, and a microphone in his hand. A quick-witted, third-person-speaking, charismatic individual who was spouting off melodious catchphrases. Catchphrases that the entire crowd had memorized and repeated along with him.

To say I was hooked is an understatement.

I watched intently as he spoke his famous “FINALLY, The Rock HAS COME BACK to [insert city name because I can’t remember which city it was]!” I was not just watching his delivery and his charisma. I was catching how the crowd reacted to him. Rock was a heel (bad guy) at this time, but you would not know that watching how the audience was hanging on every word, cheering after each of his popular phrases. Fifteen thousand people were captivated simply by his mere presence and character. All eyes were on him as he commanded the stage and the ring.

The Rock on WWE Monday Night Raw

Watching, I realized I wanted that same level of attention. I wanted “all eyes on me” (yes, I was listening to Tupac then) and to have the command of an entire audience… but how? High school wrestling did not have what I was looking for, WWE did not have any training centers in our area, and I had yet to learn of the potential small-town backyard wrestling scene. I had just discovered something that energized me. Something that could maybe give me a goal and drive, but I was unaware of what type of local venue could give me the same atmosphere that The Rock thrived in.

Enter Mr. Goudie’s English class and an extra credit assignment.

Mr. Goudie informed our class one day that if anyone desired extra credit, they could attend the Student Directed One-Act plays that weekend and present their tickets the following Monday in class. As someone who could use extra credit, I obliged and made my way to the Lodi High Theatre Friday night. I sat towards the back of the theatre among a packed house of students and parents. I looked around at the posters of past Lodi High productions hung on the walls featuring the names of past students. While it was not a movie theater, I felt the same energy as I sat, intrigued by what would occur behind the massive red curtain covering the stage. Then, the house lights lowered, the curtains slowly spread open from the middle, the stage lights gradually brightened, and the first play began.

That moment changed me forever.

I had found it. The way to achieve that same spotlight I witnessed The Rock command. It wouldn't be in a wrestling ring but on a theatre stage. Watching the actors grace the stage, they had the attention of the entire crowd with every word they uttered—the equivalent of a WWE crowd hanging on every word Rock had to say. I witnessed the conflicts between characters in these select one acts—just like The Rock's conflicts with his adversaries in the ring. The laughs and gasps from the audience reminded me of the cheers and boos of the crowd on television. And with every second of each performance, my excitement for this craft increased. It was a feeling I had yet to experience since the last baseball and football games I played.

I finally found my path.

From that moment on, I kept my eyes and ears open for announcements on the next set of student plays. When auditions popped up, I attended them and was lucky enough to land a supporting part in one before the end of my Sophomore year. With that, the acting bug had bitten me. I appeared in five student-directed plays and three major productions in my junior and senior years. I scored the lead role in the Neil Simon play God’s Favorite and won back-to-back lead actor awards my senior year. I was officially no longer lost. I was no longer “wasting my life.” I found the spotlight—my Rock moment—on the Lodi High stage. I found me.

I also found my people: theatre nerds. We were all cinema-loving thespians who yearned to be on stage. I attribute my growth to being surrounded by fellow artists who outshined anything I ever did.

On a sentimental note, the following is to the artists I performed with. To Ashby, Scott, Tony, Scotty, Stephanie, Tonya, Caitlin, Patrick, Chris, Jennifer, Ryan, Joannie, Valerie, Lori, Jen, Patricia, Cassie, Mr. Fallon, and many more: thank you for not only allowing this hyper, wrestling-loving guy into your craft, but for educating me on aspects of the art I never considered. I cherished every second I spent on that stage with all of you. It was an honor to perform alongside you all.

Me acting on the Lodi High Theatre stage

Now, did I go on to become the next big film star? As of this writing–aside from a few background roles in film and television productions—not yet. However, those two and a half years of high school theatre gave me what I was lacking before: confidence. My self-esteem was boosted by comfortably speaking in front of large audiences while in character. A drive that was nonexistent until that point. My experience on stage made it easier for me to talk in front of people. My improved confidence made grabbing a microphone and speaking at a live event easy. Being a theater nerd made me discover the true me.

And to think, it was all sparked by watching a guy named Dwayne Johnson embody the persona of a third-person-speaking, unique catchphrase-hurling, self-proclaimed “people’s champion” called The Rock. Sometimes, inspiration comes from unlikely places. So, thanks, Rock. You lit the spark that FINALLY (see what I did there) got this hesitant, unsure kid to find himself.

If you smell what Esteves is cookin.’

Sorry, I couldn’t help it.