Troy Westwood thinks he can act

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This article was published 28/1/2014 (2385 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Field goals aren’t the only way former Blue Bomber Troy Westwood gets his kicks.

The 46-year-old north Winnipeg resident and Canstar Community News columnist is part of the morning show on TSN 1290, performs and records music under the name Little Hawk, had a brief stint as a professional boxer and once tap danced with the Doreen Bissett School of Dance at the Centennial Concert Hall.

Soon, Westwood will be able to put "actor" on his impressive non-football resume.

Westwood, along with writer Alison Gilmour, comedian Big Daddy Tazz, former Bomber Obby Khan and TV hosts Jim Ingebrigtsen, Evan Kovacs and Kris Laudien, is participating in So You Think You Can Act, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. at the Gas Station Arts Centre.

The third annual event is a fundraiser for local theatre company Sarasvàti Productions.

Westwood will perform a scene from Christopher Durang’s comedy Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them, alongside professional actor Danielle Savage.

"I know I’m going to love it," said Westwood of his first real crack at acting. "What I need to do is let go, just really let go, like the old saying ‘dance like nobody’s watching.’"

Although he’s typically "uber-shy," Westwood is eager for the onstage opportunity. He said he’s a huge movie buff, with a "massive appreciation" for the craft, so he’s excited to work with a pro like Savage, as well as local playwright Cairn Moore, who will be directing all So You Think You Can Act scenes.

"I’ll be like a sponge," Westwood said. "When I say I’m a movie buff, I really do live, eat and breathe movies. If I don’t see a movie a week, I start jonesing for one. I’ll be in full student mode and taking in as much as possible."

Like Savage, actor Lorraine James, a Maples resident, will find out of it football players can act, as she’s paired with Khan. She said she’s yet to rehearse with the owner of Shawarma Khan restaurant.

"It’ll be interesting," James said. "I’ll have to find my way on how to help him through the scene. For all I know he has natural talent, so we’ll have to see how it goes. I’m just going in blind."

Hope McIntyre, artistic director of Sarasvàti Productions, said So You Think You Can Act’s fly by the seat of your pants format is a nice respite from the company’s usual commitment.

"Our mandate is to use theatre for social change, so a lot of the shows deal with heavier issues, whereas this event is just about having fun," McIntyre said.

"We usually choose really entertaining scenes and we ask the judges (local theatre artists Sharon Bajer, Ardith Boxall and Kevin Klassen) to be irreverent and just have fun with it, and we have such great emcees who really keep it a good time, with this year’s being Ace Burpee (Virgin Radio host), who won the first year."

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