FAST FIVE: Trigger Weddle: Bringing worlds to the stage
Meet Trigger Weddle, Executive Artistic Director for Aspire Community Theatre at The Kroc Center.
Generation: My birth certificate may be off because I have Gen X tendencies.
Marital status: My husband, Greg, and I have three creative kids: Seth, Wyatt and Reese. Seth is starting his own business and looking to divide his time between here, Los Angeles, and traveling the world. Wyatt is a sophomore, art student studying at NIC, and my youngest, Reese is a dancer entering her senior year at CHS.
1. How and why did you get into theater?
I always loved performing. I started studying dance early, but not as young as some, (the ripe age of 5), but once I was given the role of the "Cat" in a school play in 3rd grade, I was hooked. I didn't really start pursuing theatre in earnest until high school because I was so busy with dance, sports and extracurricular activities.
2. The Kroc hosts a very broad variety of events. Does that make your role more fun or perhaps challenging?
Fun and challenging! I'm extremely lucky to have the "job" I do. I'm in the unique position to help everyone who uses the Kroc Center Theater and community rooms produce something better than they expect it to be. If it's dance, theatre, symphony, or a seminar, my goal is to ensure my clients have an outstanding experience; one which exceeds their expectations.
3. Your job is very public. What does Trigger do out of the spotlight to relax?
I love to travel, although I don't really get the opportunity because we're so busy at the Kroc. I'm very content working quietly in my office or at my kitchen table. I don't feel the need to be in the limelight all the time; the Kroc Theater team I oversee steps up and takes the lead when our clients and their patrons are in house. Sometimes I think clients don't realize I'm the manager, mainly because I like to cruise with my people, work side-by-side.
4. What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
Let's see! I'm not from Idaho. I was born in New Orleans. I moved to Idaho in 1998. I grew up in Singapore, finished high school in Texas, and went to college in New York City and Arkansas. I'm definitely a city girl; I don't care for camping, or fishing; nor do I ski or do many of the things that Idahoans live and breathe by — Idaho living is a smidge wasted on me! If my circumstances were different, I would move to New York City tomorrow. Probably the biggest surprise about me is I'm very introverted — walking into a room full of people is not my favorite thing to do.
5. If you had the power and could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
In this day and age, I would slow things down. I love, LOVE technology, but I think instantaneous information has hindered us as a society. As a result, we have zero patience and need instant knowledge and gratification, thereby we've lost the skills of waiting and of analyzing information. We tend to blast what we learn and then find ourselves backtracking all the time.
The other thing (and this shows my age a smidge), I preferred when people didn't feel the need to share every minute detail about themselves, and filtered what they said. I think people are bold because they have the opportunity to type their opinions. "Reading the room" has lost its nuance!
(Plus one) And is there a story behind the name, “Trigger?”
When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time bowling. I wanted to be a junior master and was nicknamed "Tigger" after the character in Winnie the Pooh. Tigger is "bouncy, bouncy, fun, fun, fun" — which was my personna on the lanes.
Fast forward to high school when my friend, Steve turned Tigger into Trigger. If asked, I think he's not even sure why he started calling me this revised name! While my parents finalized their divorce, I was sent back to the states with my friend Kellie, who happened to be Steve's girlfriend. Here I was, meeting all these new people, and Steve is calling me Trigger. Boom. It stuck. Pop psychology could have a hey day with my reinventing my 16-year-old self!
