Who is Ace?

     Howdy! I'm Ace. I've been acting since I figured out that if a person said they were sick in 1st grade, they gave you a small box of milk, a cracker, and a bed and blanket.

"I think it's the plague, Nurse Taylor. *cough* *cough* I think I need a dose of milk of the chocolate variety, A cracker; graham-- (extra cinnamon), a heated blanket, and a California king in the presidential suite".

      After it became apparent that the arts were no longer just a hobby, I began formal training my Junior year of High School. After I graduated, I majored in Dance and Dance Composition while interning with Storling Dance Theatre's Artists Development Program. During that year, I auditioned for Broadway Artist's Alliance in NYC and received a full scholarship to attend this prestigious workshop which was a very eye opening experience. I learned first hand how hard I was going to have to work to be noticed by the movers and shakers of Broadway. After that incredible opportunity, I was asked to be a Work-Study Intern at BAA where I became a Dance Captain responsible for the numbers performed at industry showcases. 

    After being accepted into Missouri State University as an Acting Major I was elected President of the University of Theatre and Dance my sophomore year. This year took an unexpected turn. My brother Chase was diagnosed  with a very rare and aggressive cancer that was already in it's 4th stage. Just a few months later, he died of an infection caused by the cancer treatment.

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He was 99.9% cancer free of a cancer with a 0% survival rate. He fought like a champ. He was 26 years old.

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I decided to put my education on hold and returned home.

A month later I received an Equity contract and decided to join the Union and move to NYC after the show closed. When I arrived in New York, I hit the ground running. My first weekend there I was signed by a Manager, Barry Kolker of the Kolker Carson Organization, and also an Agent, Naomi Kolstein of Bohemia Group. Despite such early accomplishments, during that year it became clear to me to me that making a huge life decision like moving to NY while deep in the grieving process didn't create the best environment for my success. So I moved back home.

    After teaching for a few years, I began auditioning in KCMO again. I started performing and/or choreographing more often in Kansas City at theaters such as Musical Theatre Heritage, The Coterie, The Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre, The Black Repertory Theatre, and Kansas City Actors Theatre. Pulling myself out of my grief during this time has been like pulling a semi-truck on foot, wearing a clown nose, shoes made out of banana peels, and a digital sign that extends above my head that says 

"sanity & self lost... rebooting... loading sanity, clarity, and new and improved self... please be patient."

      I don't want to go much deeper about this, but I just wanted to communicate that I've found out a lot about myself while pulling that Semi Truck around. I even changed my name. Ace is an acronym for my 2 brother's and my first names from oldest to youngest: Adam, Chase, and my given name, Evan. --I also thought it sounded pretty cool.-- 

      While here in KCMO, I've found out that I can do much more than perform.  I was accepted into the Bloch School of Management's Regnier Institute of Entrepreneurship and Innovation's Masters course, E-Scholars as a community member at UMKC. (read about that on the next page!) There I began to create a business that's sole purpose is to make audition and production processes easier for everyone involved. I also became involved in my local community by running for and getting elected as the Precinct Committeeman for my Ward and Precinct as well as being an alternate delegate at the Kansas Democratic Convention when I lived in Olathe, KS.

     This past year, I received a scholarship to produce my own show at the 2022 Fringe Festival by Theatre Community Fund. I wrote the show, and with help from many caring friends, family members, and mentors, I was able to successfully present Process Inevitable, which was rated 5 out of 5 stars and was very well reviewed and received! I've also had a blast  opening up my Redbubble Online Store where I sell my paintings and designs.

     Now, I am a proud cat dad who is continuing to build the foundation of my Web Application "Audition+," researching the ins and outs of producing, while also performing and choreographing around town. When not at my normal job, I spend a lot of my time working on my visual art, and if I'm not doing that, I'm working on my new play!

     My next adventure is coming soon, stay tuned and connected to see what's coming next!