STAN YEEND (Frank Abagnale Sr.) [he/him] moved to Laramie Wyoming at the age of nine. The first play he was in was in Jr High playing Hugo in “Bye Bye Birdie” and “I was given the part because I was a stutterer. They figured Hugo was probably a stutterer. I hardly stuttered at all in the role. Stuttering pretty much kept me from trying again, unfortunately (as a side note it is only within the last 30 years that I haven’t thought of myself as a stutterer. All through school and early adulthood I had a fairly bad stutter). After finishing a Civil Engineering degree we move to Gillette Wyoming. That was where I did my first play as an adult (age 37).

“In 1988, we moved to Portland. I did not pursue acting at that point because I traveled a fair amount and had young kids. That and I was intimidated. When I turned fifty I was reflecting and regretting that I had not done more acting. I thought ‘well you’re 50, you’re not dead!’ So I took an acting class at Theater in the Grove. Two weeks after finishing the class, I was cast in the first play I adutioned for playing Oscar in “The Odd Couple” at TITG. I was hooked. I have averaged probably two plays a year for the last 20 years.”

If you’ve seen Stan, you know that he is quite the performer and his story proves to never give up. In fact, if he could sneak into any job and get away with it, it would be as an actor. Come see Stan and all the other amazing actors when they open in April!