We recently connected with Douglas Taurel and have shared our conversation below.

Douglas, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The American Soldier is a piece of theatre made to Honor our Veterans and Military families. Its goal is to say Thank You to our Veterans and to their families. It is a play to give those who have no understanding or connection to the Military a better understanding of what service and sacrifices are.

It is a one-man show based on letters from Veterans and their families, from the Revolution to our recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The script has been crafted through extensive research and countless interviews with veterans and their family members. It’s a profoundly human story that honors our Veterans and their families and deepens our collective understanding of their experiences.

The American Soldier uses theatre to foster healing, connection, and community. It reminds us of the enduring strength and resilience of the human spirit and what we all have in common as Americans. It has performed in over 40 cities, including some of the nation’s most notable theatres, like The Kennedy Center in 2016 & 2019, The Library of Congress twice, OffBroadway twice, New York Federal Reserve Bank, and American Legion’s National Headquarters, and earned a nominated for an Amnesty International Award and received 4 stars out of 5 at the Edinburgh Festival, Fringe for theatre excellence. It has been featured in The Huffington Post, The Military Times, The Washington Post, Washington Times, DC Metro, US Veteran Magazine, and Time Out, to name a few.

The project also inspired a TV series called Landing Home, which is now streaming on Amazon, Apple, Google Play, Tubi, and Vudu and earned multiple nominations at film festivals across the country, including Best Feature at the Gi Film Festival and Wings of Honor Festival.

Douglas, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Well, I got into acting very late in life. I was heartbroken over a girl and wanted to do something to impress her, so I auditioned for an open call for a children’s show with the hopes to impress her. It never worked. I had no plans to be an actor when I went to college. I was always a good student in high school, and I wanted to go to College, but I kind of messed up on the day of my SAT testing; I got really high and drunk the day before the testing and received horrible scores. So my plan was basically to go to work on Oil Tankers like my dad. My dad was a merchant marine, and he made okay money, and I just figured I’d be okay doing that with my life, at least for a while. My mother, though, had other thoughts.

My mother drove me to the nearest Junior College away from home to get away from my friends and enrolled me at Angelina College in Lufkin, Texas. My plan at Angelina was simple: do two years of school and go to work and make some money. I was pretty heartbroken over my highschool sweetheart, so I chose to audition for a children’s play with the sole goal of impressing her. Well, I was cast in the play but never got the girl back, unfortunately. Ho hum. However, I developed a very good relationship with the Artistic Director of the Theatre program. I think she just loved how raw I was as an actor. After a few more children’s plays, I was cast with her as my director. She came up to me backstage after a show and said, “Doug, you are a very good actor; if you choose to major in theatre, I can give you some money for school.” I’ll never forget that conversation with her. It really was the first time someone believed in me. Well, I did. and I had two great years at Angelina College and finished at Angelina with an associate degree in Theatre and in Business and earned a notable achievement of winning Best Actor at a theatre competition for my work in a play called “God’s Favorite’ by Neil Simon. That role, that play, and that opportunity earned the respect of a lot of people and, most importantly, all of my theatre professors at Angelina.

Despite my success at Angelina, I still struggled to see myself as a “real” actor. Towards the end of my career at Angelina College, the entire department was encouraged to participate in a significant theatre conference called SETC (South Eastern Theatre Competition), a pivotal event where students auditioned for advanced opportunities at major universities. While my friends were busily working on their monologues and scenes for their auditions, getting ready for their next level as actors, I wasn’t. I just didn’t see myself as a “real” actor or going on with my career after Angelina. I had a ton of doubts. Discovering my reluctance, a Professor who loved my work in “God’s Favorite”, Stephen Vaughn, took it upon himself to intervene. I’ll never forget Mr. Vaugn. Never. He sought me out, a mix of disappointment and resolve in his tone, insisting, “Doug, you are auditioning! We’re going to prepare right now in my hotel room.” Under his guidance, I chose a monologue from “Talley & Son,” embodying a fallen Vietnam Veteran returning home to witness life moving forward without him. With his help, I was offered a full scholarship to study acting at the University of Mississippi. Little did I comprehend that this piece would echo my future endeavors, shaping my creative work on stage and in my TV series dedicated to honoring veterans.

Following my time at Ole Miss, I ventured to New York, eager to refine my acting skills. In this pursuit, I had the extraordinary privilege and honor of being accepted into the Wynn Handm’as esteemed acting class which was held at Carnegie Hall on the tenth floor. A WWII Navy Veteran himself, a war theme that seemed to follow me in my career, he took my rough edges, polished them, and taught me the deep and true art of scene study, character development, a playwright’s intention, and preparing a role fully.

I often reflect on the serendipity of my naivety, marveling at my boldness to audition for Handman’s class without fully grasping the magnitude of the opportunity. Gaining a spot in his class was a pivotal moment; without it, I’m convinced my acting career would have prematurely ended. Life’s journey is unpredictable, yet I’ve learned that persistence, hard work, and kindness can lead to unforeseen opportunities and open doors. This philosophy has guided me through my career and underscored my belief in the power of continuous effort and goodwill.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The opportunity to reflect on the intricacies of life and the essence of human nature before an audience is something I deeply cherish. We need to shine a mirror on life to learn from, grow from, and reflect. My fascination lies in exploring the realms of pain and discomfort; I’m drawn to characters who navigate on the edge of life. My upbringing was marked by challenges—not deadly, yet far from ideal—with frequent conflict and a decent amount of yelling and fighting between my parents. This backdrop ignited my passion for understanding human psychology, which, in turn, fueled my love for acting. Delving into a role, I often find myself inspired to create certain virtues of a character or, conversely, recognizing my own faults through their imperfections, pondering on the necessity of self-improvement to avoid a similar fate.

As artists, we are afforded the unique privilege of delving into the human condition. As my friend Stephen Jobes puts it, “Actors are athletes of the heart.” Our craft demands that we embody and convey emotions often unexplored or avoided by many, facilitating a bridge for audiences to experience new perspectives, evoke emotions, broaden understandings, and connect deeply. This role is not only profoundly rewarding but also irresistibly compelling.

Echoing Bernard Shaw’s words, “We use a mirror to see our faces, but we use art to see our souls.” This perspective beautifully encapsulates the transformative power of art in revealing the deeper facets of our existence and humanity.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

To be the best and most truthful actor I can be. To be good. I guess to feel like I am an actor.

My passion for the craft of acting is pretty deep -the joys of dissecting plays, developing characters, and writing. I hold a deep reverence for the history itself and the history of acting, which traces back to the pioneering Group Theatre. It goes back further, but the actors that shaped modern cinema, like Brando, Monroe, and James Dean, can be traced back to the Group Theatre. It fills me with immense pride to have been mentored within a lineage directly connected to this iconic ensemble. Sandy Meisner, a key figure alongside Elia Kazan within the Group Theatre, had Wynn Handman as his trusted lieutenant, who would later inherit his teaching mantle and class. My studies under Wynn Handman took place in the historic Carnegie Hall, specifically on the 10th floor. Intriguingly, this building also housed Marlon Brando’s apartment on the tenth floor during his legendary run in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” under Kazan’s direction—a fact that brings me considerable pride.

In preparation for Handman’s classes, I adopted a personal ritual of visiting Brando’s apartment door and touching it in hopes of garnering good fortune for my performances. Sometimes, it worked, and sometimes, it did not. It was not just a superstitious ritual but a tangible connection to the storied past of my craft, reinforcing my dedication and awe for the art of acting.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.DouglasTaurel.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/douglastaurel/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DouglasTaurel/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglastaurel/?trk=nav_responsive_sub_nav_edit_profile
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/douglastaurel
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/thetaurels
• Other: www.TheAmericanSoldierSoloShow.com www.LandingHomeWebSeries.com www.CyclopsProductions.com

Image Credits
Dianna Bush Photography Helene McGuire Photography