Public Health professionals find connection through community theater | Article

LANDSTUHL, Germany — Three Public Health Command Europe employees recently participated in “The Stinky Cheese Man”, a Kaiserslautern Military Community community-theater production. Ann Larson, a chemist in the Organic Chemistry Division; Christopher Veis, an environmental health engineer and Lt. Col. Carpaccio Owens, director for Environmental Health Sciences, contributed to the show as performers and music staff.

Larson, Veis and Owens recently joined the cast and production team for “The Stinky Cheese Man”, a community-theater production that brought together volunteers from across the Kaiserslautern Military Community.

For Veis, the path to the stage began with an interest in local productions and a willingness to audition.

“Community theaters are in place not only at Ramstein, but also through KMC Onstage,” Veis said. “You can follow their social media, see what shows they are doing and if one interests you, show up for auditions.”

Veis was selected to portray the Old Man. Owens, who had previously performed with his wife in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”, auditioned because he wanted to work with the show’s director, Brianna, whom he had met during an earlier production of “Legally Blonde”.

“I liked her energy and what she brought as an actor,” Owens said. “When I saw she was directing the show, I thought it would be fun to work with her.”

Owens and his wife initially auditioned together for different roles. His wife was cast as Cow Lady, while Owens became the voice of the Giant.

For Larson, involvement began behind the scenes. She was recruited to assist with teaching music for the production, then became one of two music directors.

“I honestly did not think I had time to do this,” Larson said. “Somehow you make it work, because you want to so badly.”

The show’s fractured-fairy-tale format gave Larson an opportunity to help connect an unconventional mix of music while working with performers as they learned songs.

“I’ve done music a lot in my life, but helping with a theater production like that was new for me,” Larson said. “It was really fun, just exercising that part of yourself and working with people.”

For the three public health professionals, theater provides more than a creative outlet. It offers a space away from demanding jobs, tight timelines and the responsibilities that come with supporting the military community.

“I’ve always found theater to be a great stress reliever,” Veis said. “It is a place that is not work. You find a lot of like-minded people who usually have stressful day jobs and in the evening, we get to play, have fun, sing fun songs and do crazy characters.”

Theater also builds connections among coworkers who may otherwise interact only in a professional setting.

Veis said participating in the production helped the cast members get to know one another beyond their roles at work.

Larson said acting has reinforced the value of actively listening to others and maintaining focus on a shared goal.

“Really pay attention to the other people that you work with,” Larson said. “That is important to understand what you need to communicate and how you should respond. We are all working toward the same goal.”

Veis said theater has made him more mindful of how messages are received.

“On stage, you know immediately if you communicated well by how the audience reacts,” he said. “At work, it is important to remember that it is not just how I heard something—it is how the other person hears it.”

Owens compared live performance to the need to adapt when plans change.

“Sometimes people get nervous, sometimes things just happen, and they have to adjust,” Owens said. “The supporting cast members adjust with them so there is not a huge pause.”

That mutual support, Owens said, is one of the strongest qualities of community theater.

“People are volunteering their time, talents and resources to make it all come together,” Owens said. “They are appreciative of the people who are there and the space they are in.”

For Larson, Veis and Owens, “The Stinky Cheese Man” was more than a performance. It was an opportunity to build confidence, strengthen communication and find community.