by Steve Arnold

Pat Lyons backstage at the Palace Theatre during the run of The Secret Garden in which he played Captain Albert Lennox.

Pat is a financial consultant and a partner in the Vernon Research Group in Cedar Rapids.  He says his interest in theatre goes back to elementary school and that he had a great experience doing one acts at Tilford.  He was involved in speech and drama in high school here and started out as a Theatre major at UNI.  He did summer stock with the Old Creamery Theatre in 1980, appearing in Showboat Follies and doing technical  work on Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?  He says that when Tom Johnson gave him a "B" he changed his major to Economics.

Later, Pat served on various boards, and as director of marketing for a large organization he made it a point to actively support the arts.  Prior to moving back to Vinton, Pat and his family lived in Springfield, Missouri.  While there, Pat served on the board of the Springfield Little Theatre.  There he worked with artistic director Mick Denniston, who local audiences may remember from the Old Creamery Theatre and Theatre Cedar Rapids.  While in Springfield, Pat sponsored a production of "The Odd Couple," guest directed by  the Creamery's Tom Johnson.  In giving a curtain speech thanking Pat as the production sponsor, Pat humorously recounted how that "B" grade from Tom had influenced his career path by dashing his hopes of being a professional actor!

Pat also recalls for us an experience stemming from his good friendship with Howard Blanning, who directed the very first ACT I shows.  Pat tells how in 1980 he and Howard borrowed a car from Lowell and Kathy Ripperdan, driving 2000 miles into the Dakotas in Wyoming, learning lots from Howard about theatre and sleep deprivation!

Pat adds, "I sincerely enjoy participating in live theatre, but I have never aspired to lead from the stage.  My greatest joy is to see the transformation that live theatre produces both onstage with the actors and on the faces of the audience.  The performing arts can have a profoundly positive impact on people’s lives – whether behind or in front of the proscenium.  My ambition and mission as the ACT I president is to create an environment that enriches the lives of as many in our community as possible through the experience of quality live theatre."

Pat's family includes his wife Sandy, their son Wesley (a second grader at West Early Childhood Center in Vinton) and kindergarten daughter Bailey.  Wesley has appeared in one ACT I production, The Velveteen Rabbit.  We're still waiting for Bailey and Sandy to make their debuts.  Sandy had taught special education at Lincoln school in Vinton for several years, and this year has taken a job as a special education consultant with Grant Wood Area Education Agency, working with the Vinton- Shellsburg district as well as other Benton County schools.  (Editor's note:  Now that I work with both Pat and Sandy regularly, and since they have only one e-mail address between them, Pat and Sandy now find messages from me for each of them, with the subjects "This message is for Pat," and "This message is for Sandy.")  Pat's mother, Dorla (Lyons) Hilmer, now retired, was for many years a fixture at West Early Childhood Center, teaching first grade.  Dorla is a long time patron of ACT I.

ACT I thanks Pat for his commitment to ACT I!

Update:

Pat left his term on the ACT I board after two years to take a position on the Palace Board of Trustees.  In November of 1991 he made his directing debut with us, staging Words and Music by Skeet Powers.

Pat also played a the title role in The Reluctant Dragon and also appeared in Annie.

Pat Lyons as The Reluctant Dragon poses after a performance with young audience members.

In 2005, Pat will be directing our 25th Anniversary production of  You Can't Take it With You.

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