I’ve been on a quest lately to talk to people who are actively and constructively contributing to community. I want to honor the folks who are diving in head-first, saying yes, staying engaged and doing their best, trying to make a difference. It’s the antidote to the despair that lurks. Recently, a friend who understood my mission led me to actor and educator Jeff McKinnon, and I’m still feeling fortified by the free-wheeling conversation we recently had sitting in a Solvang courtyard as pastries baked and morning bells chimed.
Jeff became a teacher at Santa Ynez Valley High after 15 years as a professional actor in regional theater. He taught high school theater and English for 25 years and directed more than 75 theater productions, tours, and workshops, mostly at Santa Ynez High School. His advanced theater classes participated in performance and workshop programs at more than 30 Santa Barbara County schools, and he twice took his high school Theater Group to perform at the International Fringe Theatre Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. Shortly after his retirement two years ago, the local nonprofit Artist Advocacy Foundation created the McKinnon Theatre Group Scholarship to celebrate and support students who intend to pursue higher-level theater training and have demonstrated a commitment to social justice. Now, he is co-producing a scholarship fundraising benefit that will feature alumni who have gone on to become professional musicians, actors, dancers, and visual artists. Stay tuned.
But Jeff admits to feeling a little lost since retiring. “There’s a lot of reflection going on in my life right now,” he muses, “and I can see how easily I could become isolated, but this is not a good time to be introverted. For me, community is a place where I can contribute, and it’s about supporting a larger idea that is beneficial to all.”…