When longtime Portage High School Theatre Director Joe Stevens suddenly announced his retirement after the 2008-2009 school year, there was a huge void to fill. After 30 years of serving in the position and helping the school continue its outstanding theatre tradition, Stevens seemed irreplaceable. However, in stepped Portage High School graduate Kevin Giese, a man with an unmatched passion for the love of his life: theatre.
Giese has experienced just about every aspect of theatre, from acting, to directing to teaching. He has had a total devotion to the craft since his early days growing up in the city of Portage.
“I’ve been involved in theatre and the arts all my life,” Giese said. “Ever since I was a little kid, I used to pretend better than anybody. My house was always the house that we went to play cowboys and Indians.”
As a youngster, Giese relished his trips to the home of Greg Sobkowski, who is now the city attorney. Sobkowski owned a box filled with hats, beards, canes and other attire. In elementary school, Giese was the narrator of the third grade play. As a student at Fegely Middle School, he was very active in the Drama Club.
Eventually, Giese cut his teeth in “real theatre” as a student at Portage High School under the direction of Bill Bodnar, who he considers his number one mentor and influence. After four years of serving mainly as a character actor and hauling in awards like Best Supporting Role and Best Actor, Giese’s monetary situation prevented him from furthering his education at the college level.
Giese’s dream of a career in theatre was put on hold as he found himself working at the steel mill within his first year after high school.
“Those kinds of jobs you sometimes get stuck in if you’re not careful,” he said. “You make money and you have good benefits, which I did. At the same time, I was always involved with the arts, always doing theatre.”
Giese became actively involved with music, playing in rock-and-roll bands and traveling all over the southeast on a bus with a group fellow musicians.
“It was a real eye-opening experience,” he said. “You’re setting up, you’re tearing down, there are lights, sound and when you’re in that type of situation, everybody pitches in and everybody does everything.”
Giese eventually ended up training at Second City in Chicago and learning from several knowledgeable and influential teachers. During his career, he has spent time at virtually every theatre in the Region, doing the most work at Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso and Dunes Summer Theatre in Michiana Shores.
After going through a stage of his life that included a marriage, a divorce, an appearance in several small films, hours of regional theatre, losing his pension at the mill and a stint working in construction, Giese received a phone call notifying him of the vacancy within the PHS Theatre Department.
“I’m right back where I started,” Giese said. “It’s not a bad thing, it’s a great thing. It’s a wonderful thing. I love what I do. I adore what I do.”
Giese’s first year in charge was 2009, which was also the final year for PHS speech teacher, musical director and theatre department staple Bill Bodnar.
“Without Bill Bodnar, there would have been no theatre program,” Giese said. “Joe was a great addition when he came along, but Bill was here first, Bill was here after, and I think it makes him happy that one of his own has taken the reigns so to speak.”
Giese has formed a special bond with the students in the PHS Theatre Department.
“I love working with the kids, it’s the best reward I’ve ever had in my life,” he said. “I’ve had the applause and the standing ovation, but nothing is better than a kid who says they’ve learned more from me than anything else. I’ve never had my own children, so I can’t imagine anything being better. I love it; I am truly a blessed man.”