West Newsmagazine 10-17-18

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RANDOM THOUGHTS
A Community Conversation
October 17, 2018
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
I OPINION I 3
By JESSICA MESZAROS
This week, West Newsmagazine talks
with Ryan Cooper, the creator and director
of “Legends & Lanterns: A ‘Spirited’ Journey
Through Halloween History.” Cooper
also plays Jack Frost in Saint Charles
Christmas Traditions, is a tour guide for
the St. Louis Cardinals and a docent for the
new Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum
located within Ballpark Village, where he
oversees the “Holding History” exhibit.
Cooper serves as a docent for the St. Louis
Holocaust Museum and Learning Center
and has participated in multiple productions
with STAGES St. Louis, including
“Madagascar: A Musical Adventure,”
“Alice in Wonderland” and “Cat in the Hat.”
Why did you decide to do that work that
you’re doing now?
I’m someone who doesn’t like to be bored.
I like to constantly be busy ... I always loved
plays [and] being creative. Every job I’ve
had has some kind of theatrical aspect to
it, whether it’s giving a tour, where you
essentially have an audience with you for an
hour, or performing in a show at STAGES
or Christmas Traditions or Legends & Lanterns
where I kind of get to create all the programming
for it – the props, the themes, the
scripts and everything ... I always wanted
to do something that was really fluid and
fun, and everything I do is fun! I never get
up any day upset that I have to go to work
or sad that I have to go to work or say that
I wish I never had to go to work because I
love everything that I do. It’s kind of how I
ended up with 18 million jobs, but it’s 18
million jobs that I adore.
What is the hardest lesson you’ve ever
learned?
I [worked] for Disney for a little bit and
that’s really where I experienced the unfortunate
business side of show business. The
cutthroat aspect of it is sometimes you find
that you are not always in control of the
situation, and sometimes these big dreams
you have for yourself have factors you can’t
control ... Sometimes things you really love
come to an end unexpectedly, and you have
no control over it. It’s over, but it happens.
What are some small things that make
your day better?
I have a tiny little dog named Babette.
She’s a little, fluffy lap dog. She sleeps 23
hours a day, it feels like, but she makes me
very happy. Now that I’m involved in [Leg-
Ryan Cooper
ends & Lanterns], getting to be on the side
where I get to see people thrive and kind of
nurture them and see them spread their wings
under my direction and whatnot, that’s fun. I
also love that it’s getting cooler out. I’m a big
fan of fall, so that makes me very happy now.
And a good book always makes me happy.
If you could call yourself at any point in
your life, when would you call and what
would you say?
I think I’d call ... around the middleschool
age – I was always someone who
was a little bit quirky, a little bit different –
I’d say, “Keep on doing what you’re doing.
All this quirk that makes you seem kind of
bizarre or different now, you’re really going
to appreciate when you’re older, and that it
kind of helps you thrive and gives you such
passion, and that’s what makes you unique.”
What is the funniest word in the English
language?
Spelunking. You know, I’ve never gotten
the urge to go spelunking, but I try to find
as many ways as I can to work it into the
conversation, sometimes more successfully
than others, because it is fun to say.
When you are old, what stories will children
want you to tell them?
Something that I find amazing to this day
is, because I’m Jack Frost with the Christmas
festival, how he is so much more popular
than I could ever, ever hope to be. I will
be someplace and I’ll say something, and
people will be like, “I recognize that voice.
You’re Jack Frost.” And then people will
talk about it. I feel like I’m going to be Jack
Frost until I’m 90 ... I’ll be there with my
little walker, and still doing my thing, but
honest to God, no matter what I do or what
festivals I create or what shows I go on to do,
I think kids are going to say, “Tell me about
those years when you were Jack Frost.”
DEAN’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS
TAX CUTS HEALTHCARE INTERNET HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Co-sponsored HB Sponsored HB 1252 Sponsored HB 1250 Co-sponsored HB 1246
which protects citizens’
2540 to simplify which expanded
to protect minors and
digital media and
the tax code and access to 3D preserves memories put an end to human
cut taxes mammography saved in the cloud trafficking in Missouri
@DeanPlocher
plocherformissouri.com
Paid for by Plocher for Missouri, Rebecca Smugala-Plocher, Treasurer
Chesterfield Mall
(upper level outside Dillard’s)
EDUCATION
Voted to fully fund the
education foundation
formula for Missoui’s
children and schools
@DeanPlocher
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