BROTHERS SHARE PINBALL WIZARD ROLE
By Sam Parker
It takes two Ashburnham brothers, who are each adding to their long

list of credits, to play one mentally disturbed pinball wizard.

Sam and Tyler Simahk are performing in the Theatre at the Mount presentation of "Tommy" by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff. The Simahk brothers, 18 and 12-years-old, star as the deaf, dumb and blind title character at different stages in his tragic and brutal life.

"The most difficult task in playing the role of Tommy was acting deaf, dumb and blind to all the events and characters on stage around them," Sam said.

"Tommy" is the story of a traumatized boy who falls into a state of catatonia after witnessing his father accidentally kill his mother's secret lover. After a time it is discovered that Tommy has a knack for pinball and soon becomes an international superstar.

The brothers appear on stage at the theatre from Friday to Sunday, Aug. 18 to 20.

"You can't find yourself reacting to any of the other characters movements or emotions when your role is to have no reaction at all," Tyler said.

He said it's harder for him because he has found himself with the brunt of the distractions throughout the play.

This is not the first time either of the brothers has lit up the stage at the Mount and neither expects it to be the last. Sam has stared in "Big River" and "Aladdin Jr." while Tyler has co-stared in "Aladdin Jr." and "Charlotte's Web."

But it is the first time they have pretended to be the same character.

"It was not a challenge for us at all, we just save the fighting for home and the work for when we are at rehearsal and everything else takes care of itself," Sam said.

Sam who plays Tommy at age 15 to 20 and Tyler who plays Tommy at age 10.

This generation of Simahks' is not the first to be drawn to the stage.

Their mother, Laurie, who appeared in plays like: "Carousel" and "Oklahoma" while in at Oakmont Regional High School and their father, Tom, also was in theater while in boarding school in Thailand.

Sam is planning to take his acting to the next level this fall as he is one of 20 freshmen to be excepted to the musical theatre department at Emerson College in Boston.

Sam said this is the first step in living his dream.

"I feel that being one in 20 people who are allowed to major in musical theatre is my greatest accomplishment yet," he said.

He has still not forgotten where his acting all began when he was in the early stages of elementary school and the first time he stepped on to stage in the third grade. The memory is still humbling as he played a monkey who sang in the chorus of the "Dancing Spider."

As he continues to dream of the future, Sam has thought about making a career after college in Walt Disney World or Land where he can act full time.

Then there is the dream of Broadway.

"I'm sure deep down it is every actors dream to one day make it to Broadway, but only time and hard work will tell for me," Sam said.

Other finishing his years at Overlook, Tyler is still trying to determine his path.

He has shown

the same charisma

and talent of his

older brother, but

says he also has the

advantage of being

able to see where his

brother goes allowing

him to strike a different

path if he so chooses.

(Tommy contains adult themes and may not be appropriate for children.)

Sam Parker is 2006 graduate of Oakmont Regional High School and a student at Mount Wachusett Community College. He resides in Ashburnham with his parents. Local cast members

ETHAN CAOUETTE (Cousin Kevin) works for the conference team at Tech Target, in Westborough, and lives in Westminster with the Caouette clan. He graduated in 2004 from UMass Amherst with a BA in Communications. While he has no formal training, he says he studied at the school of rock with the likes of Robert Plant, Lennon/McCartney, Chris Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Steven Tyler and Al Green. Ethan's theatre credits include the role of Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar, Colin in Secret Garden, Artful Dodger in Oliver and Danny in Grease.

KATRINA CAOUETTE (Doctor/ Specialist) is a Payroll Representative at UMass Memorial Health Care and teaches percussion for the Oakmont Regional High School Marching Spartans. She has appeared on the Mount stage in Cabaret, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar and, most recently, as Mickey in Leader of the Pack. At Oakmont she was president of the Drama Club, directed interclass plays and played Jan in Grease and Gloria in Damn Yankees. Katrina lives in Westminster with the family - all active in TAM!

PAUL CAOUETTE (Mr. Simpson) proudly joins the cast of Tommy with all three of his children, Andrew, Ethan and Katrina. He has an extensive list of TAM credits including King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar, Father Virgil in Nuncrackers, Brother Simeon in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and his favorite role, Fezziwig in Scrooge. Paul currently works and lives in Westminster with his wife Lorraine and loves summer, outdoors and going to the beach house with his family.

SAM SIMAHK (Tommy/Narrator) just graduated from Oakmont and lives in Ashburnham with his parents, sister Shayne, brother Tyler and many cats. A piano instructor and member of the ORHS Concert and Select Choirs, Sam will major in musical theatre at Emerson College. His favorite roles include Huck Finn in Big River, Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys in Dolls, Fred Graham in Kiss Me Kate and Captain Shang in Mulan Junior. While he has performed with Music Theatre International in New York and the Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, his home is TAM.

TYLER SIMAHK (Young Tommy) has attended the TAM Summer Drama Camp for the past 6 years and has appeared on our stage in Once On This Island, Aladdin, Charlotte's Web, Carousel, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Disney's Beauty and the Beast. He is an 8th grade student at Overlook Middle School where he played the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland. Tyler lives in Ashburnham with his parents Tom and Bonnie, his sister Shayne and his brother Sam (who plays older Tommy).