Spotlight On: Travis Karas

Connecticut Theatre Company’s “Spotlight On…” series continues with a look into our talented cast and crew of Guys and Dolls. Get to know Travis Karas!

Introduce Yourself to Our Audience:

Hello, friends! Travis Karas (He/Him), the fella playing Sky Masterson, here. Thanks for coming to see our show, we hope you have as much fun returning to the theatre as we do. A bit about me, I have a pup, Chewbaca, and a little cat, Leia. My family and my partner can both totally hang, so fam dinners are a riot! Mindfulness, breaking down toxic masculinity, and books are some of my favorite things. I also enjoy a nice bowl of ramen! R.I.P. to my favorite local ramen shop, Ramen Ya, from Berlin, CT. I’ll never forget you!

What character do you play?

I play smooth talking Sky Masterson!

What makes you most excited about returning to the stage after the pandemic?

Truthfully, I was excited to return to this stage after the pandemic. Coming to audition here in 2018 was the first time I ever really put myself out there, ya know? I made my first tried and true friends of my adult life here. I’ll be heading to live out of state in the very near future, and I recognize how fortunate I am to have the opportunity to make one more wonderful memory with my friends after a tumultuous, uncertain year and a half. I bring the self-confidence, the self-love, and the unconditional support they’ve taught and given me with me as I go. So I guess I’m most excited to return to the stage with my friends.

Who is your favorite character in Guys and Dolls?

Nicely-Nicely, of course! Nicely brings a genuine happiness and warmth whichever way he goes, even if that happiness and warmth can be a bit absentminded sometimes. My pal Nathan is so wonderful at making both of those qualities exist simultaneously, and his energy makes Nicely so wonderful to watch!

What are you most excited for our audience to experience while watching our first production in over a year?

Folks, I’m just excited for you to hear people singing not through a screen, not through a car, but in front of you. There’s something magical about seeing folks express themselves this way, there’s just something different about it. I hope that we can share that energy with you and you leave feeling better than when you arrived.

Who inspired your love of the theater? And why?

My high school teacher, Mr. Paul Whealon! To put it simply, he believed in me. Every student needs an educator who says “you can do it.” So why not have a baseball player on stage and see if he can boogie with the theatre kids? Turns out, I’d rather boogie with the theatre kids! Mr. Whealon, if you’re reading this, telling me over and over that “I can do it” has paid off. It’s been a little while, but after much work, I can finally tell myself that “I can do it”! Thank you for lighting that fire.

With music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, Guys and Dolls opens June 11th and runs through June 27th at Connecticut Theatre Company. Tickets on sale now!