Page 58 - The Peorian, Vol 3 Issue 2

58 thePeorian.com
Just a few months later, he
proposed. Then in September
1998 they were married at the
tent at Corn Stock Theatre. They
now have four children, all
daughters, and the oldest two
already are performers. Claire,
15, sings and acts and Sophie, 13,
is a dancer. Alexia, 7, and Vivien,
5, “will probably get on stage
too,” he said.
Tamra doesn’t have as much
time to get on stage these days
because she is head of the
academy and education at the
Peoria Ballet, where she also
teaches. She tries to do at least
one show at Conklin’s each year,
Challacombe said.
While Challacombe gets paid
for performing at the Barn, it
isn’t enough to pay the bills. A
graphic artist by profession, he
used to work in the planning and
zoning department for the City
of Peoria, but was laid off about
five years ago. “I’m a big believer
that things happen for a reason
and that was one of them. I
was feeling burned out and
wondering what else I could
do with my life and, well, the
city told me to go find out,”
he said.
He has used his talents as
an artist to freelance work
for various organizations, he
has been a substitute teacher
and he drives a school bus for
the Dunlap School District. “I
walk a block to work every
day. Now how great is that?”
He also is a server at
Conklin’s, which he said
helps not only because of
the tips but because he can
connect with the audience. You
can catch him acting and serving
both in the current production
at Conklin’s, “Another Round of
Beer for Breakfast,” which runs
through April 20.
Still, Challacombe likes to
occasionally step away from
Conklin’s and do a role in
community theatre, even though
it doesn’t pay. “But sometimes
there is a role I just really have
to play. So I go for it, if I can,” he
said.
The last such role like that was
the evil dentist in “Little Shop of
Horrors” at Corn Stock Theatre in
2007. “I’d been dying to play that
role and I got the chance. I loved
it,” he said.