April 19, 2010
by Genevieve Jerome | Print Features Editor
City College theater arts professor Rodger Hoopman instructs his students in the art of kissing, Marlon Brando-Style. Photo by Allison Villanueva
A professor, voice-over artist and outstanding husband are just a few of the things this man is good at. But if you ask Rodger Hoopman what he loves most about life, this is how he’ll respond: “Being able to pretend I’m someone else for awhile.”
Sixty-four-year-old Hoopman is a City College adjunct theater arts film professor and has been teaching at City College for the last 13 years. With his quirky smile, undeniable charm and outspoken vocals, it’s no wonder this instructor owns his own theater company in Sacramento.
“I started Chautauqua Playhouse in ’76,” Hoopman recalls of his beloved playhouse. “We were downtown at 24th and R streets, where California Stage is, but we were burned down by an arsonist in 1983.”
Not to worry. Today the playhouse has withstood the sands of time by being at the La Sierra Community Center in Carmichael for 16 years.
“I’ve directed over 120 stage shows,” Hoopman says. “I teach at least two nights a week and act on one show a year. I do “Scrooge.” It’s my 30th year of “Scrooge.”
Hoopman has not only acted in the starring role of Scrooge, but he has been in television for over 13 years. Hoopman says that out of college he decided to try journalism, but his real passion has always been the arts.
“Out of college, I did the whole going to LA thing to see if I’d get lucky or something,” Hoopman says. “I did about six months and the most discouraging part was to walk into a room and audition and there are 30 other guys in there or 40 who look just like you.”
Hoopman says he is not too disappointed with how his life turned out. Even without being a famous Hollywood actor, Hoopman is definitely a well-known Sacramento actor.
“All of my social network are with actors,” Hoopman says. “There’s just something about theater people that’s so open and that’s just such a positive environment.”
Acting runs in the family, too. Hoopman’s wife, Nikkie Fortini, is a show singer. Hoopman and his wife met while doing the show “Camelot” and they also produce American history plays together, which is his wife’s first passion. They have two sons. One is an equity actor in Boston.
Hoopman also has many fans at City College, especially his Acting for the Camera film students. Theater major Suzanne Dong, one of Hoopman’s film students, says she couldn’t imagine City College without Rodger Hoopman.
“He’s very laid back, but not in an unstructured way,” Dong says. “He lets you find yourself as an actor. It’s very freeing.”
First-time actors can learn a lot from Hoopman.
“It’s good he’s been in the industry so he knows stuff,” City College theater/political science major Michael Haleva says.
Some students who have been with Hoopman for a long time say they wouldn’t want to be taught acting any other way.
“I think that Rodger is fabulous, very motivating,” City College graphic design/theater arts major Patricia Hull says. “He makes you go out there and get it and will make you do things you wouldn’t normally do. He’s the best theater arts teacher I’ve had.”
Hoopman has been teaching acting for 30 years and isn’t planning on stopping anytime soon.
“When I feel that I can’t do it anymore or if I lose passion for it, that’s when I’ll stop doing it,” Hoopman says.
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