JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON -- With winter closing in and daylight hours dwindling, activities and hobbies outside work time are more crucial than ever. Long, dark hours can have a profound impact on a service member's mental health and wellbeing.
For Master Sgt. Rian Hudson, 673rd Security Forces Squadron flight chief, theater offers the boost in morale he needed to combat the effects of the winter months.
Since childhood, Hudson has never shied away from the spotlight, finding his home on stage from a young age.
“I was always a goofy kid growing up. I never really had a problem with the spotlight. In fact, I enjoyed it and thrived,” said Hudson, expanding on his passion for acting. “It’s a place where you can just stand up in front of people and be recognized.”
Hudson’s love for theater and acting followed him through grade school to college where he completed a year as a theater major before enlisting in the Air Force. Following his initial training, Hudson’s first assignment had him stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, a duty station he recalled as somewhat isolated.
“Everybody hated it there because you had to drive three hours to get to Dallas and if you weren’t 21, the casinos in town, things like that you couldn’t do,” said Hudson. “So, unless you were actively involved on or off base, it’s pretty boring to sit around your dorm, doing bonfires with buddies.”
Instead of spending all his freetime in the dorms or spending hours commuting to nearby cities for entertainment, Hudson decided to reignite his passion for theater.
“I thought, ‘Man, I should look into the community theater around here.’ And so I went and got into a show, Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. I talked to another Airman buddy of mine from security forces and the two of us were in the show,” said Hudson. “I got to be one of the conspirators to stab Caesar, played by the district attorney out there in Shreveport, so it was kind of funny to get to stab the DA in the show.”
As Hudson advanced in his career, the increasing demands and responsibilities of his family required a significant amount of his time and energy. It would be approximately 16 years before he would have the opportunity to act again.
“A big reason that I started seeking out theater again is because, especially when you advance in your career, things get a lot more stressful. It gets hard to take part in fun activities and I’m a family guy, I have kids. All of my time outside of work is devoted to kids’ activities,” said Hudson. “There’s no more me.”
“I got to the point where I was just really struggling mentally. I was struggling to hang in there. I was having a hard time with work and thought, ‘What’s my future? Where am I going?’ And I said, ‘I need to do something for me, something that makes me feel better and makes me happy.’”
Bearing the pressure of his career and commitments, Hudson felt the need to find a way to alleviate the growing stress. He reflected on the 16 years of assignments, deployments, college education and family life.
“I started looking back at my roots when I felt like I was happier and I was doing more,” said Hudson. “And I said I need to re-engage in some of those things that used to make me happy, that I used to really enjoy and I think that’s what kind of urged me to go out and research and see what was available.”
After a search of the city, Hudson found a community theater here in Anchorage and auditioned for a role in A Christmas Carol, earning the role of Bob Cratchit. Taking it on, however, meant more work, as pointed out by his wife. Acknowledging the commitment, Hudson explained how invigorated he felt while performing.
“One of the things my wife gave me trouble with when I told her I wanted to audition was seeing the load of rehearsals and shows, like you’re adding to your stress plate, not taking away from it. That’s true, but … this is an enjoyable activity,” said Hudson. “When I’m here I feel relaxed and I’m not stressed out like I am with these other activities on base.”
Theater offered Hudson more than a means of expressing himself on stage; he cited skills developed when performing. As communication and presentation skills are fundamental in military operations, Hudson has drawn parallels between his acting roles and his duties as a senior non-commissioned officer.
“I think as Airmen, as we develop too, as we grow higher in rank, there’s more of a need to be able to present in front of people and brief things and be able to speak publicly,” said Hudson. “Theater is one of those things that gives you the ability to speak better and be able to stand in front of people and feel comfortable with it.”
While speaking skills and presentation abilities are a great side effect of performing arts, Hudson has always advocated for mental health and pursuing activities that cultivate community and relationships, whether it’s theater or otherwise.
“It’s a good opportunity to come out of your shell and develop your friendship-building skills and communicative skills. One would say it’s even therapeutic in a sense, especially as a flight chief for security forces; I’ve been a heavy advocate for mental health,” said Hudson. “I’ve struggled with it, but I want to take care of my Airmen and give them ideas for how they can cope and find activities that will help them.”
Currently, Hudson has taken the job of 11th Air Force Legislative Liaison, which involves managing Congressional engagements and relationships for the commander of Alaskan NORAD Region, Alaskan Command, and Eleventh Air Force. Regardless of the path Hudson’s career leads him down, he wholeheartedly supports and embraces theater and performing on stage as a cherished pastime.
“I highly recommend it for anyone looking for something extra to do or maybe those who are having a hard time because it’ll give them potentially a way out of some of the difficulties in life,” said Hudson. “I always say theater mirrors life in a lot of aspects – because we pretend to be all the things that we’re usually not, in the different roles we play.”