By Spc. Kate A. Hoit, 301st Area Support Group Public Affairs Office
LOGISTICS SUPPORT AREA ANACONDA, Balad, Iraq -- Lights, camera, action and the Army.
Maj. Kevin McKelvy from the 301st Area Support Group has been acting and singing since he was in elementary school.
McKelvy grew up as a dependent of an Army NCO. He spent his childhood living throughout the United States and Germany. While in Germany, at the age of 10 he "got the [performance] bug."
In fourth grade, McKelvy realized he could sing and decided to join the school choir. He continued singing, which led to acting. This is the point at which he knew he had unique abilities.
Throughout high school, he performed with numerous choral and theater groups. At one point, McKelvy was performing in 23 shows spanning a 25-day period.
Acting, for him, is more than just being on a stage; it's all about emotions.
"When I'm on stage, it's flesh and blood right in front of me. I'm involved," said McKelvy.
After high school he decided to do what any aspiring actor would do, he attended West Point.
Upon graduation McKelvy didn't see acting as a career, but more as a recreational activity. For advice, he turned to his father, who was an Army career counselor and decided West Point would be the best option.
"There was a patriotic element to my decision to attend West Point ... My career was designed to serve my country. I always believed it was the most responsible choice I could make. I was going to receive an Ivy League education and was able to pursue football," McKelvy said.
West Point opened many doors for him. He majored in engineer sciences and minored in international relations. He played football and sang in the gospel and cadet choirs.
He went active duty for eight years and attended ranger, airborne and air assault schools, but always kept acting on the side. He saw acting however, as his calling and decided to drop everything else on his agenda.
At the age of 35, he quit his job as operations vice president for an architectural and engineering company and went after his dream.
McKelvy was accepted to the Actor's Studio Drama School in New York City. After three years he graduated from the Master of Fine Arts Program, which is equivalent to a doctorate in acting.
Auditions came rolling in, and McKelvy was on his way. He began performing in off-Broadway productions in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Kansas.
He was also cast in a couple independent films and has appeared in the HBO series, "The Wire."
The latest independent film in which he has acted is, "Malevolence." Produced in 2004, McKelvy plays a detective in the horror film. He hopes to bring the movie to Anaconda and allow Soldiers a chance to see it.
McKelvy applies his show business experience to the military, and has determined that together they set his "mind right." He sees acting and auditions like a contractor.
Actors bid on auditions the same way contractors bid on a project. The casting agents are like the clients, if they like what they could possibly be getting then they take it. This helps McKelvy avoid letting auditions get so personal. If he doesn't get chosen for a job, he moves on to the next.
"You need to get up and make it happen. You couldn't run a business by waiting around or taking things too personal," McKelvy said.
McKelvy's mission in Iraq is handling all of the engineering base operations here.
When he has spare time, he hopes to start a theater group for the Soldiers.
His goal is for Soldiers to show each other a situation through acting and hopefully learn from it.
When McKelvy returns to New Jersey, he plans to focus on his acting career and family. He will continue teaching performing arts to elementary, high school and adult students throughout the New York City school system.
He also teaches adults stress management and suicide prevention classes through acting.
With a full plate of accomplishments and much to look forward, McKelvy is at center stage and enjoying every minute of it.
Editors Note: Spc. Hoit is a member of the 301st Area Support Group Public Affairs Office at LSA Anaconda.
Related Photo:
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| Date Taken: | 03.01.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 03.01.2005 09:26 |
| Story ID: | 1229 |
| Location: | BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 70 |
| Downloads: | 20 |
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