The many faces of A.J. Kalanick in various stage roles. On Discovering an Acting Talent by Marjorie Smith A. J. Kalanick, '86 SpCom, hadn't done any acting since high school when he first showed up to audition for "Greater Tuna" in 1985 at the Loft, a Bozeman community theatre. But, he had a flair for comedy and a presence that couldn't be ignored. And, he managed a very believable Texas accent. He also had a huge collection of country music recordings which the director used for the sound design. Those few evenings under the stage lights in a makeshift theatre in an old chapel set Kalanick on a new path. He appeared in several plays on the MSU Mainstage, worked several seasons with the Virginia City Players, got an agent and was cast in several films where he--probably inevitably--played "the heavy." (Montana television viewers have almost certainly seen him in Northwest Energy's "Before You Dig" commercials.) He settled in Billings in 1991 with a day job at Costco Wholesale and immediately got involved with the venerable Billings Studio Theatre (BST). Kalanick was an unforgettable presence on the BST stage. In 1994, he received the "Spirit of BST" award presented annually to an individual who embodies a pure love for and commitment to Billings Studio Theatre. In 1996 he received the Bruce K. Meyers Award "in recognition of years of excellence on the Billings Studio Theatre stage." Kalanick now serves as president of the organization's board of directors. "These days I'm doing more directing than acting," he says. But he admits that he's started performing in some small-scale shows based on his own childhood in central Montana. He is also a major instigator of the Michelin Players, which puts on plays during times when the BST would otherwise be dark. "We chose that name because none of us is exactly small," he says. The BST celebrated it's 50th anniversary in 2002 with an impressive 64-page memory book. The cover features Kalanick in his signature role as Lenny in John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men," a role he first played on MSU's Mainstage. BST has its own 250-seat theatre on the edge of the Rocky Mountain College campus and produces a regular season of eight mainstage shows plus three for children, as well as special fund-raisers. Productions run at least three weekends, "which means we're always scrounging for rehearsal space for the next production," says Kalanick. He attributes the BST's long, successful life to tremendous support from the Billings community. He likes to return the favor by joining any community parade, preferably driving the 1940s fire truck he bought and restored when a small town in North Dakota discarded it. "It gets some publicity for BST, and, besides, it's fun," he says.