By Jefferson Jay
Before The Hunt for the Holiday Spirit was imagined as an animated series, The Hunt for the Great Christmas Tree was a stage show starring adults with neurodivergent disabilities. The year was 2014 and that show changed everything in my life. That show is now our series’ pilot episode and I am immensely grateful.
When One Door Closes, Another Door Opens…
One of the first speed bumps we hit in staging our initial episode involved our actress cast for Kid 1. She needed to resign from the show a few weeks into rehearsal and I was briefly concerned about who we’d get to fill the role of the eldest Pearl kid.
I asked some of the amazing staff I worked with and their suggestions led me to Sam Dupree. Immediately, my concerns vanished. When I think of that moment, I still smile and feel at ease. It was huge for The Hunt for the Holiday Spirit.
Sam Dupree portrays Kid 1 in the live action stage production of The Hunt for the Holiday Spirit and is the voice actor of the animated version.
Sam, He Is; Novice, He Is Not
Sam is easy going, ambitious, and an extremely talented actor and singer. He had performed in many plays prior to meeting me and has exceptional abilities to match pitch, memorize parts, and harmonize. He has advanced specialized skills.
Sam played a perfect Kid 1 in all four staged episodes of our show, including 2017’s “The Hunt for the Holiday Spirit: A Christmas, Carole” in which he played Kid 1 as Scrooge to perfection. It was a hot show and not just because it was 85 degrees in El Cajon, CA on the December day of our performance.
Sam Dupree (in blue, right of center) sings at the microphone on stage, surrounded by the cast of the live action The Hunt for the Holiday Spirit (2017).
Sam has laundry lists of projects he aims to star in once establishing himself as an artist. He has dozens of classics he hopes to reimagine on the stage or the screen some time down the road. When he re-entered my studio to bring Kid 1 to life once again, it was like he had been playing him for the entire eight years since we started.
Superior Skills
He rehearsed the materials with less time to prepare than his co-stars, but his incredible ability to memorize and reproduce line-readings allowed him to step up and fully fill Kid 1’s shoes. His voice is perfect for this role and voice-acting in general, due to its sweet and genuine qualities.
Sam Dupree (left) and Jefferson Jay (right) performing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” at fundraiser Fashion Show.
Sam and I get along very easily and I find him a joy to collaborate with. The work is smooth, fun and highly productive. I worked with Sam to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” several years back for a fundraising event. I was happy to learn he is singing it again at this year’s big event. These relationships are the gift that keeps on giving to everyone involved.
Sam is a wonderful, talented, young man. Thanks to guys like him, The Hunt for the Holiday Spirit is some deeply gratifying work. I hope I can see him get the chance to pursue all his dreams. He calls me a lot and checks in on the progress of our project and reminds me that Kid 1 is here for me. I am glad to know him. We could all use that kind of support.
Sam Dupree (left) and Jefferson Jay (right) after a successful recording session.
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