Tim Cartel: A Man Of Many Faces

Tim Cartel has loved role-play since he was cast as Peter Pan in his fifth grade play over 20 years ago.

"Who doesn't like pretending to be someone they're not?" he said.

"With acting and impersonations you get the added benefit of people suspending their disbelief and actually buying into the idea that you are the role you're playing."

Always a dreamy kid, Cartel used to pretend to be characters from the children's books he read religiously.

"I was the kid who always had his nose in a book, definitely. My mother used to ask me 'Who are you today?' and she would then refer to me as Huck (from Twain's Huckleberry Finn) or whichever character I was impersonating that day."

Cartel took that love of portraying characters into his adolescence and young adulthood.

"I found , and still do find, that trying on personalities and roles is what makes me happy. I get to test out aspects of myself that would otherwise have lain dormant. You can test out the extremes of your character that you would normally be afraid to explore."

Cartel was a Theater major at the University of Rhode Island and has been performing in one way or another ever since.

"It's not an easy way to make a living, everyone knows that," said Cartel.

He contemplated moving to a more entertainment-friendly area like New York or Los Angeles, but quickly changed his mind.

"I never had my sights set on being rich and famous or on Broadway or anything like that ," he said. "I was always realistic and knew that any paid work in this field is a rare occurrence ."

So, he decided to stay in Rhode Island.

"Rhode Island has a great arts base, especially with RISD and Trinity Rep right in Providence. There are many smaller fringe theater companies and many people well educated in the performing arts here. I figured I'd rather be part of a welcoming arts community than a tiny fish in a huge sea surrounded by other actors desperate for work."

Cartel finds Woonsocket to be the perfect place to live while he continues to hone his craft.

"Don't knock it!" he laughs. "Woonsocket and Pawtucket are loaded with artist types. The lofts! You take these older factory towns and with those factories comes inexpensive space where you can hone your craft."

Look for Cartel at most conventions around the state.

"I'm not above dressing up as a superhero at a kid's convention, being man-sized daisy at the flower shows," he smiles. "Whatever pays the rent and gives me time to audition."