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Erin Carlson plays Amanda Bloom in the Hale Centre Theatre production of "Big Fish." Contributed

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Rhett Richins plays Edward Bloom in the Hale Centre Theatre production of "Big Fish." Contributed

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WEST VALLEY CITY — The Hale Centre Theatre will present “Big Fish” starting Oct. 16 and two Davis County actors have starring roles in the show. Rhett Richins plays the father, Edward Bloom, and Erin Carlson portrays Amanda Bloom, Edward’s wife.

Both roles are double-cast, but both Richins and Carlson play the same night, which has been great for the actors. “Rhett is my friend and it has been really cool to watch him come into this role. He is really playing a role that is opposite of his personality and it shows what an amazing actor he is,” Carlson said.

Carlson wasn’t a huge fan of the movie, “Big Fish,” but when she saw the show at Hale Centre Orem she knew she wanted to be a part of it. “It has an honesty and warmth,” she said. She originally thought she wanted to be the witch, but when she saw the role of Amanda she decided it would be a good fit for her. “I just thought I could do it,” Carlson said.

This is her ninth or 10th role at Hale Centre and she has been doing stage acting for nearly two decades. Carlson wasn’t a child actor and didn’t even take her first voice lesson until she was a junior in high school. “My voice just kind of flourished later for me and that was good for me,” Carlson said. After high school she moved to New York City and took voice lessons and learned a lot about the stage. She then performed on a cruise ship for seven months. She came back to Utah, took some college classes and worked full-time, but always stayed with the stage in some way.

Now Carlson keeps busy with her husband and two children in North Salt Lake and does productions at various local theaters, but loves the Hale Centre. The Hale Centre pays its actors and support team and because of that, she thinks the quality is high. “There is just a family feeling there,” Carlson said.

But Carlson doesn’t just act. She teaches voice lessons and runs a business called Audition Advantage, which helps people learn the art of auditioning. “I’ve done a lot of auditioning and it’s a whole different skill set,” Carlson said. For her, acting is her release and acting in Utah is prime. “There are so many varied opportunities for acting in Utah,” she said.

Both Carlson and Richins are impressed with the show starting next week. For Richins it’s all about the process. “I love the creative process and the collaboration with the artists, designers, directors and how they come together,” Richins said. “We start with something very stringent — signing contracts and what not and then end up with 2 ½ hours of a beautiful production,” Richins said.

The actors said the stage is incredible, with a river with real water running on the stage. “Theater in the round is always interesting and it is quirky. But the show is just amazing,” Carlson said.

Richins appreciates the journey his character takes and how it can relate to real life. “It avoids the line of Disney where everything is predictable. It speaks to the truth of human interaction,” Richins said.

Big Fish runs through Nov. 18.

Hale Centre will present more than 50 consecutive performances of “Big Fish.” Performance times are 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and matinees Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. No children under the age of 5 are permitted in the theater. Ticket prices are $30 for adults and $16 for children ages 5 through 11.

For ticket information call 801-984-9000, go to www.hct.org, or visit the box office at 3333 S. Decker Lake Drive in West Valley City. For updates, contests and information on the current theater season, follow Hale Centre Theatre on Facebook.