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Right Brain: Phil Kopp

KIMBERLY NICOLETTI
Summit Daily/Reid WilliamsPhil Kopp: thespian, planetary defender
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Phil Kopp is a 23-year Summit County local who’s proof you can do what you love and the money will follow. He skis more than 120 days a year, and for 90 percent of them, he’s paid to ski from chair to chair and chat with people as an on-mountain marketing surveyor. He even met the gal he married, Janelle, on a chairlift. The couple owned and operated Frisco’s first bookstore, the Daily Planet, from 1984-1999. One of Kopp’s claims to fame – besides the fact he’s currently in the Backstage Theatre’s production of “Earth and Sky” running this weekend – is the fact he was Frisco’s mayor for six weeks.Dreams I’ll never be famous, but I want to stretch my acting range and ability to portray a wider range of characters. I want to entertain, inspire thinking and tell a story well.

Why act? I’m a ham. It gives me one more focus and outlet for my energies. If a person is not just one facet but the sum of his parts, I want to develop a lot of parts.What do you convey through acting? The human condition – its humorous aspects, challenges, drama and even the mundane.Challenge

Dialect and memorizing lines. Janelle and friends help me with lines. Directors and fellow actors help me with movement and motivation. Giant challenges are dancing and singing. People pay me not to sing.AccomplishmentMy participation in Backstage Theatre’s excellent production of “A Few Good Men.”Staying fresh I try to eat healthy, rest, ski and catch plays, comedy improv, and movies. I also like to observe people.



When not doing artI play (disc golf, ski, canoe, bike) and earn a living (skiing and asset management).Anything else?Get out and support the arts – especially home-grown ones. Be as informed as possible, vote and get involved in serving your community.


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