Jim Peeples, known for his dedication to Piedmont Athletics for over two decades, will step off the field and onto the stage for the Piedmont Theatre Department’s production of “9 to 5.”
Peeples is in his tenth season as the Athletic Director at Piedmont, and prior to that, he spent 15 seasons as Head Baseball Coach. As the baseball coach, he led the program to 360 wins. As Athletic Director, he has been instrumental in expanding sports on campus and facilitating the transition from NAIA to NCAA.
Peeples’ dedication to Piedmont does not stop at athletics; he will soon take the stage, supporting Piedmont Theatre.
Approached by Professor Blandin in the fall, Peeples was reluctant at first. “I was very hesitant and terrified because I have a ton of respect for how good our theater kids are,” said Peeples.
Despite his apprehension, he accepted the role. Peeples dismissed any hesitation and got right to work with his wife, Laura Peeples, reading lines with him multiple times every night.
“Laura’s been rehearsing with me and reading through my lines,” said Peeples. “I’ve been getting pretty good.”
Peeples’ anxiety about his performance is evident, even with hours of practice under his belt.
“All of it has been challenging because I’ve built this fear up in my mind,” said Peeples. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”
His biggest fear is disappointing the students and the department he represents.
“I’m really honored to have an opportunity to do this, but it’s also why maybe I think it’s so scary, because I just have so much respect for our students and how good they are,” said Peeples.
Peeples compares the athletic department to the university’s theatre department. Despite no direct correlation between the two, he sees them as very similar entities, where both go through the process of building freshmen into seniors who shine, losing those seniors, and developing new talent every year.
“I’m always looking through the lens of athletics,” said Peeples. “They’re amazing recruiters. So it’s interesting how similar, in my mind, at least, from that aspect and the talent pool, and their ability to kind of always bring in amazing talent.”
Peeples has continued to commit himself to his character, stating that he has watched multiple renditions of the character on YouTube. His one wish is to encapsulate the character, Mr. Tinsworthy to the best of his abilities.
Peeples’ dedication to his performance has been thorough, and as he looks forward to taking the stage, he is ultimately ready for the curtains to close.
“If I can get through Thursday, Friday, Saturday and the Sunday performance and not screw up or mess up, I’ll look forward to that,” said Peeples. “I don’t want to let them down.”
Performances of “9 to 5” will be Feb. 13-16 in the Swanson Center Mainstage Theatre. Showtimes can be found here.
