“If you find something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life,” said Dan Morrison, a Tahoe native who left to follow his dreams as an actor after he graduated from North Tahoe High School.
Morrison’s path home comes as the Tahoe/Reno arts scene is gaining momentum, offering actors more chances to work locally than ever before. His career — once rooted in big-city stages — now reflects a shift toward creative possibility in the mountains.
After graduating from high school in 2000, Morrison attended University of San Diego, graduating in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts before attending the American Conservatory in San Francisco, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts in 2008.
“Gosh, it’s just a rush,” said Morrison. “That moment right before you walk out on stage and take in the audience, it’s so invigorating and exciting.”
Morrison is now 40 years old and has found himself back in Tahoe after years of working all over the world. He said his love for acting has grown with each role he played, and he enjoys meeting people from all over the globe with different backgrounds, cultures, and ideas. Morrison has gone as far as Japan, working at Universal Studios’ Harry Potter World as the Hogwarts express conductor, up until the pandemic sent him back to the U.S.
“I never want to stop,” said Morrison. “I get to learn and evolve through every single role I play.”
Being raised in a small town like Tahoe City gave him a pronounced feel for community. It taught him about understanding, curiosity, and a desire to explore.
“The theater world really isn’t that big, so having a sense of community was important,” said Morrison. “Sometimes in larger cities people get swallowed. We’re in a smaller community; you can cultivate excitement for adventure.”
Post pandemic, Morrison found himself in Tahoe taking on new roles. His most recent movie, Dial It Back, was released in September on Amazon Prime.
Morrison works closely with Mad Wife Productions in Reno. He has been in several of its productions since moving back to the Tahoe/Truckee area. Owner Andrew Arguello focuses on local talent, which Morrison said is special for the Truckee/Tahoe area.
“Reno is in the process of becoming the new Atlanta,” he said, “making it easier for people who are involved in the arts so they don’t have to up and leave. There is a lot of cool momentum that is moving up to Reno. Arts are starting to flourish in the mountains.”
Morrison still travels for many acting roles — he will play Scrooge in The Christmas Carol this December in Pagosa Springs, Colorado — but is happy that his passion is growing where he calls home.
