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Today's Featured Biography

 
Richard Doran

After graduating high school I spent a year bumming around and partying like a fool, working just enough to pay rent and buy beer. When I sobered up, I realized that I needed to do something with my life. I enlisted in the U.S. Army, and was trained as an Airborne Ranger and was stationed in Ft. Benning Georgia, Schweinfurt Germany and Ft. Knox Kentucky. Training schools, Combat Missions and other duties took me all over the world. I was Honorably Discharged in 1985.

After the Army, I returned to Wichita and went to Wichita State University, where I studied Engineering, Graphic Design and Technical Theatre. I also joined the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. I got married during my junior year. I was also working several side jobs in almost all of the local theaters throughout Wichita and during the summer I was the Fabrication Shop Lead for Music Theater of Wichita. I became a member of the Stagehands Union, I.A.T.S.E. Local 190 (The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees).

While working in the theater at Century II on the traveling Broadway Tour of “La Traviata”, I met a group of stagehands who also worked as roadies for some big name rock and roll bands. They invited me to join their next tour and I agreed. I began touring the country as a rigger for “Def Leppard” I had so much fun that I continued and worked with most of the major rock and country bands throughout the late 80’s and into the mid 90’s. I also toured as the Head Rigger and Technical Director with several Broadway National Touring Companies.

My wife and I moved to Dallas and I began working at the Dallas Theater Center, while there the theater was asked to help with the motion picture production "J.F.K.", which was filming in Dallas and needed local union members to work on the production. I worked on the movie set for over a year, while continuing to do shows for the Dallas Theater Center.

My wife was never very comfortable in Dallas and with my work constantly taking me away for months at a time; we decided to move back to Wichita and closer to her family. I continued working in the theater and on the road as a roadie and stagehand, but the resulting stress began taking a toll on my marriage. In an attempt to relieve her worries and stay closer to home, I began working in the local construction field. Unfortunately the damage was already done and we divorced in late 1992.

I returned to working on the road. Being single on the road was very profitable and I was able to make a small fortune. I moved to Florida in 1994 and got a job with a Company called Cinnabar. They specialized in building scenic elements for the entertainment industry, including TV commercials, dramatic and comedic series, major motion pictures and live events like the Superbowl Half-time Show. I quickly became the shop foreman and became involved with the theme park division. We built several theme park rides and roller coasters all over the world. Once again I was having fun traveling to different places around the world for extended periods of time working on film shoots and installing rides and effects.

That’s when I met my second wife, I knew that my life was about to change for the better. We both belonged to a medieval re-enactment group called The Society of Creative Anachronism (SCA) and met during a party there. The SCA studies medieval life, including full contact weapon fighting. Think of the battles in “Braveheart”. I was an active fighter and had just been promoted to Man at Arms, specializing in Sword and Shield techniques. At one event I was armored up and headed for the list field to battle and saw her sitting on the side of the field helping the water bearers.

I walked up and knelt down in front of her, took her hand and asked if she would do me the honor of allowing me to fight in her name during the day’s battle. She blushed, giggled and said she was very pleased to say yes. She gave me a favor to wear to signify that I was fighting for her honor. Needless to say, my fighting was inspired and elevated that day and I was the cause of much death in her name. After the battle I was honor bound to be her escort for the rest of the event, not that I minded at all. We got to know each other very well after that, and after several months of serious dating I asked her to marry me, and hallelujah she said yes!

We were married in a medieval ceremony in March 2002. It was officiated by our Kingdom Bishop and presided over by the King of Trimaris (the SCA Kingdom of Florida), who made a tributary speech in the form of a beautiful sonnet that he wrote himself during the ceremony. Even to this day Rebecca loves to tell everyone that I was and still am literally her “Knight in Shining Armor”.

I left the entertainment industry and my job at Cinnabar and started working for Caylex Architectural Fabrication Corp. I am the Director of Technical Services, a fancy term that allows the companies owner to call on me to perform almost any job that the company needs. It actually includes several titles like Project Manager, Production Manager, Operations Department Manager, Estimating Manager, Installation and Site Supervisor, Network & IT Administrator, Purchasing Agent, Design Engineer and Senior CAD Draftsman.

In 2002, I went to the Wichita Heights 20th Reunion and had a fantastic time with everyone there. It was a really incredible experience. I felt great about all of the renewed friendships and even better about losing some of the old rivalries and animosities to become friends with people that I really didn’t get along with at school. I can’t thank everyone enough! The trip home was well worth the time and expense of traveling that far. Getting to see family and friends again was reward enough; however I received more there than we bargained for.

9 months later, in May of 2003, I was blessed with a beautiful little girl; we named her Natalie Beth Doran (After Natalie Wood and Elizabeth Taylor). A year and a half later, October 2004, we were blessed with our second beautiful little girl; we named her Audrey Nichole (After Audrey Hepburn and Nicole Kidman). I feel a theme here.

Thank you Lord!

Unfortunately because of her inability to be faithful, my second wife and I got divorced in November 2009. Fortunately I have custody of my daughters and we are doing well. I am raising them by myself and am glad that they are learning their morals and ethics from me instead of their mother.

The Girls are getting straight "A"s in school and their teachers love and praise them, so I must be doing something right. I feel truly blessed to have them with me. I'm still amazed at how fast they are growing up.

It's been great having many of you as friends on facebook and I hope to see more of you there. I want all of you to feel free to contact me at any time. I’m looking forward to hearing from everyone!

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