Smile

What makes Larry Montag smile? “My grandchildren, I have seven grandkids,” said the 71-year-old Westfield resident, who was found working the box office in 2019 for a Carmel Community Players’ production in Noblesville. Today’s feature is a look back at one of The Times’ previous Faces of Hamilton County. He is current board president of CCP and was the playhouse’s executive producer for three years. “I’ve been on stage twice, both of them as a bartender with no speaking; all I had to do was drink. One time, they told me I wasn’t drinking enough, so I had to drink more.” In community theater, actors use apple juice, cran apple juice or Vernors ginger ale in place of real alcohol, he said. Carmel Community Players’ current show is “Godspell,” a Rising Star  youth production, on stage today through Sunday at The Ivy Tech Auditorium in Noblesville, with tickets available at https://carmelplayers.org/. He grew up in Detroit and retired from General Motors, his job being transferred to Indiana in 1980. He retired nine years ago. That’s when he got involved with theater, as a CCP board member. He and wife, community theater actress Beth Montag, met in 10th grade and were married in 1972. “She asked me out on our first date.” The Montags enjoy their three children plus all of the grandchildren. Hobbies? Theater, golf and fixing computers for a church that sends them to Africa. He has repaired about 1,600 computers for their project.