Nathan Boone, mass communications senior, volunteers at the Children’s Hospital, while enrolled in school and working a full-time job.
At the hospital, Boone directs and produces two 60-minute live shows aired weekly for child patients who are unable to leave their rooms. The children range from infants to age 18. One show, which features bingo with trivia questions, is one of the hospital’s longest running programs, Boone said.
Last week, someone dressed as “the Cat in the Hat” was a special guest because March 2 was Dr. Seuss Day.
“The trivia questions were about Dr. Seuss, and there’s a number on the screen that children can call to say their answers and communicate with the hosts,” Boone said. “Our on-air talent didn’t have any jokes prepared to fill time, so I googled some Dr. Seuss jokes and wrote down the appropriate ones for her.”
Other special guests include comedians, local music performers and art therapists, Boone said.
Boone also produces his own comedy improv show for the children at the hospital. Each show has a theme, like outer space, and children call in from their rooms to give suggestions of characters, situations and locations.
“If I’m lucky, I get a child whose parents gave consent for them to be on camera,” he said. “The two of us do a scene, and, sometimes, we bring in a third person to riff off of.”
Boone said he discovered the opportunity to provide entertainment for the hospital when he decided he wanted to do something good that didn’t involve getting paid.
“I was miserable at my job at the time and decided I wanted something to feed my soul,” he said. “I love doing camera work, so this volunteership was perfect. I couldn’t ask for anything better, aside from being paid.”
Boone’s camera and acting skills come from multiple places.
After graduating high school in Oklahoma City, Boone moved to Los Angeles for five years to audition and work as an actor. He took improv classes with Improv Olympic in Hollywood, and worked as a waiter and baby sitter on the side.
“LA was great, challenging and the hardest time of my life,” he said. “After five years, I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere, so I decided it was time to finish my degree.”
If you don’t have any connections, a degree is the only way to get you into a lot of doors in Los Angeles, Boone said.
“I was at a loss because I didn’t know many people and didn’t have the degree to put on my applications,” he said. “Auditioning is a full-time job by itself. Since I couldn’t afford to aggressively keep going to auditions, I thought it would benefit me to go back to school.”
Boone enrolled at Oklahoma City Community College before transferring to OCU last semester.
“I’ve learned to let go of a lot of the guilt I had about starting college late,” he said. “I’m in my 30s now, and it’s hard to be involved, but I think I take school more seriously now.”
Outside of school and the hospital, Boone works full time at Downtown OKC Incorporated, a management group that advocates for the improvements of the districts that make up the greater downtown area. Boone said he works as a sort of mobile concierge, helping people with directions and recommendations in the downtown area.
Grace Babb, mass communications junior, said Boone works hard in and out of the classroom.
“He balances his job with school so well, even when it’s hard, and, on top of that, he volunteers,” she said. “I really don’t know how he manages to be so positive with all the stressful things he deals with, but he does.”
Boone will graduate in December and plans to move back to Los Angeles. He also hopes to work there this summer.
“I really want to get an internship with Conan. It’s the only one that’s not paid, but I think it’d give me the best experience,” he said. “I love working with children, but I also love entertainment. Ideally, I’ve always thought of myself as a sort of Mr. Rogers some day. I do enjoy a good cardigan.”
Boone said he is working on a reel in his free time to showcase his acting and directing skills.
“If anybody wants to collaborate on any videos, let me know,” he said. “I’d love to find a network of students that are trying to go to California.”
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