Paul Eiding

Eiding was inspired to become an actor by his experience serving in the United States Army's 3rd Infantry Division in Würzburg, Germany. During this time, he joined a performing group named the Marne Glee Club. Although he was one of the youngest G.I.s in the group, he was soon promoted to a directing position due to his music background. The group performed across Germany, Belgium, Denmark, and northern France for soldiers and civilian audiences.^[2]

During the 1970s, Eiding was a prolific commercial actor, appearing in advertisements for snowmobiles, granola bars, department stores, and clothing.^[3][4] He also worked for theater-groups across the Midwest,^[4] including Dudley Riggs's Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis.^[3][5] Eiding found the Brave New Workshop's improvisational approach exhausting, elaborating that "You have to take time off to think of new ideas. At Dudley Riggs we were doing nine shows a week".^[3] Before coming to Wausau, Wisconsin, Eiding played a small part aside Sylvester Stallone in the Norman Jewison film F.I.S.T., which was shot in Iowa.^[3] In Wausau, he led a number of workshops, and was a guest director for its community theater's production of the comedy-mystery What the Butler saw in 1980.^[4][5] He was a director and actor for the Chanhassen Dinner Theater of Minneapolis,^[5] portraying Max Detweiler in its 1981 production of The Sound of Music.^[6] On February 2, 1981, Eiding hosted the Twin Cities' first award ceremony for distinguished achievement in local theater, which was held at the Children's Theater Company.^[7]

In 1983, Eiding starred in a dual role as Joshua and Cathy in Don Amendolia's Los Angeles production of Caryl Churchill's Cloud 9.^[8] In the late 1980s, Eiding appeared in the short-lived ABC sitcom The Charmings as the neighbor Don Miller.^[4]