By Michael Magnus/reporter

TCC alumnus Lloyd Harvey is taking the stage in Take Me Out. In his breakthrough role with Dallas’ Uptown Players, Harvey looks to big opportunities ahead.

“Getting a role with a top-tier theater as a lead is a huge jump in my career,” he said. “It’s fun and exciting and challenging and comes with tons of emotion but has been a very welcoming experience.”

Harvey attended NE from 2007 to 2009 and worked with theater faculty Stephen Thomas, Jakie Cabe and Susan Polster. During that time, he performed in numerous shows at the college including Grease, Urinetown and Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. He attributes much of his success to his experiences with NE instructors.

“I’m glad I went to TCC for the sheer fact that if I had just gone to a state school or an arts school straight out of graduating, I probably would have quit and not gone back,” he said. “TCC prepared me, gave me opportunities and gave me the chance to figure out who I was.”

After TCC, Harvey attended Oklahoma City University and competed in the American Association of Community Theatres’ national competition with the show Dog Sees God. The one-act play advanced to the final round of competition in New York, where it won best show and best ensemble and Harvey won best supporting actor.

However, of all of the roles that he has played, Darren Lemmings in Take Me Out is his biggest yet.

“In the show, Darren Lemmings is the No. 1 superstar in baseball and sees the world in black and white,” Harvey said. “He’s a homosexual and doesn’t think that is going to affect him in the don’t-ask, don’t-tell men’s club of sports. He thinks he’ll pave the way as the first gay celebrity athlete but ends up making things irreparably worse.”

Although baseball is the setting, Take Me Out is about human interaction, in this case, what happens when superstars are spoiled by an aura of invincibility, director Michael Serrecchia said. It sets in motion the consequences of human action when people think they know better than God.

Serrecchia said Harvey has excelled in the role and likes the work he put into it.

“During rehearsals, Lloyd has been a professional in his approach to the role and process,” he said. “He incorporates his direction and applies his craft with a positive and creative attitude ­— more artistry than ego.”

Take Me Out runs through Feb. 19. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Kalita Humphreys Theater in Dallas. Tickets range from $25 to $35. For tickets, visit www.uptownplayers.org or call the box office at 214-219-2718.

Thomas, a drama associate professor who worked with Harvey, hopes students will be inspired by his achievement.

“The skills that we teach in theater are designed to help students succeed and are useful in all forms of life,” he said. “Lloyd is a good example of a student succeeding at the next level.”