Doug Edmunds is a familiar face in Utah County theater — though most know him simply as Superfan.
At 87 years old, Edmunds is still one of the most avid theatergoers there is, attending more than 20 performances each month for the last 20 years.
“Addicted, let's just say addicted. I got a drug habit; it's theater,” Edmunds said. “If I go a whole week without seeing a show, I get the shakes. I got to get my fix.”
Edmunds rarely attends a show all on his own. He buys numerous season tickets to multiple theaters every year so he can bring friends and family with him.
His top priority theaters are the Hale Centre Theatre in Sandy and the Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater in Pleasant Grove.
He attends each show at the Sandy theater about 15 times and each show at the Pleasant Grove theater about 9 times. When he has time in between those shows, he attends a few other performances from places like Lehi Arts Council, West Valley Arts and the Hale Academy.
All those who have attended a show with Edmunds know he has a very important rule.
“The rule with me is if they're sitting with me, when I first stand up, they have to stand up,” Edmunds said.
Standing ovations are critical to every performance Superfan attends. One can see just how passionate he is about them on the back of his signature blue sweatshirt he wears to every performance.
It reads, “All actors appreciate and deserve standing ovations. Besides applause, it is their main or only reward payment.”
Edmunds designed this iconic sweatshirt for himself ten years ago and has worn it to every show since.
He now owns 12 of them and has turned down offers of up to $150 for one, insisting he wants people to be certain it’s him — and no one else — when they spot the sweatshirt.
Edmunds' theater addiction began when he was stationed in the Air Force outside of London during the late 1950s as a clerk typist.
He would travel to see shows on the West End on the weekends and estimates he saw around 150 performances over the three-year period he was there.
The most noteworthy of the many shows was “My Fair Lady” featuring Julie Andrews, whom Edmunds met backstage.
“She stops, comes toward me, gives me a big hug, and whispers in my ear, ‘thank you for saving my life.’... So I push her away… and I say, ‘What do you mean, I just met you,’” Edmunds said.
Andrews explained that when she was a child she overheard her parents saying Germany would definitely “conquer” England, and her family would probably be killed.
“‘But your country came in, and your country saved our lives, and your country is America, and you being American, and in the service, that's what I meant,’” Edmunds recalled Andrews saying.
This is just one of many stories about his interactions with actors that he loves to tell.
Hannah Evans first heard about Superfan when she started doing shows with the Hale Center Theater Orem Academy. She recently happened to be sitting next to him at a showing of "Little Women" put on by the Lehi Arts Council.
“It was awesome,” Evans said. “We were chatting it up and he was telling me all about the shows he’s seen recently … and I just thought it was really sweet that he's just there sharing his love for theater with everyone around him. Everyone who will listen.”
The only time Edmunds attends shows alone is on opening and closing night so he can spend more time with the actors after the show.
“People are always saying to me, ‘why support the theater?’” Edmunds said. “No. I support the actors. That's key. I love the actors, especially since most of the actors do not get paid anything in this day. They do it for the love of the arts.”
Edmunds has formed a close relationship with many of the actors. He writes them letters, receives letters back, calls them on the phone and has even attended some of their weddings.
Not only does he love them, but many love him right back.
Edmunds has attended a few of the shows Evans performed in at the Hale Academy and his enthusiasm for her performances always made her feel like the show was important.
“Sometimes in this day, it's hard to feel like being a performer is worth it,” Evans, who is now attending the Manhattan School of Music, said. “He makes it feel worth it. To know that there's audience members who are going to be as touched and as invested as he is, I think just really makes being a performer that much more special. To know that someone is appreciating it as much as I am.”
Many may not know Edmunds was diagnosed with cancer in 2018 and was told he had only a couple of years to live, but seven years later, he is still here.
He attributes his health to eating well, exercising, vitamins and of course, the endorphins he gets from his visits to the theater.
For the past 20 years, Edmunds has built his reputation solely through word of mouth, known for his unwavering passion for the arts. Few people are as devoted to anything as he is to attending the theater.
He’s brought joy not only to himself, but to countless others. He is a man whose story is sure to be told for years to come.