æz ɐ tʃˈaɪld, hiː tˈʊk klˈæsᵻz æt ðɪ ˈɛmi ɡˈɪfɚd tʃˈɪldɹənz θˈiəɾɚ ænd pɚfˈɔːɹmd æt ðɪ ˈoʊmɐhˌɑː kəmjˈuːnᵻɾi plˈeɪhaʊs ænd ðə fˈaɪɚhaʊs dˈɪnɚ θˈiəɾɚ ænd ðə dˈʌndiː dˈɪnɚ θˈiəɾɚ.
As a child, he took classes at the Emmy Gifford Children's Theater and performed at the Omaha Community Playhouse and the Firehouse Dinner Theatre and the Dundee Dinner Theatre.