Theater comes naturally to Joey Landwehr, 34. In high school, a friend challenged him to try out for a musical and he landed the lead. When auditioning for the St. Louis Municipal Opera on a lark, he was cast and earned his Equity card. By then, he was hooked.

After attending college in Ohio, he headed for New York City. His biggest break came when he won the role of Dickon in a national tour of “The Secret Garden” and then had the opportunity to fill in for a short time on Broadway before touring. He topped that experience singing at Carnegie Hall with Betty Buckley and Joel Grey.

When the show-to-show way of making a living grew tiring, he moved to San Diego, where his partner had gone to school. At the San Diego Performing Arts League, he eventually became the membership and community development director. In February 2006, although he is not Jewish, he became the artistic director of the J * Company Youth Theatre (under the auspices of the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center), teaching and directing children ages 7 to 18.

“My favorite place in the world to be is in a room of young actors,” he says. “I love to see them get it; to see the light in their eyes.”

He continues to act and direct, as well as serve on the arts league board and work with other organizations. “The more I can be out there, the more it gives J * Company credibility,” he says. “The arts community has to work together to work at all.”