Ed Backell

Ed Backell is a Washington state native, and has taught as a minister for 30 years in churches in Oregon, Washington and Nebraska, most recently in Warden, WA. He has traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada with various musical groups. As a youth minister, he specialized in creating teen performance groups that helped students use their gifts and talents to explore and share their own faith. He holds an M. Div. from Bethel Seminary in St Paul, MN, as well as an M. A. in Ministry. His performance credits are from regional theatre productions; Ed has been involved as Harry Bright in Mamma Mia (2019), Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady (2018), the Rabbi in Fiddler on the Roof (2017), the lead in Shrek (2016), as Marcellus Washburn for The Music Man (2013) for the Basin Community Theatre troupe in Eastern Washington. He also performed lead roles in Guys and Dolls (2006), Great Big Doorstep (2006), and God's Favorite (2003) for the Evergreen Playhouse in Centralia, Washington. in 1992, he worked with Don Ingalls, producer of Fantasy Island, on a small video production called "Harmony". He was a featured player in Hat Club Productions, an improv murder mystery troupe in Centralia; has played many supporting roles in Arsenic and Old Lace, Accidentally Yours, and many other shows throughout a 45 year career as an actor. He is married to Jami, his bride of more than 32 years, and they have three daughters. Elizabeth, Rachel, and Jandica. Ed is a creative person, avid musician, published author, voracious reader, computer geek, and a pretty darn good ethnic cook!