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He was only 22 years old. He could have been an actor. He could have been a voice actor. He could have been a Hollywood actor. He could have been just about anything.
What he was was an actor who captured the hearts of the cast and crew he worked with; a writer and podcaster; and a devoted friend, son and brother. His life ended on November 30, 2022, but his memory will live on.
Local production company Lewis and Young Entertainment has named Wil Wigge its winner of its ‘Peeps in the Peep Sight’ award for January. Harry Lewis and Rex Young nominate someone each month who they believe has contributed to the local theater scene.
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Although Wigge struggled with health issues and navigated life in a wheelchair, he was nonetheless keen to play in the local theatre.
He played Billy, a shrewd teenager, in Valerie Players’ summer 2022 production of “On Golden Pond” and told a columnist at the time that his character was “this obnoxious kid who likes to smash people’s chops…and is not too far from me.
Harry Lewis, who cast and directed Wigge on the show, said: “Wil was a brilliant guy. He had so much potential in him. »
Lewis mentioned Wigge’s podcast on Spotify, “The Heralds,” and said he had shared role-playing books with Wigge.
“He was in all the movies and books and I love that stuff. … He was a big nerd. And I love a nerd. … I miss him so much.”
Holly Sherwood, who played wife and mother Ethel Thayer on ‘On Golden Pond’, said Wigge was “truly an inspiration.”
She said during rehearsals, Wigge had “caught a flu bug or something, but he was like, ‘I can do this. Let’s go.'”
Wigge was a “real trouper,” she said. “He had the best attitude when he probably should have been the one with the worst attitude. We were all looking forward to working with him.”
“On Golden Pond” assistant director Rex Young said Wigge was “a dream actor. He took over. He took it seriously. He learned his lines and he asked if anything was unclear. Everyone loved Wil. It was just a joy to be with him.
Young said “On Golden Pond” is not a comedy, but Wil “brought light to the show. … He was a good person. And he had an amazing sense of humor.
Young said he was looking for an agent to represent Wigge because “I could see Wil going to Hollywood to do movies. He had that kind of personality.
According to Young, it is often said that when someone dies young, they have missed a lot of life. But for Young, “Wil was a real character. Much life has been missed because of his passing. He could have done amazing things.
William “Wil” Dahman Wigge graduated in 2018 from Carroll High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is survived by his parents, Bryan and Sara Wigge of Crystal River; his brothers Saige (Stephanie) and Asher Wigge; his niece, Ruth; and her grandmothers, Marilyn Long and Annette Wigge.
A video tribute naming Wil Wigge January’s “Peep in the Peep Sight” can be viewed on the Lewis and Young website, www.lyeusa.com.
