He's the man of 1,000 faces: Meet Twin Cities actor Reed Sigmund's 10 favorite characters

In "Sneetches," Reed Sigmund plays Diggitch, a character who has been oppressed so long that "his light is on life support but he wants to find a way to help people and change society," he said. We asked him to comment on some of the characters he's played in 17 years as a Children's Theatre Company member:

The Grinch in "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas"

"It's one of those roles that allow me to have fun and do some audience interaction. It's also such a well-rounded role. I get to explore the psyche of a character and find the heartbeat there."

Dorcas (pictured at right) in "Cinderella"

"While most of the world tells her she's ugly and worthless, she maintains a sense of self-confidence. She's loud and proud of who she is."

Ernie (left) in "Bert & Ernie, Goodnight!"

"He's a playful, pure soul who looks for the best in everyone and celebrates others' differences. He has such a big heart."

"I'm a bit of a pacifist even though I have a black belt in karate. To play a character with so much fire and aggression was a challenge, but a fun and exciting one."

The Boy in "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"

"Growing up, I was a big fan of physical comedy, whether Three Stooges, Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin. I also loved the comedic duos of Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy. To get to do this show with Dino [Dean Holt], the absolute master at physical comedy, and to work with [director Peter Brosius], spending 90 minutes onstage making an absolute mess, what a good time. And the kids' squealing because they were thrilled and appalled at what we were doing is unmatched in my time."

Rooster in "Annie"

"He's a con man but not a very successful one, since he served time in prison. A lot of my characters are clumsy, but he was slick and a very good dancer. For a slimy character, he was so much fun."

"Another baddie, but one who's a complete weakling. Everyone does everything for him, including bathing him. But he had one of the evilest minds, getting everyone to pay taxes, taxes, taxes, and he used the sheriff as muscle."

The Cowardly Lion in "The Wizard of Oz"

"He's supposed to be brave, but feels like a failure until his friends' lives are at stake. As the saying goes, bravery is not the absence of fear, but the overcoming of it."

Toad in "A Year With Frog and Toad"

"In today's society, whether it's high school sports or whatever, you're pushed to be tough, to win but not be vulnerable. Toad manages to capture the insecurities that we all have. He's beautifully vulnerable."