If this was a profile of a gardener, he might be considered a “late bloomer.”

Although Steve Aguirre doesn’t have early memories of performing (except for playing an insect in his first grade play), and did not participate in his high school shows, his performances in the last several years notably display his broad talent and versatility.

Born in Allentown, Aguirre graduated as a Music Theory student from William Allen High School in 2007. Having been “coerced” to join the choir in his senior year, Aguirre remembers helping out — but also getting kicked off the stage crew — probably, he concedes, for “horsing around too much.”

During high school, he played guitar in a garage band, and played at a local club every couple of months.

After high school, Aguirre took a few classes at Lehigh Carbon Community College, and eventually enrolled at Kutztown University in 2010.

He changed his major a few times, ranging from Elementary Education to Criminal Justice, and eventually landing on English Literature. “I always liked being a writer,” Aguirre says. “I wanted to take the time to learn something in college that felt useful to me.”

Responding to a friend’s dare, Aguirre auditioned for a children’s music club The Sunshine Players, which travelled to local elementary schools to perform plays for children. He got the part playing “a goofy train car that made ‘Coo Coo Cachoo’ noises and I fell in love with performing.”

He got cast in a few other roles before graduating, including the Main Stage production of “Black Comedy” in his final semester.

Also while he was in college, he auditioned for a traveling performing group Metamorphosis Trave­ling Company, based out of Reading. Aguirre was initially named as a temporary replacement for one man in the three person cast, which toured colleges throughout Pennsylvania. Metamor­phosis made presentations to parents and freshman, offering varying, sometimes unsettling, viewpoints on hot button topics, including racism, sexism, consent and relationships.

After touring with Metamorphosis for three years off and on, Aguirre performed at Lock Haven University several times a week during the 2014 summer. “I remember feeling financially thankful for this theatre gig, as I made a living at it for two months. And as brief as it was, it felt real and remarkable to be a working actor.”

During the summer of 2015, Aguirre worked as a professional singer/dancer/entertainer at Knoebel’s Amusement Resort, singing songs from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s on a small stage, while wearing gold jackets in 95 degree weather with virtually no shade.

After college and with no employment lined up, Aguirre agreed to audition for The Courtyard’s production of “Rent.” He was cast as Tom Collins (“one of my favorite roles”) and it was during this production that he met his future wife, Brandy.

Other Courtyard productions include: “1776,” “You Can’t Take It With You,” “Cabaret,” “The Rocky Horror Show,” and “The 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”

For the Riverstage Community Theater, Aguirre was cast in “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940,” “The Pavilion,” “Of Thee I Sing” and “The Pirates of Penzance.”

Aguirre also played principal roles as John Hinckley Jr. in “Assassins” for the Pennsylvania Theater of the Performing Arts and Heindrich in “The Gift of Christkindl” for The National Historic Theatre.

Recently, the 28 year old versatile performer has often been seen on-stage and backstage at the Williamsport’s Community Theater.

Aguirre has performed in CTL musicals “The Adams Family” and “Avenue Q.”

Last summer, he was cast as Professor Harold Hill in “The Music Man”, and played Clopin in this season’s opener “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

Aguirre made his directing debut with “Black Comedy” for RiverStage.

Co-directing with his wife the SPROUTS show “Elf Jr, the Musical,” Aguirre was also in the CTL’s director’s chair for the recent Studio Series production of “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.”

Next up for Aguirre is directing “Fame,” the Community Theatre League’s summer youth intensive production.

It is likely a carryover from his roles with Metamorphosis when his character constantly offered challenging viewpoints, that Aguirre today always strives to make characters he portrays “authentic and emotionally compelling.” And when, in those instances, the audience gives a huge emotional response, Steve Aguirre fondly remembers how he felt then (and now) that “art can truly heal, mend and cause (a) kind of catharsis.”