Meet Mr. Shucks from the Kernels

Williamsburg native Adam Burnham has a passion for entertainment, on and off stage.

CEDAR RAPIDS — Adam Burnham, the man behind the Mr. Shucks mask, has a true passion for theater.

“I really enjoy entertaining people,” he said. “When this happened, I thought there was no better way to entertain thousands of people at the same time.

Burnham, a 38-year-old from Williamsburg, has been doing theater since he was in high school. Fifteen years ago he moved to Cedar Rapids, but that didn’t stop him from pursuing his ambition.

“I’ve worked in a lot of different community theaters,” Burnham said.

He even appeared as Lonny Barnett in Theater Cedar Rapids’ production of Rock of Ages last year. It was this role that inspired him to become Mr. Shucks.

“I kind of played the role of the fashionable guy, the one that gets everyone excited, and I felt at home doing that. It was really natural to get people excited,” he said. “I thought I wanted to play roles like this, to exaggerate people, to excite them and I mean, what better than Mr. Shucks?”

Although acting was what made him “jump at” the opportunity, it was his talent for running that convinced him of his own abilities. For the past five years, Burnham ran three miles every day, but more often than not his runs were longer.

He even ran a full marathon.

“During COVID, I thought I could continue to do these long distances. I mean, these are four or five hour races without stopping to drink water or anything,” he said. “If I can do this, I can do anything.”

When he’s not being Mr. Shucks, Burnham works as a paraprofessional at Prairie High School in Cedar Rapids. In the past, he also worked as a substitute paraprofessional and worked for Linn-Mar High School.

“It’s my summer gig,” he said of Mr. Shucks.

Although it is only a “summer gig,” Burnham is dedicated to her role.

“I do whatever is asked of me really, no matter what direction people take me,” he said.

However, pleasure is not the only thing that pushes him to continue this role.

“I have no plans to stop anytime soon,” said Burnham, who is in his first year in the role. “It keeps me young and healthy.”

Over the years, Mr. Shucks has been made up of many different men and women. His current look was designed in 2007. The role is a commitment as Mr. Shucks is loved by adults and children.

This season, Burnham was “keen to keep the crowd excited.”