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Member Spotlight!
Theatre Charleston's February Member of the Month is
SHAWN STONER.
Shawn has been an active member of Theatre Charleston since March of 2011. Click here view his profile on our actor database, and check out our recent interview with him below.
How did you get started in theatre? Tell us a little about your theatre background.
When I was in Middle school I a scene from The Diary of Anne Frank. I fell in love with Acting. It was not until High School though that I actually starting taking classes. To be honest when I signed up for the class I thought it was going to be geared more towards film or tv acting, but to my pleasant surprise it was a theatre class. At first, I thought "Oh God this is not at all what I was hoping for". Time went on and I learned more about theatre and all the hard work it takes to be in show and to help with the set, costumes, and make-up and again I fell in love, but this time with theatre not just acting. My teacher, Bob Blue, later became my mentor and best friend. His love for theatre was contagious and seaped through his skin and jumped into anyone who was willing to catch it. I owe my passion and deep love and respect for the theatre to him. He taught me too much and never asked for anything in return. A true teacher. After High School I went to Appalachian State University in Boone, NC and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Arts. It is an amazing school with a lot to offer and beautiful scenery to inspire the best work in you. After I graduated I moved back home to the Raleigh area of North Carolina. There I became a part of Raleigh Ensemble Players Theatre, an incredible company. I think it is here where I first really honed in on my craft, with the help of an out of this world Director Glen Mathews and cast and crew mates who support and love you no matter what. It was here that I was able to watch seasoned actors do amazing work and learn from them as they performed. Just watching them and seeing how good they are and striving to be just as good. Glen Mathews pushed me to be better, to make myself available to all the avenues of acting. He is very much an 'in your face' director, but in the best possible way. He has this way of making you the best you can be...not just striving to be, but actually going the extra mile and unlocking what is inside of you. After Raleigh I moved to Charleston where I have been welcomed with open arms into the theatre community.
I think this is a tie right now, between Howard in Moon Over Buffalo and Student 1/Romeo in Shakespeare's R&J. I played Howard in college and absolutely loved him. The show is a comedy and Howard is the character that, in my opinion, takes the show to the next level of hilarity. He was amazingly fun to play. A small part so I got spend a lot of time really figuring him out and working on his quirks. Student 1/Romeo is on the other end of the spectrum. I was able to explore a much more serious character. This show takes place at a Catholic boys school. There are only 4 people in the show, all male, telling the story and playing all of the rolls in Romeo and Juliet. It is fun to see how each character handles certain themes of the show. For example, how the two playing Romeo and Juliet handle the kiss. It was a great challenge to play different roles in the same show and to get to a point in my acting that I had never been before.
What are you working on now and where can we see you?
Do you have any advice for new actors to the community?
Get involved. Charleston is very open to new Actors. I myself have only been here since March 2011 and I am working on my third show. It is a great Theatre community that will open its doors and heart to you. Go to the unified audition, because it exposes you to people you need to know as a new actor here. Make friends and most of all have fun.
