During the day, Shannon teaches math and science to a fantastic bunch of 6th graders. On the weekends, she performs with several long-form improv groups including "Two Girls at Once" and, up until recently, "Hit & Run: Musical Improv." She's also the founder and director of Denver's own "Makeshift Shakespeare" which you'll have to see to believe, as well as a cast member of Season 2 of "Denver's Next Improv Star." Shannon loves helping stray dogs, Vivaldi's oboe concertos, all things Scottish, and her freakishly adorable twins. And no, that’s not her real hair color. Duh. How were you first introduced to improvisation?
My very, very first introduction to improv was in high school when, for some strange reason, the principal allowed a non-teacher-actor-type from Chicago to run a production. He decided to create a sketch comedy in the style of The Second City. It was the first theater thing I had ever tried out for (I was 16) , and for a shy, nerdy girl like myself, it was like spreading my wings for the first time. Corny, but true. After that, during college, I would often drive to Denver from CU Boulder just to see Impulse Theater (then called Comedy Sports). I think my sense of what's funny has also been largely shaped by the fact that, as a child, my family religiously watched Monty Python's Flying Circus and SCTV.
Was doing musical improv with Hit and Run Improv a stretch for you or did you always enjoy singing?
I have always enjoyed singing, but that doesn't mean Hit and Run wasn't scary. Making up songs on the spot is terrifying the first few times you do it. But when you get to the point where you can make up a song, create a chorus and harmonies, and trust that the people you're playing with will be right there, it is truly an amazing thing. I miss this group terribly, but I believe that improvisation is largely a personal journey, and nothing lasts forever. It's part of the whole "leap, and the net will appear" philosophy. You don't just leap once, and then get comfortable. You leap again and again and again.
How have you enjoyed the experience of performing in Denver's Next Improv Star at the Bovine Metropolis Theater?
DNIS is one of the most exciting and thrilling things I have ever done as an improviser. Period.
What should someone expect from a Makeshift Shakespeare performance?
When one sees the men of Makeshift Shakespeare in action, it should be an almost religious experience. These guys have studied Shakespeare and worked very hard together to create a form that rises above typical long form. What you will see when you attend a Makeshift Shakespeare performance is an hour-long play in the style of Shakespeare himself, improvised completely in the moment, based on an audience member's suggestion for a title. It is truly amazing to see five men creating Shakespearean characters, plot twists, deceptions, gender confusions, love triangles, shipwrecks, etc., out of thin air. And an hour later, you've seen a full play - beginning, middle, and end. As the founder and director, you'd think I'd have gotten used to it by now...but I still walk away from every performance reeling.
What lessons have you learned from improvisation that assist you in directing?
I think every director of an improv group comes at things in their own way. As a director, I originally put a lot of thought into selecting the cast and carefully crafting our journey into Shakespeare's plays. Our process was very intense and the learning curve was fairly steep. Since we opened, I have put more of my energies into tweaking the form, sending out minor and personal notes to each player, encouraging the men to form "manly" bonds by getting out of their way during pre-show warm-ups, and generally acting as a scheduler/cheerleader/fluffy-shirt-washer/mom. I feel confident both in their abilities as improvisers and in each of their desires to contribute to making this show breathtakingly impressive, and that confidence allows me to hand over more of the reins as it feels right.
What is it like being a mom and an improviser?
I started improvising when my kids were three. (They're twins.) It was, more than anything, a way for me to find myself after three years of intense full-time "momming" which, while rewarding in and of itself, can also be a bit identity-altering. Since the very beginning of my journey as a performing improviser, my kids have been right there. My first performance ever was as an understudy in "Dark Side of the Moo" in 2006 while I was still taking classes at the Bovine. My kids came to see that show, and they have come to every single production I've been in since. I love that they see me taking risks and being silly. I love that they are learning that it's fun to be fearless, to love to create, to collaborate with others. So while improv started out as something I did for myself, it's ended up being something I am so very proud to be able to share with my kids.
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