By Shauntia Mettlin
My love for the stage started at a very young age. During a typical Sunday morning at our church, my mom frequently sang solos during the service. Often times, I would end up following her on stage and sit behind her as she sang her heart out. For some reason, they thought it would be a great idea to give me a microphone and let me sing “I Am A Promise” alongside her. From that point on, I have always been drawn to performing and being on stage. (Thanks mom)!
In high school, I started acting in the fall plays and always ended up with those small, humorous roles. They were the roles where you didn’t always get a ton of stage time, but when you did, the amounts of laughs you got were worth every second of it! Our director, Nikki Lee, taught me that no role is too small and it’s all about making your stage time count.
Once I started teaching band at Saratoga in Morris, IL, I stepped into the role of director. I never knew how rewarding theatre really was until I started working with young, passionate minds who were eager and fearless on stage. From Seussical Jr, to Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr, to Wizard of Oz, my love for theatre has flourished into what it is today because of the awesome kids and staff I have been fortunate enough to work with over the past five years. There truly is nothing more rewarding than seeing the success of your students!
I have been involved with Acting Out Theatre Co. since the start. Into the Woods was the first time I had the opportunity to work behind the scenes as Sound Tech. My involvement with these fabulous people has continued into Sleepy Hollow, It’s A Wonderful Life, Sweeney Todd, Les Miserable and many more to come.
As Frank L. Baum says “ It’s not where you go, but who you meet along the way.” I see my journey through theatre not as a destination, but an opportunity to meet like minded people who are passionate and dedicated to storytelling. I am excited to take these next steps with Acting Out Theatre Co. and officially joining the board of an organization that I have forever thought of as family.