Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Stott.
Hi Shannon, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
When I guide Improv students through a scene, I remind them that as soon as they step on stage, the world they create is one that is already in medias res. This might be the first time the audience is meeting this character or seeing this world but for the actor, the world around them has a past, the character we are meeting already has habits and dreams. When faced with the “How did you start out” question I think about that. Every story truly begins in the middle of other things. We are influenced and shaped and encouraged and discouraged and hired and fired and all those things are part of what produces our story.
I have been influenced by living all over the world. Scenes from my life range from watching the Maasai dance by firelight to brushing rubble off of my parents as they emerged from a bombing. These stories are not ones that find themselves in the answer to “How did you start out” but they are just as important. They shaped my journey. They are the background to my resilience, they are the foundation of my creativity and vulnerability.
In the face of constant life changes, I discovered ways to fit in when needed, stand out when needed, understand and move through different cultures and through that, still stay true to who I am. I have built a company that guides others to do the same. I’ve learned that you and I deserve to be heard, seen, and respected wherever we are on our journey and I built Improv | On and Off the Stage guiding you to believe that about yourself and others.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Obstacles have hit when I have lost sight of my own worth or clouded my vision of what I do with what others think I should do. The process of discovering who I am is ongoing. When you own your own business, you are also in that process for the business. I’m confronted with that question “what is the business?” all the time, and the answer isn’t the same all the time. I have to be flexible enough to let the business tell me what it is without trying to force it into what I think it should be. Really, I guess it’s the same for me. I have to allow myself to change if needed without judging what the change is or trying to define it rigidly. If you are reading this, I would love to hear your thoughts on change and how you experience and had it in different areas of your life. Where are you rigid? Where are you flexible, where do you wish you were more or less rigid or flexible?
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I own an Improv production company. Improv | On and Off the Stage produces shows, workshops and events that have learning to connect with self and others at their core. Improv, when stripped down, is a practice in connection. My students are performers and nonperformers, the common thread that usually binds them is that they don’t feel heard, seen or respected in some aspect of their lives. The most frequent comment I get during a workshop is “I never knew I could do that”, usually a student is referring to finally showing up as their full selves in a moment. I LOVE Improv. I love it because it can help guide us to truths about who we are and how we move through the world in a way that makes us laugh (which relieves tension) and is very low stakes. Many others who teach Improv are teaching comedy, I am not. My goal isn’t to make you funnier, it’s to guide you in becoming a more connected performer and person.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I’ve learned that asking for help is difficult and necessary.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: shannonstott.com
- Instagram: @improvonandoff
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShannonStottImprov
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ShannonStottImprov
Image Credits
The picture with the audience standing was taken by Steve Rodgers.
