Conversations with Angie Shriner

Today we’d like to introduce you to Angie Shriner.

Hi Angie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in Indiana, where I rarely felt understood—so, I ended up on a pretty unconventional path.

I cut my teeth in storefront theatre in Chicago and New York, while also working as a corrective exercise specialist and teaching dance fitness. I ran an outreach program for developmentally disabled adults at Envision Chicago, where I taught theatre and dance. I was leading dance fitness “concerts” in Windy City iconic locations like Wrigley Field, Millenium Park, Joes on Weed St. and The Double Door. My first professional role was Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. It was one of the most meaningful chapters of my life, teaching me how powerful creativity can be as a connector.

After leaving theatre to start a band with my then-husband…and a divorce, I went a bit off-grid in Illinois spending time running, trying my hand at stand up comedy, & loving on my two cattle dogs. I taught acting and dance to kids, and even helped build a haunted house inside an abandoned 1930s funeral home. That experience cemented something for me: the full realm of storytelling—the community around it—has always meant more to me than any kind of accolade or approval.

I always thought my life to be fairly usual, but whenever I shared stories with friends, the most common response was: “I’ve never heard anything quite like THAT.” That’s when I realized, maybe I should be writing this down.

After a few years of short-term stints in LA, I finally made a permanent move—landing on the day of the fires in January 2025. This year has truly shaken me to the core and stretched me farther out of my comfort zone than I’ve been in a long time.

When the opportunity came to record my play as a podcast and to teach horror dance aerobics, I was surprised. But it all felt strangely aligned—and it still does. I’ve learned to trust that feeling.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s definitely been a wild ride, not always an easy one. I’m not complaining! The Indiana Jones Adventure Ride is one of my favorites of all time and the queue line video talks about “rough and rugged terrain”, and refers to the journey as “…bumpy”. Yes, it’s bumpy, but it’s still my favorite ride.

I’ve been told I’m too intense, too weird, too funny. (Too…clever?! YIKES.) Essentially, that I should tone it down to be more “marketable.” I don’t really fit the industry’s mold, and for a while, I thought that meant I didn’t belong. I’ve learned to release that story.

There’s been plenty of rejection, burnout, and a handful of day jobs that left me drained…but what a gift to learn to trust the process. Even the messy parts. That’s where the magic happens!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m an actor, writer, and dance fitness instructor. I’d say I specialize in storytelling that’s emotionally raw and a bit surreal. I blend comedy, sensuality, movement, and vulnerability in ways that are playful but deeply human.

I think what sets me apart is that I don’t chase trends or outcome. I chase presence and aliveness. I’m not trying to “get it right”, I’m trying to be honest.

I’m most proud of my play THE SEX WORKER AND THE RHINOCEROS being recorded as a radio play. It’s raw, funny, dreamy, and personal. But I’m just as proud when someone takes one of my dance classes and tells me they fell more at home in their body than they have in years.

I teach a HORROR dance class called TERRORtwist at Killer Fitness. We stab, choke, cannibalize, die…during an exercise class. The fact that I lead people in a room where they feel safe enough to get MORBID as they do cardio dance? A joy. And the fact they leave remarking that they feel “safe” or “alive”? I mean…that’s the work I came here to do.

The heartbeat of everything I do is creating space for people (especially “underdogs”, “outcasts”, and “bad guys”) to feel a little more free, more seen, more alive.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory, believe it or not, is one I’ve never really shared. I’m intense about nostalgia, so it’s interesting I’ve never shared this one…

I was a little kid at the Porter County Fair in Indiana, watching a band I adored: Riders in the Sky. They had this wonderfully strange CBS kids show that, looking back, felt like a Wild West version of Pee-wee’s Playhouse…exactly the kind of quirky, playful magic I’d probably dream up if I made something for kids today.

Before Riders In The Sky became famous for writing and performing “Woody’s Roundup” in Toy Story 2, they were playing the county fair. That evening, out of nowhere, they plucked me from the crowd and carried me up onto the grandstand stage to sing the National Anthem.

There’s something about being a scrappy little girl from nowhere, lifted up by three singing cowboys at sunset, that sparked a deep, cellular shift inside me. It felt like magic. The kind of magic where you realize you belong on stage, where you feel the power of being truly seen, and the thrill of sharing your voice with a crowd.

That moment still lives inside of me!

Contact Info:

• Website: http://angieonawebsite.com
• Instagram: @angie.starheart
• Other: @zangie.starheart TIK TOK, https://killerfitnessla.com/

Image Credits
Photos by Ryan Borque, Cameron Rice, Mela Leval