Today we’d like to introduce you to Milo Shearer.
Hi Milo, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in the theater, from a very young age witnessing and taking part in the circus of storytelling. Make-believe was a constant in my world and I got to see its beauty and the community that nurtures it as a way of life.
I also got to see the difficulty in sustaining a life with its trappings and milestones, so when I left for university, I decided to stay in the neighbourhood, but pursue an adjacent degree in film production, so I could get a knowledge base that had a little more security in employment- also a compromise with the unyeilding chorus of adults surrounding me insisting a life in performing arts could only lead to ruin and unhappiness.
I kept acting and singing through uni, but upon graduation decided to try chasing down the work I had trained for, albeit during a recession. I did the jobs, started to make some headway to bigger opportunities in the entertainment industry; the money and security was getting better, but I wasn’t happy and it took a while to wrestle with why. 5 years out of regular performance of nearly any kind, I got a call inviting me to audition for a show. Immediately I was invigouraged- That feeling of expression and purpose ignited. I was cast, and spent the next few months training and rehearsing and getting back into the place I felt home. After that I knew I had to make changes.
I became involved in local theatre companies, auditioned for more opportunities, made more connections, and rejoined the uncertain life as an artist. I traded some security in employment and finance for the day jobs that make ends meet while starting the path to where I belonged. Along the way I’ve been able to explore so much about myself and my passion and need for storytelling as a way of life, and along that way so far I have been a part of some amazing things: Small evenings of artists gathering, original musicals, films, commercials, viral ad campaigns made exclusively for SnapTokGram, taking a show on an incredible run Off-Broadway. It’s nice to see what I have been fortunate to contribute to and create, even if the goalpost always moves. That feeling of “what’s next?”
The world grinding to a halt in 2020 has been a big hiccup I still feel. The uncertainty in the entertainment industry that still looms, the dearth of activity makes those questions of survival and stability ever-present. And I have evolved and changed as a performer as the landscape of entertainment has been in flux these recent years. I am very lucky to have had – for a little while now – a regular gig in live performance that helps keep bills paid. It is a blessing to be able to perform while working on the next project, the next audition, and thank goodness little by little it seems like there are more projects to work on, more auditions coming in.
After all this time, working with other artists, finding community, rediscovering myself and the world, I’m excited to continue forward; to create, tell stories, sing songs, build this realm of whimsy.
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?
The Cliche answer of Covid quarantine as a huge bump in the road that triggered and exacerbated so many shifts in the entertainment landscape, certainly. I came out of the closed world a different casting type than which I entered, and I’m still learning the ways I want to and can inhabit this new space that still feels like it’s in the process of opening back up.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m predominantly an Actor and Singer, with all the associated implications of working on Stage and Screen, voiceover, music.
Learning guitar has been quite fulfilling on its own, and I try to enjoy it in and of itself, while valuing its addition to my repertoire professionally. I do a lot of singing performance and I always wanted to be able to accompany myself.0ⁿ
I had an opportunity over the course of some years to perform in a Game of Thrones Musical Parody that in its most recent incarnation was called Shame of Thrones and had an amazing run Off-Broadway, it also gave me a family of artists that I cherish and am still surrounded and uplifted by.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
There are so many people who have made my successes so far possible, partners, teachers, family and friends, I think the greatest help and inspiration are the artists I have been lucky to work with. I try to follow their example of ambition, aspiration- and the belief that we do some thing that needs to be done. It’s reassuring to see others know that ever more so, telling stories, profound or mirthful is an essential part of our world.
Image Credits
Image 2 credit Peter Berube
