We recently had the chance to connect with Emily Shackelford and have shared our conversation below.
Emily, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Painting. I feel the most relaxed when I fool myself into thinking that I’m only focusing on one thing at a time; mixing a color, matching what is on my page with what I see or imagine. Everything else in my life falls away to the background, and if I’m really in a flow, I’ll feel like I’m in the painting. When I see my finished paintings again, sometimes after years of not seeing them, I remember them the way a topographer might remember the piece of land they rendered into a map – This might sound cliche but I don’t know how else to correctly describe it than to say: the paintings I’ve made feel like places I’ve been. And the secret power of spending devoted time on a singular act, like painting, and letting myself be hyper-focused on it, is that it allows me to be in a relaxed-enough state of mind to process other problems subconsciously. I’ll finish a painting and have a breakthrough idea (breakthrough for me lol) about how to solve a staging puzzle (something really serious like, pizza boxes! that are train wheels! and they will light up!) in a theatrical show I’m working on. Thinking can solve puzzles, but so can not-thinking.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Emily Shackelford, I am a theater director, performer and visual artist. I currently work as the Artistic Operations Manager at Music Theater Heritage in Kansas City, MO. We produce the most celebrated musicals, all year round, through our creative and intimate presentations. What I am working on right now – I am directing the first show of our very exciting 2026 Season: THE FANTASTICKS. I love this musical, I played Luisa in the KCRep’s production in 2016. It’s a beloved piece of theater, it’s poetic and beautiful, some of my favorite songs ever are from this show: “Try to Remember” and “They Were You”. We have been in pre-production for the past few months, planning the design elements with our talented creative team: Scenic by Yi-Chien Lee, Lighting by Michelle Harvey, Costuming by Stripes Wilson, and Sound Design by Thomas Newby. We begin rehearsals in January, and we’ll be in performance February 5th to the 22nd! Please come see it.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
Earliest memory of feeling powerful? I wrote my first play as a kid and typed it up and figured out how to make copies, and I enlisted one of my younger brothers and some neighbor kids to read the lines, and we put on a mini play in the grass, in the backyard. Couldn’t tell you what the play was about; I don’t remember. I don’t know if we even forced anyone to watch it – but, that first experience of imagining something in my mind, and then seeing it animated by my friends, felt like magic. That feeling, of making theater for the first time as a kid, is what I’m hoping to crystallize in this upcoming production of THE FANTASTICKS. The piece celebrates and requires simple storytelling, and is traditionally presented without a set. That’s how we felt as kids making theater in a backyard of grass: imagination does all the work. This “playing in the backyard” was my jumping off point for the whole design.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
What fear has held me back artistically? Probably the fear that I don’t know enough about a thing to be allowed to do it. Or that people will judge me for being bad at something that I want to be good at.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
A misguided belief I had when I was younger was that: a true artist does it all by themself and doesn’t have any help. I have since learned that that is actually impossible, and an insane, self-centered, and limiting way to try to move through life. Especially in the arts. Art is an exchange, a mutual giving, a sharing on and on and on. To have ever thought I could have a fulfilling artistic life devoid of collaborating with others, or without the help, teachings, input, and gifts from others, is honestly hilarious.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. How do you know when you’re out of your depth?
How do I know when I’m out of my depth in directing theater? First I should say, I feel out of my depth a lot, and I’m grateful for it – I am very lucky to be charged with increasingly challenging projects – how else would I grow. I know I’m “out of my depth” because I’m researching, I’m reading, I’m talking with my friends about my ideas, I’m seeking advice, I’m working the problems, I’m studying and preparing, and I have that excited feeling that I wouldn’t have if I was *in* my depth. This upcoming production of THE FANTASTICKS at Music Theater Heritage has the makings to be very unique and magical. You can visit musictheaterheritage.com/project/the-fantasticks/ for tickets. We will be running from February 5th to February 22nd!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://emilyshackelford.com
- Instagram: @emilyareti
- Other: https://musictheaterheritage.com/project/the-fantasticks/
Image Credits
Vaughan Harrison
Joey Schmidt
Andrés Rivas-Cruz
Don Ipoc
MaryAnn Traxler
