Meet Shaina Summerville | Actor & Audiobook Narrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shaina Summerville and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shaina, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I grew up in Rolling Meadows, Illinois–a northwest suburb of Chicago. From the time I was about a week old, I spent most of my time at my parents’ violin shop. So I grew up immersed in the arts and my parents were (and are) incredibly supportive of my endeavors–artistic and otherwise. And when I decided I wanted to go to college for Musical Theatre, where many parents criticized them for “allowing” that to happen, they never once batted an eye!

I think that growing up with my parents being their own bosses influenced me to a large extent. I’ve always preferred being my own boss when possible or having some aspect of control over my work life. So, aside from a couple of jobs fresh out of college, I’ve never taken a job where I wasn’t independent contractor status.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I work as a theatre actor (primarily in musicals) and audiobook narrator (primary genres include romantic comedies, YA fiction, and cozy mysteries). I love bringing stories to life with both of my artistic endeavors in different ways.

I just crossed the threshold of having narrated more than 100 audiobooks last month, which was exciting!

Getting to where I am today professionally has not been an easy journey. But my parents have been there for support every step of the way. In my first year out of college, my dad drove me to all sorts of auditions until I was confident to travel alone. Both of my parents encouraged me to continue taking acting classes after college and essentially create my own personalized master’s degree. When I decided to start pursuing voiceover, they helped me design my booth and gifted me my first microphone.

One of the major challenges I struggle with is switching between genres of performing and also dealing with imposter syndrome/bad reviews. By nature, theatre requires a lot of projection and diction, whereas audiobook narration requires quieter speaking and a more conversational style. Overcoming these challenges is still a work in progress that I consistently work on with coaches and practice on my own.

What I’ve learned along the way is that I am always growing. It’s easy to look back at past work and rip it apart–but in all aspects of my career, I continue to grow and improve every day. As long as I do the best I can do at any given moment–that’s all I can do. And not everyone will like you. All you can do is keep moving forward and working for the people who DO enjoy your work.

I’d say my brand seeks to entertain and/or educate the world. Whether onstage or via audiobook, I love allowing other people to escape their own lives for a moment in a good book. Some of my favorite memories growing up involve my parents reading aloud to me, and I love that I can do the same for children and adults alike across a wide variety of genres.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There are so many amazing places in the Chicagoland area!

Chicago has so many amazing theatres! You can of course check out the national tours in town, but I highly encourage checking out the local theatres. Some of my favorites are Steppenwolf, Steep Theatre, and the Marriott Theatre.

Food: Bartoli’s Pizza, 5411 Empanadas, The Bad Apple, Margie’s Candies

Museums/Botanic Gardens: The Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Brookfield Zoo, Morton Arboretum, Garfield Park Conservatory, and the Chicago Botanic Gardens.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my family: my parents Tim & Karen Summerville, and my husband Nathan Boyd.

Website: www.shainasummervillenarration.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shainasummerville/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shainasummerville/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShainaSummerville/

Image Credits
Ian McClaren, CM Stage Photography, Popio Stumpf Photography