Meet Brittni Shambaugh Addison | Education Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brittni Shambaugh Addison and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brittni, how do you think about risk?
I am a strong believer that if you don’t try something, you will never know if it would have worked out. Before I started working at Creede Repertory Theatre, I was living and working full-time in New York City. I wasn’t planning to leave, and I had never even heard of Creede, but I happened to stumble across the job posting and thought to myself “this seems like a dream job.” So I took a risk, and applied in secret. When I was offered an interview, I revealed the secret to my husband, who encouraged me to take the risk. When they offered to fly me out for an in-person visit, I again took the risk. When they offered me the job, my husband and I had a lot of soul-searching to do. We are both professional theatre artists. We were living in the theatre capital of the world. Did we really want to leave to move to a town of 400 people? It was a HUGE risk, but we felt strongly that it was worth it. I would have my dream job. We would have a yard for our dogs to run around in. We would be able to hike, and run, and see the stars in their full glory. It was one of the scariest things we’ve ever done, but we haven’t looked back. It was well worth it!

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 am the Education Director at Creede Repertory Theatre as well as a theatre director and actor. My first theatre experience took place when I was very young (maybe 4 years old?) and my grandparents took me to a production of The Wizard of OZ at a local high school. I was overwhelmed by the production, leaning forward, soaking in every moment, AND I was TERRIFIED of the Wicked Witch. I would close my eyes and try not to cry whenever she was on stage. After the show was over, however, my grandmother took me to use the restroom and there she was! The witch- in all of her 15 year old glory- was in the high school public bathroom washing off her green makeup. I had a moment of realization then and there- she was just like me. I could be her. There was no more “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain;” the curtain was forever gone.

I think about this experience whenever I am creating a piece of theatre. How do I create something that is not just entertainment, but that is a full experience? How can the audience members feel connected and changed by what they see? How truthful, authentic, and honest can we be? Especially when working with young people, how can I bring them in and make sure that they feel seen, represented, valued, and truly a part of something bigger than one show in one location at one moment in time?

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My amazing and supportive husband, Lavour. My strong, brave, and brilliant daughter, Aria. And my mother, Kim, who will always be my greatest inspiration.

Website: https://creederep.org/education/

Image Credits
Randy Merrill John Gary Brown Kate Berry