Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

Magic happens (like empathy, compassion, respect, passion, trust…) when we take a moment to listen to one another, acknowledge our specific existence in the world without judgment, and respect each other

Sometimes it is the show, sometimes it is the actor who connects with you, or me in this case. I find that when it is the actor, I want to know more so I invite them to complete a Q&A. Admittedly, I’m curious about why their performance resonated with me. But I also feel, in my gut, that there is something to share with the general community. As I’ve said many times before, convincing you to explore the local arts is one of my underlying goals.

First, I met Shammen McCune in The Hobbit as Gandalf and other roles. But I didn’t know it. Then, I saw the delightful The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley at City Theatre, the second in a holiday trilogy paying homage to Pride and Prejudice. She was in one of the lead roles as Mrs. Reynolds, the longtime housekeeper at Pemberley. She makes an appearance in the novel, motivating Elizabeth to rethink her opinion of Mr. Darcy.

In this play, she’s a focus point in the dramedy. That’s when Sarah pointed out The Hobbit connection. My mind immediately went to the work that must have gone into playing two significant roles back to back (and a month later, she starred in a third.) Who has that talent and stamina?

While we often meet actors speaking words others have written, perhaps we should make more of an effort to ask them about themselves. There’s a robustness, a tenacity even that must be more than the roles that they inhabit. The next time we encounter them on stage, we’ll bring that understanding of them as artists with us.

Let me add that Shammed returned a perfectly formatted Q&A, a first for this 20 year blog. She’s now in the pantheon of my artist collective Q&A, definitely setting the bar high for elected officials and others who dare to dance with me. Is that a saying? It is now! Formatting is much underappreciated skill.

Name: Shammen McCune 

Pronouns: she/her/hers

How do you describe your identity? 

Multi-faceted and ever evolving. 

At the moment, multi-racial badass single Momma.

What was your first impression of Pittsburgh? What brought you here? 

We – then spouse, myself, two toddler sons, and a rescued cat (from neglect in a pet store in Cincinnati, Ohio) – moved here so aforementioned then spouse could attend Point Park University to get his MFA. 

First impression: so hilly! And it reminded me a lot of Milwaukee, Wisconsin: blue collar, neighborhood-y, hard-working, abnormally loyal to their sports teams, beautiful architecture and history, family friendly, decent food (however, not even close to my  grandmother’s pierogis. Yes, you read that correctly: my grandmother was Polish. Let’s save the kielbasa chat for another time).

What Pittsburgh creators – writers, musicians, poets, etc – have influenced your work? Is there anyone with whom you’d like to collaborate? 

As insular as the theater world of Pittsburgh is (all theaters have their favorites as most regional hubs do), I didn’t have the debutante introduction for several years after we moved here; I was busy holding down the home fort and raising two young dudes. Other than being fans of, you know, the obvious choices of Lena Horne, August Wilson, Billy Strayhorn, and Gene Kelly (Gene Kelly inspired my oldest son’s name and no, it’s not Gene. That belongs to my youngest son but it’s a translation from Irish, but that, too, another story), I can’t say that there are artist’s that have influenced my work per se, but there are many whose words I have been privileged enough to speak and witness but many, many more than are unknown to me. I enjoy watching friends and colleagues and acquaintances excel in their craft, although I do not get out as much as I should to cheer them on. The number of people I’d like to create with is everyone! And those yet to come are innumerable.

You are well known for your affiliation with Shakespeare productions. It is challenging to think of a Shakespeare question that hasn’t been asked a million times. What question would you ask Pittsburgh theater goers about Shakespeare?

Are these questions asked before or after they see a show? 

It wouldn’t be one but layered with followups: What drew you to see this production…now? What did you like? What didn’t you care for? Why? What themes stood out to you? Did you understand what you were seeing? What would you have liked to see more of? Is this your first Shakespeare play? When were you introduced to Shakespeare, what play was it, and what do you remember? Do you think you’ll come to another? 

What could I have done to help you understand the play? What could I do outside of the theater to help you understand the play?

You see…I could keep going…and did.

You’ve also been tied to several innovative choices to challenge traditional casting norms including all-female productions and a direct challenge to the voices of the canon. Why does Pittsburgh lend itself to these experiments?

I don’t necessarilty feel that it’s Pittsburgh that lends itself to social experiments. Lots of creatives are experimenting with as many diverse forms of art as there are creatives all over the planet; in some places, an experiment like this would land you in prison. It might be more connected to the feeling of the production team/director that it was the right time, befitting a mood of the country – at large – (#metoo, BLM, I See You WAT, being standouts) that made it easier to make that decision to cast a certain way when, in theory, to me, it’s also the “flavor of the month.” Again, to me, it shouldn’t be anything special, shouldn’t be a big deal. We were female presenting actors telling a story historically told by male presenting peeps. Yes, granted, perspectives will be altered a titch through whatever biased lens a patron brings in with them. But…ok. And…? Did we tell the story? I might also add, not to be obtuse, what the hell qualifies as “normal” anymore?

Your LinkedIN profile describes you as a Resident Teaching Artist. Please tell us about your teaching and the impact your students have on your own acting career.

Finding teaching late (to societal norms), I’ve been fortunate enough to be asked to teach workshops and classes with young performers as well as college students and seasoned adults in the disciplines of Voice & Speech, Shakespeare/First Folio, Acting, and Voice Acting. The impact that students have on me? They help support my evolution as an artist, as an actor, as a human being. Magic happens (like empathy, compassion, respect, passion, trust…) when we take a moment to listen to one another, acknowledge our specific existence in the world without judgement, and respect each other. It’s a marvelous gift being a teacher. To say that I am grateful is a monumental underestimation.

You recently did back to back major roles, first as Gandallf at Pittsburgh Public Theater’s ‘The Hobbit’ and then immediately turning to City Theatre to bring Austen housekeeper Mrs.Reynolds to life in ‘Pemberley at Christmas’ – that seems like A LOT. Both were ensembles, but your roles were significant. How do you manage it?

The most difficult thing to manage was scheduling; there was an entire month where I wasn’t in our classroom. That stung a bit. 

The last time this happened was in the last century – literally. When abundance presents itself, rock that! The stars aligned so I could have those opportunities.

‘The Hobbit’ was a unique take on the Tolkien novel within a quasi dungeons and dragons framework. Gandalf is literally one of the great white old men of fantasy and 20th century fiction.Tolkien barely acknowledged female characters in his writing, but filled Middle Earth with diversity in his own way. You stepped into the role of Gandalf as a BIPOC person of Indigenous descent. How does that impact the story’s relevancy to modern audiences?

If I may amend: Greg Banks, the playwright of this adaptation, purposefully chose to make Gandalf female presenting (there’s another interview there); D&D came from the production team at the Public Theater. 

Akin to the question about all-female productions, being a person of Black, Indigenous, and vast European countries’ descent, and highlighting the checked boxes of flavor-of-the-month-diversity in casting, was the choice of the casting director. As much as I’d like to believe (perhaps naively) it’s because of what skills I brought to the project as an actor first, it reflects what our current society is: stupendously diverse and filled with imagination much like Tolkien’s worlds. If we can imagine/create worlds with different beings and creatures, personalities and character, it shouldn’t be difficult living in a world with differences, should it? If we’d only take a moment to notice how similar we aren’t rather than highlighting the differences. 

One of the first days of rehearsal at the Public, after the design presentations, we all sat in a circle in the rotunda and chose who we, as human beings, identified as: Wizard, Dwarf, Elf, Hobbit (notice I did not mention Wargs, Orcs, Goblins, or Trolls….hmmm) and how we all reveled in each other’s choices and whoops of laughter when people agreed. Would we not, if we were these beings/creatures, work together, socialize together, love and respect each other? In creative & performing arts, we have the unbelievable opportunity, if we’re brave enough and have the slightest kernel of self awareness, if we allow ourselves to be open to the possibility, of seeing people we know, love, dislike, (dare I use the ‘h’ word?) remember fondly, are bereft that we have lost, have crushes on, admire, respect, idolize, avoid…of seeing ourselves, and a greater possibility to heal, evolve, think, wonder, love, change…Gandalf, Bilbo, Thorin, Balin, Kili, Fili, Dwalin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Oin, Gloin, Dori, Ori, and Nori: Wizard, Hobbit, Dwarf (and sometime Elves) discovered.

What a world it could be. 

I’m a big fan of the ‘Pemberley at Christmas’ plays although I’ve only seen two of the three so far. You brought Mrs. Reynolds, housekeeper of Pemberley, to life, expanding a very minor role into a fresh perspective on a familiar storyline. What does this character bring to the Austen universe?

The playwrights, Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon admitted (we were giddy with delight at a ZOOM meeting with them during our rehearsal process) that Mrs. Reynolds was the most fun to write. Like many who run the household in any number of stories of this era, not seen but felt, to this adaptation, Mrs. Reynolds brings love: of the three sons she has helped raise (that we see in this play) in Fitzwilliam Darcy, George Wickham, and sweet, kind Brian and the firm, no nonsense way she does so, lovingly adopts Elizabeth as a daughter, grows to respect Mrs. Wickham as Lydia (and not the protected flibbertygibbet she has been) AND runs at that time, would be the largest estate outside of the palace (please, Lindsay Barr, our dramaturg, correct me if I am wrong). That’s no small feat! And yet, Mrs. Reynolds teaches as she tends to everyone’s needs and anticipates wants, reminding each person of their place and pride in that knowledge, respects the humanity of those under her care, and somehow, is open just enough to learn about herself, admit her faults, and not just feel but know that she is respected and loved, in return.

That’s a pretty good life. And all without a romantic partner.

More than a few patrons hinted that Mrs. Reynolds should have her own play. 

As the third play in this series focuses on Georgiana Darcy whom Mrs Reyolds helped to raise and clearly loves, should we expect you to return to the role next year?

Sadly, no one is going to give me that kind of inside information but I’ll take the shoutout in my favor.

What’s next for you as an actor?

Recently closed a sold out run of Jen Silverman’s WITCH at Carnegie Stage, co-produced with Ken Bolden, Max Pavel, and Ingrid Sonnichsen (who also directed). Shammen is continuing their Intimacy Director program with IDC, adapting THE BARREN GROUNDS by David A. Robertson for the stage in collaboration with First Stage, and studying the First Folio and other classical works with two mentors, Anne Occhiogrosso-Kim and Randall Duke Kim, two surviving co-founders of American Players Theater in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

How do the arts contribute to a livable city? How does racial justice intersect these contributions?

Like many population centers, the arts contribute to the economy of livable city, of course: Taylor friggin’ Swift broke a concert record (at the formerly known stadium that in my youth was Three Rivers…) and that brought in…$46 million to the area. In two days. 

The contribution of the arts to a livable city is its heart, what it beats for: our mental well being, processing our emotions, helping us navigate a most confusing world.

Audiences pick and choose which creative endeavor where they see themselves and where they feel most comfortable, and yes, what they can afford.

There are loads of other -isms within demographics, for example colorism, which cloud racial justice progress (but that’s…another time). You must look for those intersections, because they also remain firmly segregated for audiences because audiences are too timid to venture somewhere (different part of town) they do not feel welcome, are not welcome (different cities/states), have little/no access (economic status, transportation limitations), have limited knowledge (exposure), and/or feel too uncomfortable (uh-oh, gotta sit with those emotions).

Two thoughts: 

August Wilson. Pittsburgh’s Shakespeare. 

His are quite demographically definitive stories AND they cross all humanity.  BUT, how many non-black folks will go out of their way to see a play of his, visit the museum that bears his name, try to understand the history Hill District, or are taught in schools (i.e. History, English, Economics) because they believe they can’t have anything in common beginning with the color of their skin?

We saw it in 1969 when Mr. Rogers (a very light skinned person) had his feet in the same kiddie pool as a black man.

Two quotes from the brilliant Viola Davis: 

“…You can only shine if you’re included in the narrative, and narratives start when you put pen to paper and you use your imagination. You just tell a story. That’s all you do. You tell a story. You don’t put any boundaries on it. It’s infinite and that’s the only way we can do what we do is that people use their imaginations so that we can be included in it.” —to Essence.com in 2015

“The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity.” —during her speech at 67th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards

That is why this document was drafted –https://www.weseeyouwat.com/.

Tell us about the first LGBTQ person you met and what impact they had on your life? Using initials or pseudonyms is fine.

That probably would’ve been at American Players Theater in Spring Green, Wisconsin when I was aged in the single digits, although I didn’t know that  – LGBTQA – as a category (?) at the time; I was drawn to them much like a bee to a colorful flower or moth to glowing light. I just knew they were my people. APT is an outdoor, classical theater that once upon a time, did Shakespeare (using primarily the First Folio), Marlowe, Ibsen, Chekov, etc. uncut. This is where I got my foundation and from many people in the LGBTQ community that were my teachers over the years. 

It is because of that theater, the co-founders who welcomed me: Charles J. Bright, Anne Occhiogrosso, and Randall Duk Kim and all the artists (designers, production staff, actors, technicians) individually and collectively as guides/teachers and a few mentors (and that remain so) at different stages of my development, supported me, helped me, laughed and celebrated with me, and nurtured me.

If you were to dedicate a long song to trans and queer youth, what would it be?

The first thing that jumped to mind was instrumental: 

VENUS (Roman Goddess of Love) – The Bringer of Peace by Gustav Holst. 

Then came: Just the Way You Are – Billy Joel

*(This isn’t a song but my arms are open for a hug or to weep into whenever someone is in need).

And I’m sure, if I listened to more music from say, I don’t know, this particular decade or at least this century, I’d have so many more. 

Where can readers find you on social media?

I am no longer on FB and don’t post on Instagram; so…nowhere.

Yes, I am a stubborn Gen X’er but I shall survive the Zombie Apocalypse.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Thanks for asking, Sue. 

May your day be gentle.