Today we want to wish our very own, the crown jewel of Austin theatre, Shannon Sedwick a happiest 76th birthday!

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Of her many accolades, performing nearly 13,000 shows takes top spot! Along with co-founding Esther’s Follies with her husband Michael Shelton, she has been the treasured star since the theatre’s inception. A powerhouse vocally and comedically, Shannon commands whenever she is on stage.

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Esther’s just turned 49 years old on April 1st, all because Shannon has been there since the start. She wrangles the writer’s meeting each week, directs rehearsals, manages the business and loves to take care of the Follies family of cast, crew and front of house. Her creativity and drive are unparalleled.

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In celebration of her birthday and Follies, we asked her a few questions to get her take on this time in her life.

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1. Who in your life believed in you? And do you remember a moment when someone told you, or you felt like you would make your career and life as a performer?

   I was always lucky to have parents that were creative, and loved theater. They started me off early as a performing person, taking me to their rehearsals at our local Ft. Worth community theater, where they would write songs of satire, work on offbeat theater shows, and even let me try out for shows! My earliest memories are of running down the aisles of red brocade and watching my Mom and Dad onstage singing and dancing!  I hated my high school drama teacher, who refused to let her classes try out for UIL performances, so I joined the classes at Casa Manana, the theater in the round in Ft. Worth. There, I found my tribe, with my teacher Johnny Simons as a major mentor! He encouraged me to try everything from comedy to Marat/Sade, and be fearless!

2. What is your favorite part of the show each night? And was there a time period at Esther's that felt golden, or your favorite to reminisce about, and why?

   My favorite part of the show is always when we are trying a new piece out, and nervous to see what the audience feels about it, and the moment that it explodes into huge laughs and response from the crowd! It's always a crap shoot, if the jokes will land, and if the audience is in the know on the subject matter. But when it works, it is the best feeling in the world!

The first year of Esther's Follies was definitely a golden time, with so many groups joining together to bring their own take on comedy, and the audience in on the jokes!  It was a golden time because it was so innocent, and we tried everything. No one was paid, but we passed the hat and did a rousing musical number to get the audience to pay for Little Jimmy's terrible physical malady (never quite revealed), and the magical remedy from Austin comedy lovers! We would raise $200 from the audiences, and give it all to the performers!

3. What was the hardest part of the beginning days at Esther's? And if you could do it all over again, what would you change?

   We were all so in love with the process of putting together our show, we made it at least 3 hours long! We couldn't say no to any idea, and it made for a bit of a tedious length, and erratic highs and lows of performance. If I did it all over again, I would make the show a little shorter, and make the audience ask for more!

4. In your own words, what is the greatest gift Esther's Follies has given to its audiences, cast and crew, and community?

   The greatest gift that we have given to the community is to realize how important it is to laugh at your troubles, and join the audience to give an answer to the problems of the world, politics, and the crazy times we live in. Our cast and crew feel that kinship with the audiences, and with Austin itself, playing off their enthusiasm and joy that then spreads out to the community at large.

5. What are you most looking forward to in the future of Esther's? And for the next 50 years?

   I'm looking forward to being a part of the future of Esther's as long as my memory keeps me learning lines, and my knees and newly reconstructed hip replacement keep me going onstage! I'm so happy that all our cast continues to be professional in their performances, and that members of the cast - Ray, Shaun, Ted, Ellana, and others - are stepping up to expand our theater into a nonprofit organization that brings new people to our legacy, starts the next generation of performers and audiences, and secures our place at the table of Austin theater, still growing and making people laugh!

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If it’s been awhile since your last visit to Esther’s, we highly recommend coming to see the show now. It’s never been better! Whether Shannon is serenading us as Patsy Cline, making us cackle with Martha Stewart’s Maxi Crafts or playing the biggest Diva of all time *and* a couple of the current political climate’s major players…(can you guess who?!) you know you are in the presence of a consummate performer. To the G.O.A.T. of the Follies, comment here to send wishes and join us in celebrating our birthday queen, Esther’s star, Shannon. Come on down to tell her in person your favorite Follies moment as we head towards our 50th year down on Historic Sixth Street.  

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