Kassidy's headshot for SPARE's Almost, Maine
For this month’s Meet the Member, we’re talking to first term Board of Directors member and longtime SPARE member Kassidy Shea! Kassidy is currently the Vice President of SPARE, and is our acting Secretary until the board picks on a permanent one. She is a charter member of the company, meaning she was a member on the company's first day of existence, August 4, 2012.
You’ll soon see her in her new role as part of the publicity team, a new part of the company which will be making a big splash pretty soon! When asked about her favorite part of SPARE, Kassidy says it’s “all of the opportunities it provides. I've gotten the chance to be in shows, stage manage shows, attend masterclasses, go to New York City, and meet so many new people in the community. SPARE really allows people to try new things, grow, and learn. I'm very grateful for all of the things this company has given me.”
While it’s hard for someone who has participated in so many SPARE shows to pick their favorite, we asked her to anyway! Kassidy finally decided, “I think it's a tie between Into the Woods and Almost, Maine—but each for very different reasons. Into the Woods was the biggest and most difficult production I had ever stage managed, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The show presented me with so many challenges—yet at the same time, it taught me so much about stage managing and other aspects of technical theatre. On the other hand, Almost, Maine gave me the chance to once again be on stage. At times it was difficult because I was surrounded all of these wonderful actors who had so much experience, while I hadn't acted in a show in about three years. Even so, they were incredibly helpful and supportive which made it a lot easier for me. I do love stage managing but taking a break from it to act in a show was wonderful and I'm very grateful I had the opportunity to do so.”
Kassidy is heavily involved with SPARE's summer season. She is stage managing both our summer shows and is looking forward to both! “I feel like this will be a challenge at times but these shows are wonderful and have great production teams so I'm very glad to have been given the opportunity to work on both”, she said.
When she's not working diligently to keep SPARE Board of Directors and our various production teams running smoothly, Kassidy is a double majoring in Psychology and Health and Human Services, with a concentration in community mental health and a minor in counseling at the University at Buffalo. In her spare (not "SPARE"), time she likes to read, bake, watch comic book movies, and travel.