#62 Elena Shaddow: A conversation about understudying

Soulful Ambition

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Episode Highlights:

• Elena’s journey

• Planting the Role in Your Voice as a Garden

• Proving vs Sharing

• The Gift of Perspective Shifts

• “It’s Not Fair That You Can’t Do It All”

• The Gifts of Motherhood

• Audition Friendships

• The Difference between Ambition & Lack

In this episode, Analisa interviews Elena Shaddow, Broadway actor, voice teacher, wife & mother. This intimate conversation between friends with mirrored life paths covers so many juicy topics. Both Analisa and Elena have been the standby for Kelli O’Hara, and have led shows in their own right. This interview covers the origin of their unlikely friendship: meeting at an audition where neither booked the role. What does it mean to be known as someone’s understudy? How do you deal with the ego aspect of it? How does motherhood affect a leading lady’s career? Analisa and Elena also riff on the importance of coming to the work fed: differentiating yourself from the roles you play by leading a full life outside of the industry. These two brilliant teachers lead by example, sharing vulnerably, with great humor, and plenty of juicy Broadway stories. This is an episode you’ll want to listen to again - and send to your favorite actress-mama or wunderstudy!

Topic Shift Time Stamps

0:00 Analisa’s Intro

5:17 Interview Begins

8:18 “I got into a Broadway show!” “Yay!” “I’m the understudy!” “Oh.”

10:38 The Days of Wine & Roses story: Stepping in to Standby

13:51 Learning a Role = Planting a Garden

16:23 “I Honor Me”

21:07 Turning Down Broadway

24:20 What Must it Be Like, As A Standby On Opening Night?

27:30 The Full Ego 180

30:11 Where did husband and babies come into the journey?

36:55 Balance: Is it season by season?

42:53 It’s Just Unfair That You Can’t Do It All

45:35 There’s More To Be Gained From Saying Yes

49:25 The Need to Be Different: Going On as the Understudy

57:11 You Probably Never Doubt Yourself - No!

63:39 The Fear of Taking a Break

66:43 Understudying Is Not a Dirty Word!

Soul Nourishment mentioned in this episode:

Elena Shaddow: https://www.elenashaddow.net/

Will Buck Coach/Composer: [e-mail]

Get your free audition meditation and stay in the loop with Analisa and A Balancing Act HERE.

A Balancing Act is hosted by Analisa Leaming, Broadway actor + soulful coach for creatives. This season is designed to inspire performers and creatives to journey towards their dreams with more soul and less attachment to outcomes and society's definitions of success.