Today we’d like to introduce you to Susannah Crowell.
Hi Susannah, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
What a lofty question! I’ll start prefacing that I’m in one of those junctures in life (if it’s not all of them that are like this) where I know enough to know that I know nothing. I don’t know what’s next, but it feels like a precipice.
I was born and raised in Austin, Texas by a PTA mom and a hippie father who took me to concerts on and around Dirty 6th nightly. It was quite the double-life, in pigtails and bows and tie dye and bare feet. These nightly concerts, dinners, and my father’s otherwise adventurous antics he always took us kids on were aptly called “adventures.”
I was singing and dancing before I was walking and talking, one of THOSE. According to my family, I set my sights on Broadway after seeing 42nd Street tour through Bass Concert Hall when I was three. The 2nd act began with the iconic raising of the curtain just above a long line of actors’ feet, and all one could see were the tapping shoes. I stated that that would be what I did when I grew up, and fell asleep shortly after. I say, the fact that I was at a Broadway Across America tour as a three year old is reason to believe stage parents were afoot. My parents were both immense lovers of the arts, but I was pushing myself to the stage.
I ended up at The University of Texas at Austin (where my parents met) on scholarship despite the fact that they had just cut the Musical Theatre program. I can’t blame them; it’s traditionally niche as hell and not actively saving any lives. It’s near the tippy-top of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and one of the first things to get cut when “things must go.” But it was also my life’s work.
I should also mention that ever since I can remember, from the moment I started doing something, I set my sights on TEACHING it to other people. [[Teaching]] and [[singing and dancing and storytelling and puppetry and all of these smatterings of art forms I discovered and fell in love with, “Musical Theatre” I’d refer to it as to make things simple,]] were my two Things I’d set off to make a life out of. Teaching acting camps with kidsActing Studio, ZACH Theatre (and whoever else needed performing arts teachers) throughout high school and college, largely funded my life and acting career.
I moved to NYC shortly after undergrad and lived there for 5 and a half years, coming back to Austin every summer to continue teaching and directing, choreographing, everything-ing childrens’ theatrical productions (it was my time to see family, and the Austin programs paid better than in NYC, where the skyscrapers drip with actors more willing to donate their time.)
Since shortly after college (and for a few short gigs during my time at UT) I had made (temporary) living wage from “booking” acting gigs. But it is TRULY a one-gig-at-a-time career solely performing. Later, I would find, there are endless creative ways to make a living doing art full-time. Everyone finds a different way, and by “everyone,” I mean the lucky few who find a way. Who come upon a way… who a way finds itself to.
I moved back around September of 2024 after what I like to tell myself were a series of several large signs from the universe. I do not believe in signs from the universe, per se, but I do in regards to moving back home; it is still a sore subject as it was a very difficult decision. Two close family members needed levels of caretaking that were difficult to obtain back in Austin, and I had been living an increasingly difficult quality of life. I was depressed and bring semi-politely asked to move because I was “tense” and “not the vibe.” I moved in with my grandmother in Westlake Hills, feeling a bit like a failure. I’ve been gathering my bearings and living now in Heritage Hills feeling like an artist and educator fighting time turning backward in this current administration; I piece together many gigs and teach performing arts with Austin superstars Creative Action. Many come to me for advise on how to have careers like mine. I have so many stories, I regret nothing, and I feel like I have filled life to the brim with following my curiosity and sense of adventure. The adventures, lord, have never stopped.
Of course, much of the juicy details aside, that is my life so far. Please refer to my resume regarding notable work you may want to discuss in the article; I hardly believe much of the above is usable for your publication, Merely a starting place for the interviewer…
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
the industries of both acting and education can be pretty rough to try to make a living of
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a prolific performing arts educator and (largely) theatrical actor, singer, choreographer nationwide; I’d refer you to my website for the summary but for now, I can send over my resumes!
I’ve won a B. Iden Payne Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and nominated for several BroadwayWorld Awards.
Pricing:
- a dollar per minute for Voice Teaching, Acting Coaching, Artistic Business Consulting – otherwise, please contact directly.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/susannahcrowell
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/susannahccrowell
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/susannahcrowell
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/susanamation
Image Credits
JMM Photography, Steve Rogers Photography
