As we enjoy the final week of our hit production of Meredith Willson's The Music Man, we help Grease Paint Readers get acquainted with our leading lady!  Sheila Monson plays Marian the Librarian, her first major role with ACT I, and serves as one of the two music directors for the current show.  But Sheila is no stranger to our audiences, especially those who attend our children's theatre productions.  So as we bring our current production to a close, we honor Sheila Monson as our Member of the Month for September!

Sheila has been quite busy with ACT I during the last two years, as well as being very busy with her family (husband Kirk and three daughters) and her teaching position as 3/4ths vocal and general music teacher in the Center Point - Urbana School District Middle School, where she teaches a unit each year on The Music Man.  The Monsons live in Urbana seven miles away but are quite busy in Vinton as well.  In addition to her ACT I activities, Sheila directs the choirs at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Vinton.

Sheila Monson is one of a growning number of ACT I volunteers who are currently very active but who have not been with us very long.  Like so many adult members of ACT I, Sheila was preceded into the organization by her children.  Her oldest daughter Rachel, now eleven, who first appeared as a villager with ACT I in our summer, 2002 children's theatre production of Ogre Here, Ogre There, in the Remarkable Puss-in-Boots segment; Rachel's younger sisters Kaia and Sydney appeared as baby beans in the same production in the Once Upon a Vine segment.

In February, 2003, Sheila made her own debut with ACT I, in our production of The Reluctant Dragon, in which she played the role of Aggie.  Later that year, for our summer 2003 children's theatre production, American Hysterical, the girls were back, this time with Mom.  The girls were in the cast and Sheila was a rehearsal assistant.  Then last summer, Sheila served as music director for our summer production of The Adventures of Beatrix Potter with Rachel, Kaia, and Sydney in the cast, and immediately following that, Sheila played the role of Sister Margaretta in last season's The Sound of Music and Rachel was one of the folk dancers.

As rehearsals for The Music Man got underway, the Monsons were also in rehearsal for The Princess Plays.  Sheila was now in the director's role, sharing the responsibility with Shirale Hanson for the staging of the Twice Upon a Time Segment of that play.  As director for the delightful one act, Sheila got to coach her three daughters; Rachel and Kaia played two of the witches in the story and Sydney was seen as one of the seven dwarves.  Rachel and Sheila juggled two plays at once as Sheila handled the dual roles of co-music director and leading lady while Rachel took on the role of Gracie Shinn.

"God has been very good to me!" Sheila says.  She grew up in Northwest Iowa, graduating from Spirit Lake High School "where I spent a lot of time on stage or hanging out at the beach."  She began dating Kirk in her senior year.  She attended Luther College in Decorah with a vocal music education degree and married Kirk right after college.  She taught K-12 vocal and general music at New Hartford for three years, and then taught 5-12 vocal music at Center Point - Urbana for five years.  She asked for the part time Middle School position after Kaia was on the way, and she tries to give the girls as many musical and theatrical opportunities as she can, throwing in some sports as well when possible.  Kirk owns his own video production company in Cedar Rapids, which she says has been exciting to watch grow.

Prior to motherhood Sheila had also performed with the Cedar Rapids follies, but dropped out of performing in 1992.  "When Marcy called about The Reluctant Dragon I came out of mothballs and have had an absolute blast with ACT I and STAGE! experiences!   I love performing, but my real passion is working with kids and seeing how far they can go.  Its' been loads of fun being on stage with my daughter and watching all of them blossom from their stage experiences."

I

Sheila dances the Shipoopi with Tony Bopp, ACT I's Harold Hill

ACT I is delighted to have the Monsons as part of our family, and we appreciate Sheila's hard work as music director and performer.  We hope she's with us for many performances and directing contributions!  And congratulations on a great performance as Marian!