Brittni Shambaugh Addison ’10

Freelance Actor, Director, and Playwright
Upper School Theatre Teacher and Director at Carolina Friends School

Durham, NC
WFU Class of 2010
Major: Theatre

Tell us about your journey from graduation to where you are today:

Ah, what a journey. I actually spent my first year after graduation working at WFU in the admissions office. While I remain incredibly grateful for that opportunity, it really solidified for me that I was not going to be happy doing anything other than theatre. So, the following year I applied for and was accepted into the MFA Directing program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Immediately following graduation from UH, I was lucky enough to be hired by the Honolulu Theatre for Youth, the only professional producing company on the island of Oahu, and I worked as a company member there for a couple of years. In that capacity I was able to act in their main-stage and touring productions, as well as assistant direct, stage manage, and write within the season. I also got engaged to my husband at that time, and in 2015 we moved to Cleveland, OH, where I was hired by the Tony Award-Winning Cleveland Play House.

I spent the next three years acting in their touring shows and working as the Education Associate, while freelancing as a director and actor throughout Cleveland. (Fun fact- Cleveland actually has the second largest theatre district in the US, outside of NYC! It is a GREAT place to be a theatre practitioner!) Following our stint in Cleveland, my husband and I moved to NYC and were lucky enough to be hired by a number of local and regional theatres across the country.

Then, in 2019 I was hired as the Education Director at Creede Repertory Theatre in Colorado, and I worked in that capacity for 5 seasons. During that time, I also had my two children, and found a new focus on the necessity of supporting parent-artists. So, while I continued to act, direct, write, and teach, I also worked to develop programs and partnerships to provide childcare free of charge to all company members.

I stepped down from my position at CRT at the end of the 2023 season and was lucky enough to spend the following year intentionally focusing on my kiddos, while freelance writing and acting, and in 2024 I moved back to North Carolina where I took the position of Upper School Theatre Teacher and Director at Carolina Friends School. I continue to act, direct, and write, and I get to work with some of the most amazing students and staff on the planet. I’m very lucky, indeed.

How much did your studies and general experience at Wake inform or drive your career path?

I have said, and will continue to say, that the Theatre Department at WFU saved my life. In that space, I was empowered to take risks, make bold choices, and fail spectacularly. I was encouraged to advocate for myself and my art, and to hone and trust my unique artistic voice. I can say with certainty that I would not be the artist, educator, or human I am without the encouragement and support of the amazing members of that department.

How did you find and apply to your job? Any tips or suggestions for the student audience on networking, interviewing and applying for jobs?

Early in my career, I made a point to say YES to every opportunity that presented itself, and I went into each experience with an open heart and mind. I tried to make sure that I walked away from each undertaking having learned and grown in some way, and having left a good impression on those I worked with. I didn’t always succeed, and many times things didn’t go the way I had hoped, but I never allowed myself to see my “failures” as a reflection of my own self-worth or talent. In this industry, everything feels personal, and it can be hard to keep your head up when you receive more “no”s than “yes”s, or when you see your peers and colleagues reaching milestones that you haven’t, but at the end of the day, you have to ask yourself WHY you have chosen this path. If it is for external validation, you are likely not going to ever feel satisfied. I hold very strongly to Stanislavski’s principle – “Love the art in yourself, not yourself in the art.” That has served me well.

What is your favorite part of living and working in Durham? What is the most interesting thing going on in the art scene there at the moment, in your opinion?

Durham has a wonderful artistic and creative landscape, and even though I haven’t been here very long, I am starting to find my people. The theatre community has been extremely supportive and welcoming, and I’m excited for what is to come as I continue to build relationships and explore collaborative opportunities.

What is your favorite part about your work?

Oh my gosh, the students at Carolina Friends School are AMAZING. They are not only brilliant, but they are creative, generous, and brave. They care about the world, and they actively work to make it a better place. I’m also incredibly grateful to have colleagues who support my creative projects in and out of school.

What and where is next for you?

I continue to freelance across the country (I’ll be at the Utah Shakespeare Festival this summer), and the documentary film that I was featured in, CREEDE USA, is currently making the festival circuit (definitely check it out if you can!). But mostly, I am enjoying spending time with my amazing kiddos, teaching at an awesome school, and growing as an artist just by soaking up all of the beautiful things that come with being human.

Any other kernel of advice you’d like to impart to the readers?

One of my favorite quotes is by Jean Cocteau, who says “Listen carefully to first criticisms made of your work. Note just what it is about your work that critics don’t like—then cultivate it. That’s the only part of your work that’s individual and worth keeping.” I feel like as artists, these really are words to live by.