Katie’s Got Talent: Inaugural ‘Katie Acts’ allows community members to show off their talents

By Natalie Nemes

Although our campus may be small, there is no shortage of enormous talent. From our choirs that sing with the voices of angels to our fashion students who can turn rags into riches to our art students whose incredible works breathe life into our campus halls, St. Kate’s community members prove time and again that our culture is one of innovation, creativity and ingenuity. But there hasn’t been a way for all Wildcats to gather in one place and share our amazing gifts with each other — until now.

“Katie Acts,” a variety show featuring performances of many kinds by people related to St. Kate’s in different ways, will run May 3-4 at the Frey Theater. The “Katie Acts” performances run the gamut from poetry readings to songs to play scenes. Alumni, faculty, students and Sisters of St. Joseph will all show off their talents — President Becky Roloff will even join the dance team for their “Barbie World” performance as a special guest.

“It’s truly a variety show,” said director Shanan Custer, a St. Kate’s alum. “You know, it’s like we have movement. We have dance with theater. We have, you know, poetry. It’s just such a wonderful mix of different mediums and expression.”

Custer, who graduated from St. Kate’s in 1992 with a theater degree, was approached by O’Shaughnessy executive director Irene Green about the possibility of directing a talent show that would bring the community together and allow people to showcase their gifts. Custer “was immediately taken with the idea.”

“I loved it top to bottom and was like, I’ll make it work with my schedule no matter what,” Custer said. “And we had some early meetings about it, and I just loved the whole concept of it. Let’s come together and celebrate the end of the year, in a way that brings together current students, alums, faculty, staff, we even have some Sisters of St. Joseph in the show.”

As both an alum and a former theater professor, Custer loves St. Kate’s and will pounce on any chance to return to campus. It was a win-win for her to be able to work with students on their artistic talents again, doing the work she loves.

While Custer is directing the show, she fills more of a supportive role for the performers themselves — acting as a sounding board for each performer and figuring out the technical aspects so that the show runs together smoothly.

Rehearsals for “Katie Acts” were held with individual performers instead of with the entire group — in fact, the first time all participants will be together in the same space will be on opening night — making Custer the glue holding everything together to create one cohesive show.

“This is their work and their project and their story,” she said. “And so I’m just there to be you know, a second pair of eyes if they want and then to also discuss technical aspects and what they need to shine on stage.”

Custer wasn’t the only person who was drawn in by the prospect of community-building theater. Social work professor Lisa Borneman saw a poster advertising “Katie Acts” in Fontbonne, thought it looked fun and the rest was history. She will be contributing a few songs on the ukulele and banjolele to the setlist.

Lisa Borneman playing the ukulele. *Credit: Lisa Borneman*

“I love that it was inclusive of students and alum and faculty and staff — like everybody who could be involved — and so that, I was like, ‘This sounds like a blast,” Borneman said.

Borneman sees “Katie Acts” as “a fun way for us to come together as a community, and a really different way,” and hopes that “people want to come and support it.”

Custer similarly hopes that “Katie Acts” will become an annual event. “I think that it’s so important for communities to come together and share their stories, and for audiences to be a witness to that,” she said. “I think it’s everything. I think it’s how we keep in touch with one another, how we feel seen — it’s how we cultivate empathy.”

Showings of “Katie Acts” will be at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 3 and 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 4 in the Frey Theater. Those interested can view the full list of acts on The O’Shaughnessy’s website or purchase tickets at a separate webpage.