Women’s Post: Woman of the Week, MJ Shaw
17 May
by Solange des Vignes
Many people go their entire lives without knowing what their true passion is. They pursue a career that will either please their family and friends or one that will result in a high-paying salary. It is an all-new breed of individuals that know what they want to do for the rest of their life and decide to explore that avenue regardless of opinion or monetary benefits. Melissa Jane Shaw is one of those exceptional individuals.
Photo Credit: Michelle Bailey, Nerdy Girl Design
Melissa Jane Shaw, commonly referred to as MJ, has always had a passion for the performing arts. Growing up in the fast-paced entertainment industry beginning at the age of eight, she has acquired a skill that only a seasoned veteran can possess: the ability to be a successful performer while still having a life separate from the stage. She is truly an all-round artist, entrepreneur, and actor.
In the past four months, MJ has worked with prolific and nationally-recognized playwrights Norm Foster and Tara Beagan, with travels to British Columbia and New Brunswick, all in the sake of her passion: Acting. Although she has played four different roles in that period of time, she is still able to maintain a strong sense of self. She recalls a role that involved being beaten and killed on stage every night, and when she would walk out of the theatre her body would feel the after effects of an abused woman. She would have to make a conscious effort to tell her mind that although her body is feeling the effects that it’s not real. Jokingly she says, “I am able to separate myself. I walk out as MJ. Staying in a role, that’s how people go crazy. I am a human being first.”
Some of her more recent characters have ranged from a telegram delivering porn star to a melancholy girl with a sad outlook on everything in her life. MJ believes “taking up certain roles and being able to tap into different facets of my characters is more therapeutic than I think it is.” The popular idiom – walk a mile in my shoes – is one that describes the experience MJ has any time she jumps head first into a role. Whenever she hits the stage, she is able to strip away MJ and become a totally different person for the performance. Having the opportunity to experiment with a variety of characters, attitudes, and mindsets, she is able to explore her individuality and become comfortable with who she is. “It makes me more secure and it does make me brave in many aspects.”
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