We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Marlene Slaughter. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Marlene below.
Alright, Marlene thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
TW: physical abuse
Art always took a backseat in my life. Like many other people looking to choose a career, I began my search with finances at the forefront. I decided at about 14 that I wanted to commit to becoming a pediatric anesthesiologist! I knew I possessed the patience, attention to detail, and empathy required to be successful in that career. I began taking pre-college courses in order to fast track my journey into the medical field. I researched and applied for numerous summer programs at local colleges and really set my sights on accomplishing my vision. That is until the fateful day came in an anatomy course where we were required to watch a a surgery. I quickly realized that I didn’t have the stomach for any type incision, let alone a full blown surgery or interaction with blood in general. I was at a loss. I had committed 3 years to studying and preparing to commit to the dream I built in my head. I didn’t even have a concept of what other professions I would be interested in. I was a year away from going to college and I had no idea what I was going to do. Purposeless (lol), I just went along knowing that fate would show me the way forward. I’d always loved performance and tried hard to keep my foot in that arena as a means of expression. The artist community at my school was very welcoming and supportive and always embraced me and all my uniqueness.
One day, I came into first period late and I’m not sure if my teacher was in a bad mood or had something to prove that day, but he very firmly asked me to meet him in the hallway. I placed my bags down and walked to the hallway. My teacher, a 6’4” 250lbs football coach/history teacher comes into the hallway fuming about how disrespectful and rude my entry was, then proceeded to grab me by the collar and choke-slam me into the wall. He started to shout “Who do you respect now?! ME! YOU RESPECT ME!” He kept repeating the statement while I squirmed and gasped for air. A little context, I grew up in Texas in the time of the repeal of corporal punishment. So there were some educators who still abided by the teachings of physical punishment and this was one of them. As I cried and begged him to stop another student stepped into the hallway to see if things were alright. Upon seeing her, he dropped me to the ground. Terrified and shocked at what I’d just experienced, I took off running as soon as my feet hit the ground. I didn’t know where I was going, but I knew I had to get far away from this man. I escaped into the drama room where I knew my friends were and collapsed into their arms crying and trying to explain what happened. My community embraced me once again and allowed me to feel my emotions and gave me space to safely process. The incident enraged my theater community and my theater teachers. They all went to war for me against this man who was very praised in the district. The love and compassion I received that day solidified for me that these were the type of people I wanted to surround myself with. Feeling people, empathetic people who cared about the emotions of other and building relationships that are based on love for another person.
After the incident I moved away to Chicago. I thought it’d be like starting over but at my new school I found that same type of love and appreciation from the theater community. There’s something about the spirit of performers that has always made me feel safe. Shortly after settling in Chicago, I decided that I couldn’t live a life without that kind of communal connection. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but from then on my dream transformed and I’ve been pursuing a career in performance ever since.
Marlene , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Throughout my professional career, I’ve had the opportunity to work in various different industries. The skill I’m most proud of across the board, is my ability to generate ideas and solutions. I have always been (too) curious and I enjoy questioning every aspect of a process or plan until I feel it’s the best path forward.
My first job was a Human Resource Assistant at a medical transportation company. I learned the importance of efficiency, honesty, and the benefit of having standards as a professional. I then took my skills to a whole new arena and became a Team Building Facilitator in a nature preserve. There I led groups of all ages and communities through exercises that helped them identify their strengths as a group, while also teaching them important lessons about nature. Keeping the theme of taking complete 180’s, I then got a job working as a Casting and Artistic Administration Assistant with Timeline Theater in Chicago. My mentors there taught me how to work in kindness and how respecting everyone’s humanity in the workplace builds trust and strengthens your bond as a team. Soon after, it was time to try my hand at being my own boss. I began producing many types of content for other businesses. This journey led me to create logos, movie trailers, wedding and birthday celebration videos, as well as an online resource database for an interior decorating company.
My art definitely took a back seat, it wasn’t until my junior year in college that I committed to my acting career. I had always kept acting in my back pocket doing things like competitive speaking and winning Gold at the NAACP ACT-SO national competition. But it wasn’t until I found my community of artists and saw the importance of what I had to bring to the table, that I saw the possibility of success for myself as an actor. I took the profession very seriously and eventually gained a talent agent. I’ve been auditioning for 7 years now and have been blessed with roles in commercials like Red Robin, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Project Makeover, Glassdoor and more. I’ve also appeared on tv shows like 61st Street, Somebody, Somewhere, and American Greed. I’ve joined beautiful projects such as Ghostlight, a feature about grief and had the chance to go to Sundance for its world premiere. All of these opportunities then led me to obtain a contract with WB Games as the MoCap actress for the character Cyrax in the MK1: Khaos Reigns.
I’ve taken the time to understand myself and what I want from any opportunity I pursue. I love collaborating and I know that in business everyone has something to contribute that is valuable and necessary for success. I have big plans, and I know that my best asset, is me.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I wish I knew how important every step of my journey was going to be in equipping me with the tools and characteristics I’d need to be successful. Every hard day, difficult lesson, and failure had its purpose. If I had obtained what I thought I wanted, I wouldn’t be half as ambitious as I am today. The most rewarding part of it all is getting the chance to look backwards at all the things I went through, good and bad, and knowing everything was needed for my artistry to excel. I’m proud I never gave up because I’d have missed out on the beautiful things I’ve experienced and the rich relationships I’ve built.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Support them! Most times artists pursue their art because of a love for it. We know that it might not be the most lucrative and that it feels like a shot in the dark. But having someone validate your love for the art can change how an artist views themselves! No more questions about a “real job”. No more classifying art as an elective or looking down on majors in the arts. The sooner communities see how necessary art and artists are for the mental health of a society, the sooner we’ll find ways to uplift our artist communities.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm15060832/
- Instagram: @marlenes_pov
- Facebook: Marlene Slaughter
Image Credits
Paul Araki Elliot, Obiophotos