We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dee Selmore a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dee, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Making the move to become a professional actress was a huge risk. I was a single mother of a three-year-old who had just completed two degrees in Theatre and was working as a professor at the local community college by day and a bartender by night. I thought I had finally found my happy place, and I was happy, but my ultimate goal had always been to become a professional actress, and at that point, I had not conquered that challenge. I was still performing locally, but I had a nagging feeling that I still had things I needed to accomplish. I also had my child looking at me. I felt that I needed to be an example of someone who passionately pursued their dreams so that he would know that he could too. I had to try.

I began saving what I could to afford attending a few unified auditions. It didn’t take long before I had my first non-equity gig at a professional theater. A theater in Virginia. A long way from my home, from my son. My mother and my son’s father supported me and told me to go. They stepped in and took care of my son while I went to do the show. My career has been moving ever since. I am now a professional actress, a professor, a director, a producer, an acting coach, an entrepreneur, and soon, a Theatre and Performance Research PhD. The risk I took to follow my dream has paid off in ways that I will never be able to measure. Was it difficult? Scary? Stressful? Absolutely, but it was also absolutely worth it. I am a firm believer that everything happens the way it is supposed to, and I was meant to go through all of that to become who I am today. If I had never taken the risk, I wouldn’t have the reward.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Dee Selmore. I am an actress, director, producer, college professor, acting coach, entrepreneur, and mother. I am currently a Theatre and Performance Research PhD candidate at Florida State University School of Theatre. I have just begun work on my dissertation, which focuses on documenting the history of Black women performers, exploring the intersection of spirituality and creativity, and developing methods to help Black actors embody characters. I am a co-owner of Essential Theatrical Associates (ETA), a theatre company dedicated to sharing the stories of the African diaspora and promoting the work of global majority, Indigenous, and POC actors. I am the owner of Oluse Performing Arts, a company that provides actor coaching and training.

I mark the beginning of my professional experience as starting when I auditioned for “School House Rock, Live!” at Theatre TSC (then Theatre TCC), Tallahassee State College. I fell in love and became a theatre major. Two shows after that, I found myself as the understudy for Lena Younger in “A Raisin in the Sun.” The production was at the major local theater, and I was assuming that I would not go on. I was very wrong. I got put in three days before opening and completed the entire run. After the show, I spoke with the faculty of FAMU and made the decision to transfer and become a part of the Essential Theatre. I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Performance and then obtained a master’s degree in Theatre Education from Florida State University. Things took off from there. I spent a few years going out on the road and performing at various theaters around the country. In 2020, I completed a master’s degree in Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Full Sail University and then entered the PhD program at Florida State.

My identity heavily influences my art/creative work as a Black woman and my experience as a Black actor. I work to create safe spaces for actors like me to develop their craft. At Oluse, I provide actor training for actors of all demographics and acting levels, and I offer private coaching for those who need it when they have a project. I use my academic and practical knowledge to guide actors to their creative apex.

What sets me apart from other coaches is my years of experience in the classroom helping students blossom as actors. My focus on accessing creativity and the importance of spirituality in performance makes me a standout among my peers. I am sought after by Black actors and actresses for my focus on Afrocentric actor training, but actors of all types reach out to me because they know my work, my spirit, and my heart. I am most proud of being a mom, but professionally, I am most proud of my product – the actors. I love helping them “get it” and seeing them become the strongest performers they can be. I also love that, through ETA, I am able to provide performance opportunities for minority actors and share amazing stories with our community.

What I want clients to know about me is that I am passionate about my work and their success. You don’t come to me until you are serious about pursuing your craft, because once I focus on you, I give you my full attention. I do everything in my power to help you achieve your goals.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist/creative is the impact that your work has on people. Whether it is the audience or the artist, the feeling that I get when I can see or “feel” that people are moved by a performance is unmatched. If the audience is crying or laughing, if the artist is lost in their character or feeling excitement from connecting with the character, even if I am completely immersed in the creative process, that is impact, and there is nothing like that rush.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The mission statement of my theatre company is “to give life to expressions of the Black experience and give voice to artists of the African diaspora through music, theatre, and dance.” This is a fancy way of saying that my mission is to tell Black stories and grow Black artists.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://etatheatrics.com/
• Instagram: @deeselmore
• Linkedin: @deeselmore

Image Credits

Taken by myself and friends. Not applicable.