Many students, their parents, faculty and staff of Warsaw Community High School know Jennifer Shepherd as one of the assistant principals at the school.
But long before she became an administrator, Shepherd taught and directed theater. She even has taken the stage for performances in everything from "Fiddler on the Roof" to "Bells are Ringing."
For Wagon Wheel Theatre's production of "Disney's High School Musical," Shepherd is once again taking the stage. She'll play Ms. Darbus in the musical June 24 to July 11.
Darbus is the theater teacher in "High School Musical," a familiar role to Shepherd.
In an interview Monday afternoon at the theater, Shepherd said she was involved in theater in high school. She had supporting and character roles in shows like "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Harvey." She also sang in the choir and played in the band.
"I enjoyed the performance part of it," she said.
After graduating from Rochester High School, she went to Manchester College. Her freshman year, she tried out for the musical "Bells are Ringing" and got the lead.
"I had a blast. I immediately signed up for a voice class," she said.
Shepherd knew she wanted to major in education, thinking she wanted to teach at the elementary level. However, at Manchester College, she realized teaching high school was more for her. She earned her degrees in speech and theater, with a minor in psychology. Later, she earned an English minor.
After finishing at Manchester, she ended up at Kent State University, pursuing her master's degree in higher education administration. During that time, she didn't do too much theater.
Eventually, she was promoted and was able to move off campus. That gave her the opportunity to try out for community theater in Stow, Ohio. She got the lead in "High Spirits," and then did all kinds of shows there.
The theater was like the Wagon Wheel, a theater in the round. She met lots of fun people, and then started at the Weather Vane theater in Akron, Ohio. She did some children's theater along with regular shows.
A friend of Shepherd's at the Akron Civic Theatre writes murder mystery shows, which require audience participation.
"Those were really fun," she said of her experience there. "They had huge crowds."
She performed with the Hudson Players, playing Dolly in "Annie, Get Your Gun."
Around 1988-89, Shepherd decided she wanted to teach theater. She wanted to just teach theater, but didn't think there was a job out there like that. She interviewed at several school corporations, including Warsaw. In spring 1990, Warsaw hired Shepherd to teach just theater. She hasn't regretted it since.
During the past 19 years, Shepherd did some community theater for a year. She taught theater and directed more than 20 shows at WCHS, along with the variety show, one-act plays and took students to the Thespian conference.
One of her shows at the high school, "Fortress," was asked to go to nationals. Though they did not go, Shepherd said at least 50 percent of the students in that show are now involved in performing arts in some way.
"It was a very talented group, a very driven group," she said.It was while teaching at the high school that she met her future husband. They have two children.
After more than 10 years, Shepherd felt she could make a bigger difference in students' lives by becoming an administrator. The performing arts center also had been in discussion for years at the school, but she didn't feel like Warsaw was ever going to move forward with it.
For two years, she returned to her high school alma mater. She loved it there. Then she had the opportunity to come back to WCHS as an assistant principal.
When she returned, Warsaw was in the developmental stages of the PAC. "I like to think that is one of the reasons why I was hired, because of my background," she said. She said she pushed for Warsaw to do it right the first time.
"I was pleased where we ended up with our current facility, which is wonderful," she said.
Even with all that theater background, and having appeared in the documentary "American Teen" released last year, "High School Musical" is Shepherd's first role at the Wagon Wheel.
She said she had talked with Artistic Director Scott Michaels. She told him if he needed an adult role that she might fit into, she would love the opportunity. He asked her to come in to read for the role of Darbus, which she got.
As for playing the character, Shepherd said Michaels wanted her to play her a lot like the movie version. Darbus is a theater teacher, very dramatic, passionate about what she does and loves kids. She has high expectations for her students, but her students know she has only their best interests in mind.
If a student is a jock or a brainiac, that's fine to Darbus. However, she also wants her students to try out their other talents, too, whatever they may be.
"We all have so many talents, it seems like a waste to not try a little of each," said Shepherd.
Though she is a little nervous, Shepherd said she is also excited to be on the Wagon Wheel stage.
"The week we've been in rehearsals, I'm so absolutely impressed with what these young people accomplish," Shepherd said.
They rehearse 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., take a couple hours for break, and then do another show, "all with energy and passion for what they do," she said. With only two rehearsals under their belt, she said, 90 percent of them had their parts memorized.
"They clearly take time beyond 9 to 4 for the show," Shepherd said. "It's so fascinating that there's this initiative and commitment to do their best. I've got a renewed appreciation for what these young people do for Warsaw. Many of them come back. ... It's just a great operation and I am fortunate to have this opportunity. Yes, I would do it again if I had this opportunity. It's just a fun opportunity."
