Shanon is a Native Texan from a military family who didn’t live in the same time zone for more than three years until well into his twenties. Constant exposure to different regions and cultures created in him a performative imagination, and he has been acting professionally for over thirty years on the stage, in film & television, and in voice over. His work has been seen in Texas, Georgia, and New York, and heard around the world.

He is also a passionate scholar/artist and educator, currently teaching Applied Performance Techniques at Virginia Tech. In May of 2024, Shanon completed training to become a Designated Meisner Teacher through the Meisner Institute in Los Angeles. He holds a MFA in Acting from the University of Georgia and a BA in Theatre (with a playwriting focus) from the University of Texas at Austin. He also received conservatory acting training at AMDA in New York.

Academically, he is working on a paper that explores the toxic history of Meisner training through research, interviews, and anecdotal evidence. He intends to expand this paper into a full text – tentatively titled Mindfulness and Meisner – which will integrate mental health best practices into Meisner training. He is also researching & developing ways to integrate
ideas found in practices such as Secular Buddhism and Stoic Philosophy into modern
actor training. Based on this research, he plans to develop another eventual theory text—Tactics: Eastern Focus, Western Stage. 

Shanon currently resides in Whitewater, WI with his partner Robyn and their daughter, along with Lucy, the world’s most stubborn Basset Hound. In his free time he can be found hiking, biking, or kayaking, reading, playing games, and annoying his partner with obscure geek trivia.