By Randy Capps
Location might be a key factor in the real estate market, but when it comes to shaping someone’s future, it’s not quite as critical.
Perhaps that explains how Shaun Braswell grew up in Pine Level, miles away from any sort of theatre influence, and still made a career out of the stage and all that surrounds it.
Braswell, the Director of Performing Arts at Johnston Community College, is still making an impact on the local theatre scene in a number of ways, and for that work, he has been chosen as the 2025 Johnston Now Honors Excellence in Arts Award winner.
A move to Garner for his middle school years proved to be the spark for his love of theatre.
“I got into a chorus class, and it was me and 30 girls,” he said. “And I was like, ‘OK, this is different.’ But I really enjoyed it. Did my first play that spring, “The Little Mermaid,” and then just really got hooked.”
He moved back to Johnston County, and in the fall of 1993, got involved with his first Neuse Little Theatre production. He’s been working with the NLT ever since, and now serves on its board of directors.
After graduating from North Johnston in 1996, he went to Johnston Community College – and his journey to a career in theatre started right away.
Ken Mitchell was the technical director at the time, and I had done some stuff with him at Neuse Little Theater,” he said. “I came out to see if I could do anything, and he threw me on a spotlight. The rest was history.”
Home is still Pine Level, in the same house he grew up in. He lives there with his wife, Nichole, Wyatt, 8, and Lydia, 6. He also has two stepsons, John and David, and two grandchildren, Willow and Milo.
After a few years working in Wilson, he returned to JCC, where he’s in charge of scheduling events for the Paul A. Johnston Auditorium, which includes everything from national acts like Diamond Rio and Sammy Kershaw to the annual Johnston County Public Schools Showcase of Stars.
He’s also passionate about theatre, and the benefits it can have for young people.
“You know, arts getting taken out of schools really hurts my feelings because I think theater can help in all realms of education,” he said. “You’ve got English with the scripts. If you do technical theater, you can learn mathematics, physics and things like that. (It teaches) team building and working with other people.
“You have so many different types of people coming in for this one goal, and it’s a wide range of people. It’s kind of amazing the new people you get to meet, and where they’re from. You’re never working with the same people. So it’s just a great experience of being a good person to other people.”
These days, Braswell is most interested in paying the theatre experience forward.
“When I was young, I definitely liked being on stage,” he said. “But once I started working at the college and getting into the technical side of it, I kind of got more of a love of (making) the production happen. … I love the process of getting it there. So that’s really where I’m at. My love is now watching other people enjoying it on stage.”
He especially enjoys helping young people start their own theatre journeys.
“They’re a lot more excited,” he said. “They’re a lot more eager to be there, and they complain a lot less. The girl I cast as Dorothy (in the “Wizard of Oz”) this past year was, I think, in fifth grade, and it was between her and a girl who was about 24 years old for that part. And everybody was saying, you got to go with the 24 year old. I’m like, ‘well, Dorothy’s young,’ and it was probably the best decision I ever made.
“Not that this other person wasn’t talented, but this little fifth grader nailed Dorothy. So I was very proud of her. And she was always on time. She knew all of her lines. She knew all of her songs. She knew all of her dances. While all the adults are just walking around her confused by what’s happening. Kids, well you can just mold them a little bit better.”
While he might not always be center stage, he’s helping make the magic happen.
“I go every Saturday morning,” he said, of his work at the Neuse Little Theatre. “Me and Steven Roberts, who y’all honored a few years ago, work on sets on Saturday mornings. (I try to) help out with any productions I can. I directed one this past year. I had a very small role in another show this year. It’s fun to not have to worry about the money of it. Just going there and having fun and hanging out with people.”
His advice for people considering trying out the theatre? Just show up.
“Auditions are nervous for everybody, even people who’ve done auditions all their lives,” he said. “If they say they don’t get nervous, they’re telling you a story. Even going on stage now, I get a little nervous.
“So yeah, just show up. There’s always a role. I was at musical theatre for four years before I ever got on stage. I’d auditioned for lots of shows, but I was just young. They were mostly adult shows. I had to do a lot of tech stuff, but I kept showing up. So that’s what you really got to do is just show up. There’s always a space for somebody.”
