Meet Sharon Pasia from the Green Room Collective
Sharon Pasia (they/them or she/her) is a Chicago-based Filipinx actor, performer, producer and one of the two inaugural participants of About Face Theatre’s the Green Room Collective. The GRC invests in the next generation of queer leaders through a paid mentorship program with dedicated and individualized support from AFT staff and artists to cultivate skills in areas of their choosing, including devising new works, producing, development, and marketing.
“As an actor who has worked in the food industry for more than 5 years, this program is a refreshing change of pace. I finally have the opportunity to learn two things I was always curious about: nonprofits and producing,” Sharon says.
Sharon has previously worked with About Face Youth Theatre, where they appeared in the AFYT productions Checking Boxes, Brave Like Them, 20/20, and A Glow Up. They also served as part of AFT’s Youth Task Force, where they co-produced KINSHIP, an All-Ages Queer Variety Show, which ran for two years and offered a creative space for people under 21 to explore and express themselves through dance, song, drag, spoken word, and more.
“The Green Room Collective is really cool because every day is different. On one day, I learned the ins and outs of nonprofit development and how to write grants and the day after I would be reading scripts, researching things like ‘how to start a podcast’ and discuss upcoming plans for GRC’s main creative project. It’s so nice to have a space for learning new skills that I can take with me career-wise and for future creative endeavors. And the best thing is: it’s with other queer folk!”
Sharon’s new role began in April 2021 by working closely with AFT Artistic Director Megan Carney on an innovative new program exploring LGBTQ+ history through unique perspectives that will debut in the coming year. They were joined on the project by fellow inaugural Green Room Collective participant Kirsten Baity in mid-May.
“I feel blessed being a part of the Green Room Collective, especially during the pandemic,” says Sharon. “I finally get paid doing creative things that I love and have my previous curiosities answered.”
