Actress & Dramaturg
About Shinji Elspeth
A recent graduate of the VCUarts Theatre Performance Program at Virginia Commonwealth University, Shinji split her time between her involvement in the program's mainstage productions, her role as an Event Coordinator for VCU's student-run production organization, SALT (Shafer Alliance Laboratory Theatre), and her work with local theatres such as The Conciliation Lab and Richmond Triangle Players. Though musical theatre started her acting journey, her focus shifted to Shakespeare, Greek theatre, and other classics, an interest that began when she studied theatre history in Athens during her Freshman year.
Shinji pursued this interest as a Teaching Assistant for David Emmerson Toney's acting classes at VCU, where she developed her skills and love of teaching others, all while deepening her understanding of acting and Shakespeare.
For the past year, Shinji has split her time between Washington D.C. and her hometown of Richmond Virginia, working with theatres such as the Folger Theatre, the New Theatre RVA, and the Richmond Triangle Players. She has taken a special interest in new works, and her focus as both and actor and dramaturg is to create a cohesive world for the audience to explore.
When she's not in the theatre, Shinji is at home with her two cats, Pancho and Lefty, or working with dogs and other animals at her day job. When she can, she focuses on her second love: travel. This past year, she took trips to Berlin and Dresden, as well as Prague to work with the Prague Shakespeare Company. This coming year, the South of France, and Munich for Oktoberfest.