I was born and raised an Air Force brat.  Three months after I was born on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, North Carolina, I took my first plane trip to meet my extended family in Iowa.  The traveling hasn’t stopped.  Every two to three years we relocated to a new base, from England to Florida (where my little sister was born), then Alabama, then Georgia, then back to England, and then Northern California. Eventually we landed in Iowa City, IA, where I graduated from West High School.
 
My mother still tells the story of "my babysitter," and that babysitter’s name was “movie musicals.”  I would sit and watch Annie, The Music Man, Singing in the Rain and more, over and over.  I didn’t just watch, either. I taught myself the songs and dances and then put on performances for my family.  It wasn’t only musical theatre but music in general.  I had a weak spot for artists like Cher, Elton John and Billy Joel; one of my favorite home movies from childhood is me at the age of 3 dancing on a coffee table belting out “Uptown Girl” for my parents. 
 
At a very early age my parents regularly took me to London, Stratford-upon-Avon, Cambridge, and Norfolk to see as many shows as possible.  I loved it all, from Shakespeare classics and West End musicals to goofy pantomimes and local productions.  My passion for theatre has only gotten stronger over time.
 
I attended Wright State University’s Musical Theatre BFA program, then moved on to The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City where I studied and worked for five wonderful years.  I then returned to Iowa to complete my bachelor's degree in Theatre: Acting at Coe College, then worked as a professional performer in Chicago.
 
Throughout my travels and adventures I have been so blessed to work with some incredible people around the world- training in Belgrade, Serbia with DAH Theatre; working three wonderful seasons at Indiana’s Shawnee Theatre as an actor, choreographer, artistic associate, casting assistant and teaching artist; teaching Shakespeare to middle school students while touring with Riverside Theatre; and performing in Stephen Sondheim’s Company  halfway around the world in Perth, Australia in 2014.

 

In the Spring of 2018 I'll complete my latest journey, and that is the journey of Graduate School at University of Missouri: Kansas City (UMKC)! I have learned so much about my craft, educating, and most of all, myself. I  am so excited to jump back into the "real world" soon with all  of my experiences, strength, new knowledge and confidence. 
 
Acting is not only my profession. It really is my true passion in life. What I want most is to share my passion with those around me and pass that love of theatre on to a new generation of artists.

 

Thank you so much for visiting my site.  Please feel free to contact me on the next page.

 
~Heather Michele Lawler