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[0:00] Robert Bannon: Are you ready? It's The Roundtable with me, Robert Bannon.

[0:09] Robert Bannon: Well, welcome to The Roundtable, everybody. My name is Robert Bannon. You're listening to us on Broadway World, the Broadway Podcast Network, iHeart, Spotify, wherever artists are talking about art, you will find us.

[0:19] Robert Bannon: And we have a great artist with us. You've seen her on a whole bunch of television shows, and she is a fan favorite.

[0:26] Robert Bannon: She started a movement out here in these streets to save her. She has. It's still going strong, Shannon.

[0:33] Robert Bannon: Now she's on stage. You can see her live and in person with the incredible, legendary Mary Lou Henner, who is not fair to do a show with because she can memorize her script in one reading.

[0:43] Robert Bannon: And that's so unfair. But she is incredible. And Shannon is here. And welcome to the show. Welcome to the show.

[0:50] Shannon Purser: Thank you so much. Thanks for having me.

[0:52] Robert Bannon: I love that you're doing this show with Mary Lou Henner. I saw Mary Lou Henner do her one woman show and sing and talk about her life. And she's incredible.

[1:01] Shannon Purser: She is. Yeah, truly. I mean, what a career. Like hearing her stories backstage. It's pretty amazing.

[1:10] Robert Bannon: I love it. So the show, everybody, so that you can get a ticket and go see it is called The Ask.

[1:16] Robert Bannon: And it's at Theater 555. It's till November 22nd. Look, it's 75 minutes.

[1:21] Robert Bannon: You don't have to sit through an intermission. You sit down, have dinner beforehand, get a drink after. Perfect date night. Perfect night out with friends.

[1:27] Robert Bannon: Art fans, go see the show. How did the show come to you and why did you say yes?

[1:33] Shannon Purser: Honestly, it was kind of magical how it all came about. Our playwright, Matthew Freeman's wife, is a good friend of mine.

[1:42] Shannon Purser: And we met years ago and she had mentioned kind of vaguely that her husband was a playwright.

[1:48] Shannon Purser: And, you know, I thought, oh, that's nice. Never really brought it up again.

[1:52] Shannon Purser: And then a few months ago, I get an email from her out of the blue saying, hey, my husband is putting up a play off Broadway.

[2:00] Shannon Purser: And there's a part that we both think you would be really great for if you would want to read it.

[2:06] Shannon Purser: And so I read the play and loved it. And it was just kind of an instantaneous yes.

[2:12] Shannon Purser: It's a yes. And it is. That's it. You can go to theaskplay.com. Tickets start at fifty five dollars.

[2:19] Shannon Purser: So you don't have to break the bank to be able to see incredible art and go see, especially this time in New York.

[2:25] Shannon Purser: New York is magical all the time. But this time of year, it's extra special.

[2:29] Robert Bannon: When you when you get the script originally and you and you learned about this character, Tanner, what how did you find this character? How did you did you discover who this person is?

[2:41] Shannon Purser: I think the play just resonated with me immediately. It's a political discussion between, you know, kind of a Gen Z-er and a boomer.

[2:54] Shannon Purser: And it's just a version of a conversation that I've had a million times with friends and relatives and loved ones.

[3:04] Shannon Purser: And so I say that if you've if you've ever wanted to be a spectator of intense political conversation, but not have to partake in it, this is the show for you.

[3:16] Shannon Purser: It's it's funny, but it's also like intense. And when I read it, I just felt that it was an important conversation that needed to be had.

[3:25] Shannon Purser: And I saw so much of myself and Tanner. They are a non-binary Gen Z ACLU volunteer asking for a very hefty donation from a wealthy older woman.

[3:37] Shannon Purser: And I just I just really fell for them. I mean, it's not written explicitly in the play, but this is a new career for them.

[3:48] Shannon Purser: They're not very experienced at asking for money like this. And the conversation just takes a turn that they could not have anticipated.

[3:57] Shannon Purser: And it's really fun. I just feel like I'm on my toes the entire show.

[4:02] Robert Bannon: That's what's got to be fun. The two hander of it. Seventy five minutes of you two just bouncing off of each other has to be electric.

[4:09] Robert Bannon: I like I didn't obviously haven't seen the play. I can't wait to see this play.

[4:14] Robert Bannon: But what is interesting to me is I feel like in the climate of today, especially this week in this country, after progress, after the left, after the blues tidal wave that happens, the conversation becomes who leads a party?

[4:29] Robert Bannon: And there are people who have been doing it for 30, 40, 50 years who feel like it's their party to lead. And then there's a young group of people who are grassroots organizers who are like, no, it's time to change the guard.

[4:42] Robert Bannon: And we could all be on the left. But our idea of what left means is different. And I feel like that's kind of what the show is about.

[4:46] Shannon Purser: Absolutely. Yeah, I think that it's these are both people who want their voices to be heard, who believe that their identities and their experiences matter and need to be validated.

[5:04] Shannon Purser: But they have a really hard time understanding each other because of their preconceived notions and the emotions that are tied into this conversation,

[5:14] Shannon Purser: which I feel like is so real, you know, like you want to have a reasonable conversation with a family member. And then it gets heated and you lose track of what you were even talking about in the first place.

[5:26] Shannon Purser: So, yeah, I feel like it's very timely. And we've been thinking about that a lot, you know, in the aftermath of the midterms.

[5:35] Shannon Purser: Yeah, we're looking to build a future together. I think, like, it's interesting that Tanner and Greta are not, you know, across the aisle in this argument.

[5:44] Shannon Purser: They're both, you know, somewhere on the left. And it's those little nuances that make it even more frustrating because these are people who are aligned and should be aligned on so many issues who are just really struggling to find common ground.

[6:02] Shannon Purser: And you're right. I mean, I think that a lot of people come out of this play feeling like they need to pick sides, like you're either team Tanner or team Greta.

[6:10] Shannon Purser: But I do really think that that's kind of symptomatic of the conversation we're having where it's like, let's not look for a winner here.

[6:21] Shannon Purser: Like, let's look for a way that we can build, you know, a coalition and get shit done.

[6:26] Shannon Purser: And I feel like the results of the election prove that we were able to unify to get something done, you know.

[6:34] Shannon Purser: So that's that's positive.

[6:36] Robert Bannon: I love it. Let's not all. We have more in common than we have apart.

[6:39] Robert Bannon: So let's all do the work and fix a bunch of stuff and then we'll all argue and just figure it out together.

[6:44] Robert Bannon: But I think about it because I see I'm not that big on social media and look at politics because it gives me anxiety.

[6:50] Robert Bannon: But I love it. I'm a poli-sci major. Is that, you know, now it's like, OK, they have to get rid of this person and put that person here.

[6:57] Robert Bannon: And the arguing, the infighting starts. So I think that that's all good for conversation.

[7:02] Robert Bannon: But I don't want to turn us all into enemies when there's great things to be done. And that's what I think the show is so important to talk about.

[7:09] Shannon Purser: Absolutely. I agree.

[7:11] Shannon Purser: So I love your story because I was reading about you and I learned also the Internet is a dangerous, scary place, everybody.

[7:20] Shannon Purser: There is a lot out there. So, you know, you're outside Atlanta. You got a bunch of sisters. Right. And your parents.

[7:29] Shannon Purser: Maybe I don't know how I've I don't know them, but I love their story.

[7:34] Shannon Purser: They're just flying in the sky, falling in love, having kids. And then out pops you. When did you decide that art was your thing?

[7:42] Shannon Purser: What made you fall in love with art or how did it find you?

[7:46] Shannon Purser: Yeah, neither of my parents are in the arts. They both, you know, enjoy art. And we grew up watching a lot of movies together.

[7:56] Shannon Purser: You know, especially like my dad's favorites, kind of classics from the 80s or whatever. We saw a lot of Jim Carrey flicks and Spielberg and whatnot.

[8:07] Shannon Purser: And I don't know really what it was initially. I mean, I've just always liked to perform. I love to sing. Actually, singing was kind of my gateway into acting.

[8:20] Shannon Purser: I took voice lessons when I was in middle school. And then my voice teacher said, well, if you like singing and you are interested in acting at all, maybe you should try out for a musical sometime.

[8:31] Shannon Purser: And so I started doing community theater and really fell in love with that. I've just always had a big imagination and I'm a big reader.

[8:41] Shannon Purser: I love reading fiction and fantasy and imagining myself in these worlds. And so it just kind of felt like a natural fit to me.

[8:52] Shannon Purser: Like if I spend all my time, you know, imagining myself in stories, why wouldn't I want to do that for a career?

[9:01] Robert Bannon: I think that's perfect. That's what makes you a great artist. There was even a time it said in a bio that you might have gone into a different career, but we're so grateful you're here so that we get to see you on stage and on screen.

[9:13] Robert Bannon: Before you hit television, before you get the big first gig, you were working in a movie theater.

[9:19] Shannon Purser: Yeah, I was. Yeah, back in Georgia.

[9:21] Robert Bannon: So you're in Georgia, you're working in a movie theater. How did your first gig come to you? Like, what's it like to get a call to say, hey, you're going to be on a big stage?

[9:38] Shannon Purser: Kind of, yeah. I mean, I was in high school. I was in my senior year of high school. I, at that point, had already decided that acting was something that I wanted to pursue professionally. And I had signed with an Atlanta agency and had auditioned for a couple of years, never booked anything. And, you know, at this point I'm thinking about what's my plan B? I'm thinking about going to college. What's like the normal adult job that I'm gonna have if acting doesn't pan out? And, you know, Stranger Things just kind of came to me like anything else that I'd ever gotten in my inbox. And I taped it in my basement with my best friend and, you know, sent it out into the ether, my little audition. And then I got a callback and that was exciting.

So I went into the studios and I read for the Duffer Brothers and they were great. And they seemed to really love my read. And I mean, I really think it was maybe the next day. It was either later that day or the next day that I got an email from them saying that I had gotten the part and it was like, I mean, changed my life.

[10:50] Robert Bannon: Yeah. I mean, you will be an Emmy nominated actor for the rest of your life and people will be watching you for eternity. And then all of the things that came, Riverdale was a six year run that you got to be a part of and Sierra Burgess Is a Loser and like all of the things that you'd rise, all of the things through the past 10, is it 10? How many years?

[11:11] Shannon Purser: 10 years.

[11:12] Robert Bannon: Yeah, yeah, I guess about 11.

[11:16] Shannon Purser: Old pro just out here.

[11:17] Robert Bannon: Oh yeah, nothing left to do, I've done it all.

[11:20] Shannon Purser: No, that's certainly not the case. That's part of why I was so excited about doing this play is because theater is how I started acting and I love it. I love the rush of live performance and hearing the audience react in real time and just over the past year or so, I was like, oh man, I would really love the chance to get to do more professional theater and then this fell into my lap and so it just feels like I kind of manifested it. There is no second take. There's no reset and reshoot. It is live.

[11:53] Robert Bannon: Certainly not. When you sat down and did the table read and you met your co-star, you met Marilu Henner and you read it for the first time, did you know it was gonna be something special? Is your chemistry something that you worked on over time or it just was hit from the go?

[12:08] Shannon Purser: I think it's just like instantaneous. Like the two of us, I think have, I think we're both just so well cast. Like she has this gravitas and this experience and like majesty about her that I feel like she really brings into the role which is like perfect for that character and then in many ways, even though I have been working for over a decade, I do still feel new in so many ways, especially in theater. So I'm already kind of coming into this as like a newbie anyway. And yeah, I think like from the second we read it, I knew that this was gonna be fine and that we were gonna work out and it was gonna be a compelling thing to watch, yeah.

[13:00] Robert Bannon: Like a nerdy behind the scenes question. So when you go to the theater tonight and do your show, do you, it's two people in the show. So do you have a routine? Do you say hello to her? Do you wait to see her on stage? Do you have a like a kiki, oh, let's have a Friday night show? What is it like before the eight o'clock curtain goes up?

[13:19] Shannon Purser: That's a great question. I bet that there probably are some actors who are like, leave it all for the stage. Like don't talk to me. I'm not really that kind of person. I feel like I'm pretty friendly and she is too. So I mean, usually we'll check in, we'll say hi. She's almost always like, she knows everybody in the world. Like the network that she has is pretty incredible. So I feel like she's always like talking to one of her friends on the phone, but she'll wave and say hi. And yeah, then we usually just check in again before we go up. But we're both like mostly just doing our makeup and getting ready and psyching ourselves up, I think.

[14:08] Robert Bannon: I love it. She's on the phone with John Travolta. You're getting ready for the show. That's the life.

[14:12] Shannon Purser: Yeah, you know how it is.

[14:15] Robert Bannon: Theaskplay.com. So if people are looking to come, who do you recommend? What if they're scared? They think like, we've been fighting about politics. I mean, am I gonna agree with what they say? Why should people feel comfortable to come see this show and not feel like it's gonna be doomsday CNN on stage?

[14:32] Shannon Purser: I think in a way there's like something great about the medium of theater because it feels so alive and you're watching it unfold literally in front of your eyes, but it's also on a stage. Like there's distance. So if you bring your mom or your aunt or whoever who like maybe has some slightly different political opinions, you have the like safety net of being like, well, what did you think of that character? What did you think about what that character said? You know, there's like a little bit of distance between you and what you're watching, but it is interesting because I had some relatives come recently who are pretty conservative and I warned them beforehand what the show was about and that it was, you know, pretty explicitly focused on the left side of the aisle.

And they told me that they really enjoyed the show and that they, you know, found some of the perspectives interesting. So it's not as polarizing as I maybe thought it would be initially. And I think that even more than like the politics, the show is also just about like class and what it's like to be in a work environment where you're the one who has to keep everything all buttoned up and be polite and be gracious. And you're dealing with somebody who has more power than you because they have more money. And they're maybe pushing you a little harder than they would somebody in their own, you know, weight class. So it's like, I think it's kind of a universal experience. Like how do we build a coalition with the people who have the money or who have the power even when they're not always the most understanding?

[16:23] Robert Bannon: Yeah, so timely, so important. I'm so excited for people to check it out. Get your tickets. I love, what are you, total side note before I let you go because I've taken up enough of your time. You are very popular on social media. And you have almost a million followers on Instagram. Is it scary? What is it like to become like a million people are watching your stories? Is it something you think about? Is it something that's weird? Are your DMs scary? Like what happens when a million people wanna follow you?

[16:56] Shannon Purser: What I will say is that it's like, because of the way that the algorithm is, things are so particular in who they get shown to. So it's not like all million people are watching everything I do at all times, which thank God for that. That would be terrifying. But yeah, it was definitely very stressful when I first kind of had my big break and all of the followers started coming in. I was getting way more feedback and opinions on my posts than I'd ever had before. But luckily after a certain point, Instagram sorts your comments or your DMs into folders. So I definitely have some words muted. I have some people muted. But for the most part, I would say that my fan base, which is like a crazy word to say, seems really nice and accepting. And I think that I've been outspoken enough about who I am and what matters to me that the people who don't like it have gone. So right now it sort of feels mostly like a happy little family I have going on.

[18:04] Robert Bannon: I love that. My dog is very unprofessional, I apologize for the squeak. To the people listening to us, well, I'm gonna be a million and one. I'm following you and we'll be following and looking for the next adventures and looking forward to seeing this. Everybody, if you're a fan, or if you've never been to a play, or if you go to every single play, this is your chance. There's rush tickets available. There's tickets for less than $100. Go see this. Have an enjoyable, entertaining, and insightful, smart evening out at the theater and have a conversation afterwards with the people you go with. It's such an honor and a joy to talk to you. Thank you for spending some time with us, Shannon. Before you go to work, have an incredible weekend of shows and much love to you.

[18:40] Shannon Purser: Thank you so much. Thanks for having me.