Donna Daniels in the Sunset Spotlight. Donna is playing M’Lynn in our next production: STEEL MAGNOLIAS and has graced the Sunset Stage many times over the years.
- When did you first become involved at Sunset Playhouse and what areas have you been involved with here at the Playhouse? I first became involved when I was in middle school. I took acting classes here under Alan Furlan. When I was in high school, I volunteered as an usher here and loved watching all of the shows. I dreamed of one day performing here and I am so happy that dream has come true!
- If you are working on a Sunset show right now, what is your role? I am currently in rehearsals for Steel Magnolias in the role of M’Lynn. This show is very special to me for a number of reasons. I was in the first production of Steel here at Sunset, in the role of the daughter, Shelby. I hoped one day to play the role of the mother.
- If an actor, what has been your favorite role to date and what is your dream role? This is a very hard question to answer. Years ago I would have said Hypatia in Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s production of Misalliance. I loved that character and it remains a favorite. More recent favorites; Penny in Waukesha Civic’s You Can’t Take It With You and Chelsea in On Golden Pond here at Sunset. As far as a dream role, there are still quite a few, but I’d love someday to play Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf or Polly in Other Desert Cities.
- What do you enjoy most about the Sunset? I love the people. Sunset, I feel, has given me a lot more than I have given it. I was never a sports kid and went to a school where sports were very big. All of the girls in my class joined the basketball team, and I followed. I’ll never forget praying nobody would throw me the ball. One day the ball came my way and I froze! It hit me right in the face, hard! It was soon after this that my parents signed me up for acting classes here at Sunset. At that point, I knew I had found my sport.
- When not at Sunset, how do you spend your time? I am a wife and mom to two beautiful daughters and live in Wauwatosa. I work in corporate recruitment for Northwestern Mutual.
- What is your favorite color/food/movie/TV show/book/musical or play? Color: red, Food: Mexican, Movie: Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, TV Show: Call the Midwife, Book: To Kill a Mockingbird, Play: Too hard to pick one, but my current favorite is Other Desert Cities.
- What is your favorite quote? I don’t have one.
- Any other comments? I’d just like to say thank you to all of the wonderful volunteers who make up the Sunset community as well as the audience members who support what we all do!!