Auditions can rattle nerves. Rehearsals can form lifelong bonds. Performances can be a triumph. Yet, the emotions of all great shows must come to an end. Micha Pelkey has become well acquainted with the cycle of a show. As a parent, performer, and volunteer, she has thrown herself into each phase of putting on a production. She even cherishes the “strike” process of dismantling the show’s set and cleaning the dressing rooms.

“We’re family. We are a team,” Pelkey gushed. “Especially with strike, we were always taught, that is a part of the process. If the show was over, your last show, it’s very emotional. If you just walked out the door, it’s almost depressing. There is something about tearing down that set and cleaning up, getting the magnet on the floor, and watching everybody come together. We’ve been together this whole time and now we’re tearing it down. We’re breaking down that memory that we had. It’s important. These people here work so hard. It’s the least we can do to jump in and do what we’ve got to do.”

Thanks to Pelkey, however, performers and crews can take pieces of the production home to cherish those special memories. Through her work at Advertising Plus, Pelkey has helped craft the perfect memento for each show from T-shirts to collectibles since 2019.

“When I’m [performing] in a show, one thing I love doing the most is getting the cast and crew something special with the help of my industry,” Pelkey smiled. “Color-changing cups, custom wine tumblers, ornaments, just to name a few.”

Her ideas have also elevated the experience for theatregoers. Advertising Plus is sponsoring the SLT boutique for the 90^th EMERALD ANNIVERSARY SEASON and donated all bags for each special purchase. She even helped resolve a decades long issue – how to enjoy concessions without feeling rushed.

“It was my suggestion for SLT to allow their patrons to enjoy a drink while watching a fabulous show – not just during intermission. That was the beginning of the wine tumblers,” Pelkey revealed. “If you purchase a wine tumbler you get to enjoy your drink during the show.”

Pelkey first came to SLT in 2006 when her daughters auditioned for SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK – LIVE, JR. After cheering them on and fostering their creativity, Pelkey finally saw an opportunity to take her first step onto the stage.

“I’m a singer, I like to perform, but I had never done anything on the stage before – never,” she recalled. “I was 36, so I auditioned for a show called THE TAFFETAS. Small cast, four people. I couldn’t read music. I was nervous, but [longtime SLT Technical Director] Chuck Rogers gave me a chance and it changed my life.”

More than a decade elapsed before Pelkey found her way back. After attending an SLT production, she reconnected with Rogers who encouraged her to audition for ALL SHOOK UP. Since then, she’s delivered unforgettable featured performances as Pat in KINKY BOOTS, Vicki Nichols in THE FULL MONTY, and many more.

“I saw [my] girls up there performing and I just felt like it’s me up there. I was so proud. But now to do it myself, we have that common bond,” Pelkey said. “They stopped doing it after a while, but I didn’t. They’re my biggest cheerleaders and they come and watch every single show.”

Pelkey’s children are grown now, but she still has an eye out for new talent and is always encouraging parents to get their kids involved.

“I have lots of friends, with children especially, who love to sing or have dynamic personalities, and I’m like, ‘You need to put that on the stage,’” she explained. “If you need a creative outlet and have stage fright, there’s plenty of stuff for you to do behind the scenes.”

In fact, Pelkey often contributes to both. She regularly drops in to volunteer on high priority projects, but has also served as assistant director – even on shows she’s appeared in.

“The first time I ever did it was in one of my very favorite shows, KINKY BOOTS,” Pelkey said. “I had never done it before, and I just have such a love for Chuck Rogers. I had seen people do it and thought, ‘I like that, I like giving people lines, I like the organization part of it, coming up with the conflicts schedule and all of the contacts and just knowing that you don’t have to be the star.’ You can be in the background and still be important and make someone else’s life a little bit easier. To me, that was super fun. I loved it. I was also assistant director for WHITE CHRISTMAS. What a blast. I could do that all day long.”

With a bustling career, Pelkey is constantly looking for ways to merge her passions so that she can devote time to both. The partnership has been enriching in both her life and the participants of SLT’s programs.

“I am busy, I work all the time,” Pelkey admitted. “But when I work on a show, it is just something internally that I wanna do. It’s a creative outlet and when you are at rehearsal or on the stage, your phone is away, it’s not a distraction, you are all in. Sometimes we need that. If I just worked all the time – and I do – I’m not having fun. I’m not getting out my artistic energy. I have to make time for it. It’s important. And I’m so thankful it’s there so that I can.”

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