Sandy Skoglund-Young is focused, disciplined, and undeniably talented. As a young college student at Missouri State University – then SMSU – she envisioned this formula would carry her off to bright lights and bigger stages. Like so many of the shows she’s performed in, however, love suddenly stepped in.

“I kind of had one foot in the music department and one foot in the theatre department and at that time was sort of planning, well, eventually I’m going to try to make a career out of this. Ultimately, I decided not to do that. And that has a lot to do with – well, it has everything to do with Steve,” she smiled.

Skoglund-Young met her future husband when she served as vocal director of THE WIZARD OF OZ at Springfield Little Theatre in 1982. Although the tall, handsome, and charming Steve Young was difficult to ignore, she was focused on her career aspirations. They reconnected during SMSU auditions where he finally proposed a date, and she excitedly accepted. The meeting never happened, however.

“There was a hiccup in that I stood him up. You mean that?” Skoglund-Young giggled.

She felt such a strong connection that she anxiously skipped out on their first date. Skoglund-Young – rightfully – predicted that their relationship would trump her performance aspirations, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to let go of her dreams.

Since then, Skoglund-Young has had theatrical triumphs, built a cherished family, and has supported countless women through the most vulnerable moments of motherhood as a nurse. She is at peace with her remarkable life and says that the arts in Springfield helped her find a level of contentment.

“Anytime you make a decision like that – you change paths – there’s a lot of soul searching and a lot of pondering about, is this the right thing to do? Am I really, truly satisfied with this decision?” she remembered. “But one of the things that made it okay was the very rich performance environment of Springfield.”

As a renowned vocalist, Skoglund-Young has had many opportunities to perform with the Ozarks Lyric Opera – formerly Springfield Regional Opera. She reflected on one of her most fulfilling roles in SWEENEY TODD as a collaboration between the organization and Springfield Little Theatre. As the macabre and lovestruck Mrs. Lovett, she held down double duty as she was the only person cast in the role while two men alternated as Sweeney Todd.

“And that’s fine. I would not have wanted to share it. She’s mine,” Skoglund-Young joked.

Jeff Carney, who frequently performed with the Opera, and Todd Smith, who led many SLT casts, were both cast as the lead opposite Skoglund-Young.

“You have to stay so present in the moment because of what each ‘Sweeney’ was giving to you,” she recalled. “Completely different relationships with each one of them. I would say probably [SWEENEY TODD] was the most artistically satisfying that took me to the periphery of my ability and my stamina. I thought it was just top notch.”

Skoglund-Young doesn’t lack for memorable leading roles. Highlights include DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Mrs. Potts), FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (Golde), and CURTAINS (Carmen Bernstein). She even originated the role of Millie in the world-premiere cast of EXIT LAUGHING by Paul Elliott. She remembered the excitement and pride among the cast and crew when SLT was chosen to debut the winning script from the AACTNewPlayFest.

“Not only was it a world premiere, but just the participation in the competition that the playwrights submitted to have their works considered,” she explained. “The other theaters doing the new works weren’t community theaters. They were regional theaters. Little Theatre was the only community theater that got to premiere one of those works. Just knowing that we had the distinction of being recognized on the same playing field as regional theaters.”

After marrying Steve and giving birth to their son, Ben, Skoglund-Young performed consistently, balancing work and family with her passion. Meanwhile, challenges with her own delivery inspired a massive career shift that required her to return to school.

“[Ben] was born 9 weeks early. I spent a lot of time in the hospital. I was so impacted by what the nurses were doing for me 24/7. I started thinking, ‘Huh, this is good stuff. This is important stuff. I would like to do this for moms who are in my similar situation,’” she reflected.

Skoglund-Young had taken the minimum science requirements at Missouri State University to earn her initial degree. She dipped her toe back in with a biology course to test her aptitude and excelled. From there, she completed nursing school, taking care of high-risk moms in labor and delivery for the bulk of her career.

The burgeoning arts community in Springfield kept Skoglund-Young engaged. Although life steered her away from the performance career she had envisioned, she was able to fulfill her creative calling.

“There was still the opportunity to flex those muscles, to grow those muscles. Grow the technique, all those things. That opportunity doesn’t exist only in other places and bigger cities,” she insisted. “It existed here as well as the top-notch people to do it with and beautiful places to do it in.”

Skoglund-Young emphasized that it isn’t only the artists who benefit from a robust arts community. Ticket holders can see professional level performing arts without having to travel to larger cities and spend money on transportation and hotels.

“I think that Springfield audiences deserve absolutely the same quality productions as anybody else in the world. I think that any of us who do perform in Springfield would not think that an audience on a bigger stage, or a more well-known stage, was more of an achievement to do good work for them as opposed to the people who are seeing us in Springfield.”

Just like the stories she has depicted on stage, Skoglund-Young’s life has been shaped by fate, magic, and love. Even when things look different than she predicted they might, through her generosity, curiosity, and joy, she is able to see clearly the great blessings of her life.

“The main thing is, as life sort of weaves its path with, ‘I’m going to be a nurse,’ ‘I’m also a mother,’ the way things happen, that thread that runs through it all that I always come back to is [Springfield] Little Theatre,” she observed. “Having a performance home and community, it’s just been the throughline through my life that I can always return to, to reconnect with that part of myself. Just having that incredible place to do that thing I love and hopefully keep working at it and getting better at it.”

Tickets are available now for a reprisal of EXIT LAUGHING at SLT.