Melanie Schmidt
“Your dream is realistic. It’s your I can’t that’s not realistic.”
Hello world! My name is Melanie. Nice to meet you!
I am theater producer, director and actor. Currently play J. Finch Fletchley in Puffs. Recently in Bye Bye Birdie, Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. At the 2021 MACT*Fest Competition, produced and directed the award winning production, “How to Host a Murder Mystery Dinner Party (In Fifteen Simple Steps). As well as produced and directed Hairspray, the Broadway Musical and Disney’s High School Musical on Stage. I earned my degree at the University of Minnesota Duluth in Theater and Film in 2014. Two years later I founded Stage and Spotlights Community Theatre in order to save a production after it was canceled and have been producing and directing ever since.
I am also a content creator. I love filmmaking, editing and photography! I’ve been acting, editing and capturing videography/ photography for the last 16 years. For the past 8 years specifically, I have been managing a variety of social media platforms and have earned HubSpot’s Social Media Marketing Certification alongside the Google Analytics IQ Certification. In 2023, I was elected as the Marketing Director on the Prior Lake Players Board. Recently have been working on Drone Car Ads, Puffs Teaser Trailer, Finding Nemo Teaser Trailer, promotional footage for Stage and Spotlights and Papi is a Queen (Drag Queen Web Series).
Celebrating diversity and inclusion are a priority to me. ✊🏾🏳️🌈
Hairspray 2017
You can’t stop the BEAT
Happening Now!
Come see me in Puffs!
Oct 25- Nov 3, 2024
Twin Oaks Middle School, Prior Lake
Third or nothing!
Pictures of recent projects
J. Finch Fletchley
Puffs (In Progress)
Prior Lake Players, 2024
Photographer
Branzoe, Eden Prairie, 2023
Coggins, Morris Person, Inventor
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
River Valley Theatre Company, 2022
Evil Queen, Camera Operator, Makeup Artist
“Guardian of Aegora” Feature Film, 2021
Theater Work
- Puffs
J. Finch Fletchley, Videographer
Prior Lake Players, 2024 - Bye Bye Birdie
Unicyclist, Videographer
Prior Lake Players, 2024 - Mary Poppins
Core Ensemble, Videographer
Prior Lake Players, 2023 - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Coggins, Morris Person, Inventor
River Valley Theatre Company, 2022 - How to Host a Murder Mystery Dinner Party
Director, Producer, Scenic
Stage and Spotlights, 2021 - Shrek the Musical (Gooden)
Producer, Tweedle Dee
River Valley Theater Company, 2019
Theater Work
- Acting and Monologue Training
Actor, (Workshop)
Self-Reliant Actor, 2019 - Grease the Musical Review (Kearcher)
Co-Director, Lady
Dylan Kearcher Entertainment, 2017 - Beauty and the Beast the Musical Review
Townsperson
Dylan Kearcher Entertainment, 2017 - Hairspray, The Broadway Musical
Director, Producer, Scenic
Stage and Spotlights, 2017 - Disney’s High School Musical
Director, Producer, Scenic, Thespian
Stage and Spotlights, 2016 - Black Coffee (David Coral)
Light Board Operator
Theatre in the Round, 2015 - A Thousand Clowns (Dona Freeman)
Lights, Scenic
Theatre in the Round, 2015
Theater Work
- Charlotte’s Web (Dunning and Gillis)
Narrator
Prior Lake Players, 2015 - The Farnsworth Invention (Lynn Musgrave)
Stage Manager, Lights, Scenic
Theatre in the Round, 2015 - Don’t Drink the Water (Ben Kutschied)
Stage Manager, Lights, Scenic
Theatre in the Round, 2015 - Black Tie (Liz Neerland)
Lights, Scenic
Theatre in the Round, 2015 - Importance of Being Earnest
Director
The Dudley Experimental Theater, 2014 - Damn Yankees (Ann Bergeron)
ASM, Hair & Makeup
Marshall Performing Arts Center, 2014
Film Work
- Puffs | Feature and Teaser Trailer (In Progress)
Videographer, Editor
Prior Lake Players 2024 - Finding Nemo Summer Camp | Feature and Teaser Trailer
Videographer, Editor
Prior Lake Players 2024 - Bye Bye Bird | Feature, Teaser Trailer and Promo Video
Videographer, Editor
Prior Lake Players 2024 - Audi Car Ad | Commercial Ad
Drone Operator, Editor
Melanie Schmidt Films, 2024 - Quiet on Set | Short Film
Assistant Director
Carolinah Prun Arts Association, 2024
Film Work
- Death of a Salesman | Feature and Teaser Trailer
Videographer, Editor
Prior Lake Players 2023 - Mary Poppins | Feature and Teaser Trailer
Videographer, Editor
Prior Lake Players 2023 - Drone Videography | Short Film and Photo
Drone Operator, Editor
Melanie Schmidt Films, 2022 - How to Host a Murder Mystery Dinner Party | Feature and Teaser Trailer
Videographer, Editor
Stage and Spotlights, 2021 - Gaurdian of Aegora | Feature Film
Evil Queen
Creativity Lies Within LLC, 2020-21 - Papi is a Queen | YouTube Drag Web Series
Videographer, Editor
Papi is a Queen LLC, 2019
Film Work
- Social Media Live Videos
Videographer, Host
Walt Life, 2019 - Shrek the Musical | Teaser Trailer
Videographer, Editor
River Valley Theatre Company, 2019 - Earth Beings | Short Film
Videographer, Editor, Sky 1 & 2
Film North, 2019 - Hairspray | Promo Videos
Director, Editor, Writer
Stage and Spotlights, 2017 - Disney’s High School Musical | Promo Video
Director, Editor
Stage and Spotlights, 2016 - Theatre People Web Series | Season 3
Student
Theater People, 2015 - Professional Wireless Communications | AD
Videographer, Editor
Professional Wireless Communications, 2015
Awards
Excellence in Acting
Stage and Spotlights Community Theatre was given two acting awards at the MACT*Fest competition in 2021 for How to Host a Murder Mystery Dinner Party (In Fifteen Simple Steps).
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Arrowhead Award
Nominated for excellent service, leadership, event planning, videography and founding the first ever gender inclusive Sports Club, called the Quidditch Club.
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Kirby Leadership Certificate
Achieved cultural and leadership competency by fulfilling specialized coursework, attended several emerging leadership workshops and completed 500+ hours of volunteering.
