Shannon
Molly
Flynn

Shannon is a Bronx-based director, producer, and writer. As a multidisciplinary artist, Shannon’s career is built on her motivation for storytelling that challenges theater as a form and invites collaboration at every stage of the process. Her projects immerse audiences in vulnerable storytelling, paired with thoughtful designs and soundscapes. The stories she tells touch on the strength of community, the inevitability of existential questioning, and the beauty found within the tiniest of moments. There is no doubt that any human should have the opportunity to tell a story. 

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Flynn’s work on production began as a necessity. She was raised in the ground-breaking theater community of early-2000’s Seattle. Village Theater and the 5th Ave were monumental institutions that introduced her to this community-changing art form. Growing up she witnessed workshops and tryouts for shows that pushed theater past its bounds. Village and the 5th Ave did not stop with professional productions but simultaneously ran two world-class youth theater programs. Unfortunately, tuition for productions and classes was prohibitively expensive, and my single mother had no means to pay for them. As part of their desire to increase representation in theater, Village provided work-study opportunities that allowed low-income kids to work to pay for their tuition. This was her in.

 

 

The hours spent in the administrative offices and working on production teams paid for every production and class she took. Working in administration, sitting in meetings, and assisting classes energized and nurtured Shannon’s young mind. At 13, she had the privilege of watching these professionals conduct themselves with a generous attitude toward all involved. By 18 Flynn knew the lifecycle of a production and that she, too, possessed the ability to make it happen. 

 

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Studying Musical Theater at Montclair State University gifted her with true lifelong collaborators. Shortly after leaving, two Montclair alumni, who shared a vision for what theater could be, reached out. They asked if she would be interested in directing and producing a production at a midtown theater named Medicine Show. She immediately said yes.

 

 

One production led to many others and now 6 years later, Shannon sits as the Founding Producing Artistic Director of Normal Ave, a reputable nonprofit organization. At its peak, producing 3 shows a year and a New Works Festival, Normal Ave focuses on original works and world premieres.