Shannon Gaffney is a multifaceted actor, vocal artist, and educator based in NYC. Recent projects include Die Fledermaus (Rosalinde cover/Chorus) and Suor Angelica (La Badessa). She has performed with NYU Opera, Utopia Opera, Amore Opera, and the Opera Collective of New York CIty.

 

In May 2023, Shannon wrote, directed, and performed in her original play “When the Fat Lady Sings,” in which she integrated opera, art song, and musical theatre repertoire to emphasize the harmful impact of fatphobia, as well as evolving cultural body standards, for women in the opera and musical theatre industries. The show made its New York premiere at the Gene Frankel Theatre. 

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As an educator, Shannon teaches classical, musical theatre, and contemporary commercial styles. She holds an Advanced Certificate in Vocal Pedagogy for NYU Steinhardt, where she served as an Adjunct Instructor of Voice. She also holds a Master of Arts in Musical Dramaturgy & Vocal Performance from NYU Gallatin, and both her BFA in Musical Theatre and BA in Creative Professional Writing from Manhattanville College. 

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Shannon made her directorial debut with Zombie Prom, as the Artistic Director of the Gallatin Theatre Troupe. She was also the Artistic Fellow for the J2 Spotlight Musical Theatre Company’s 2022-2023 season off-Broadway, serving as Assistant Director for their productions of Woman of the Year and Sugar. In addition to her directorial work, she curated and moderated post-show talkbacks for Woman of the Year, Sugar, and The Goodbye Girl.

 

As a dramaturg, her  credits include Hopelessly Devoted to You: Songs of Passion and Pining with the Gallatin Graduate Mainstage and The Three R’s: Revolution, Rebellion, and Resilience with the Village Light Opera Group. 

 

Shannon formerly served as a Staff Writer for On Stage Blog, where she wrote pieces addressing racism, transphobia, fatphobia, and other forms of oppression within the musical theatre industry. She was also a proofreader and typesetter for the second edition of Flop Musicals of the Twenty-First Century: How They Happened, When They Happened (And What We’ve Learned) by Stephen Purdy.

 

In addition to her voice and theatre work, Shannon is pursuing her 200-HR Yoga Teacher Training certification from My Vinyasa Practice. 

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Outside of her professional pursuits, Shannon loves writing fiction and poetry, celebrating Halloween, and ordering a Venti iced coffee unsweetened with light cream and two splenda.