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Growing up in Buffalo, N.Y., Shellie Schmals always new she wanted to be an actor, even if it meant going against her mother’s hopes for Shellie’s future as a teacher or lawyer. “I always wanted to perform,” Shellie says. “And now, I’m in a place where I’m doing everything I wanted to do when I was four years old.”
Throughout her youth, Shellie was very involved in her community. As a kid, she was a member of her local youth group, and during college, she was an active member of her sorority and was student government president. While at Daemen College, Shellie received her undergraduate degree in history and government, hoping one day to run her own small liberal arts college.
Shortly after, she moved to Atlanta and began working with a high school youth group—a dream come true for someone who was so involved in her own youth group growing up. “Throughout the years, I worked in non-profit and in the Jewish community, but I was always looking for something more creative,” she recalls. “In 2005, my friend started taking improv classes at the place that is now the Relapse Comedy Theatre. I took a class in 2006 and kind of never left.”
Now a regular performer with her improv troupe 2 Girls 3 Eyes at the Relapse Comedy Theatre, Shellie is able to combine her passion for comedy and community involvement with her position as community affairs director. With this position, Shellie coordinates parties and gets the theater involved in parades and other community events, like the Sweetwater 420 Festival. “In my role, I just want to involve everybody,” she says. “A lot of the life I’ve led was aimed at community involvement, and that was definitely my inspiration for holding this position with the theater.”
 As community affairs director for the Relapse Comedy Theatre, Shellie had the opportunity to work on a unique project—the “Girls of Relapse Comedy Calendar.” “Last year, during the middle of the summer, one of the performers at Relapse, Jen Thrasher, said, ‘let’s do a calendar,’” she says. “So we thought about it and talked a few days later, and we realized we wanted an opportunity to showcase the girls of Relapse who help make it the place it is today.”
From stand-up comedians and improv actress to technology recruiters and bartenders, for Shellie, the diversity among the girls in the calendar is what made it so special. “It’s a community project, and there’s diversity in the group of women,” she says. “You have everyone from those with PhDs to those with GEDs, but we all come together to be on the stage. For us, it’s not only a way to highlight and thank the women of Relapse, but it’s also good for cross promotion. It's a really fun time. And who doesn't like to see hot girls every month?” And the even better news—a calendar for 2013 is currently in the works.
Also at Relapse, Shellie is part of 2 Girls 3 Eyes. With the troupe, which has been together for six years, she has had the opportunity to hone her comedy skills. “We love to rock it on stage,” Shellie says. “Our director Bob Wood has given us an amazing training. We’ve performed in front of crowds of 500 and even outside in the rain. We go with the flow and have a good time. It’s all about emotion and feelings and connecting with your partner, and I think that’s what makes our shows relatable to audiences.”
Shellie, who also performs with the sketch comedy group PostModern Collapse, notes a particular interest in “old school” comedians, like Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and Mae West. While her love for performing hooked her initially, Shellie says her fellow comedians in 2 Girls 3 Eyes have helped her grow as an artist. “I’ve been performing with them for six years, and they’ve kind of been my family,” she says. “They've seen me at my best, and they've seen me at my worst. In a couple of ways, I’ve grown up with them. Really, improv is a way to tell stories and be creative and live in the moment.”
 Aside from her work at Relapse, Shellie recently ventured into a new creative performing arena — burlesque.
Shellie co-founded Minette Magnifique, which brings a fresh perspective to vintage inspired shows, in 2009 with Kellyn Willey, owner of Pin-Up Girl Cosmetics.
The duo became acquainted when Shellie spoke to Kellyn about sponsorship opportunities for Quiet Roar, a Hello Kitty art and fashion show, which raised more than $1,500 for a local animal shelter. “After this, Kellyn and I clicked and stayed in touch,” Shellie says. “She had another troupe she was developing at the time, but it wasn’t what she was looking for. Once that died down, she was looking for something new. Basically, it was like two girls wanting to have fun.”
Having recently celebrated their two-year anniversary, for Shellie, who emcees the shows, Minette Magnifique is the perfect combination. “What’s wonderful for me is that I’ve been able to take all of my improv experience and embody that in burlesque,” she says. “I get to do a little bit of everything I love—hang out with friends, dress up and do comedy.”
 Now a staple in Atlanta’s comedy scene, Shellie shares her advice for aspiring performers: “It’s about having the balls to do it and be true to yourself. You don't have to hold back. In order to create, you have to move forward. Also, be your best self-promoter and be happy and proud about what your doing. If you’re just talking about what you love, it's the best way to get people to your shows. And it’s always OK to experiment and cross into different styles—like from stand up to improv or from directing to producing.”
While she may not have listened to her mother’s career advice, Shellie is certainly happy with her decision to become a performer. “I think what’s so amazing is that everybody has an opportunity to shine on stage,” she says. “You have to work at it and be open to it, but if it’s something you want, it’s there for you. And especially in Atlanta, there are so many opportunities.”
For more information on Shellie and her performances, visit
www.facebook.com/shellie.schmals
www.relapsecomedy.com
www.facebook.com/VONschmalhausen
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A Georgia native, Joe Satterfield spent his childhood in the Canton area before attending the University of Georgia and Kennesaw State, where he graduated college with a degree in business. However, for Joe, a regular desk job just didn’t cut it. For the past 33 years, Joe’s primary focus has been his work as a restaurateur. During this time, he worked as a bartender at the Punchline before starting 
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