Susie "grew up all over the place" in her early years, including India and the Philippines since her parents were in the Peace Corps. Her family moved to the Monterey Peninsula when she was about six years old. She almost immediately began attending the Children's Experimental Theatre and continued through high school, but also did theatre at Monterey High School. She performed in her first musical in high school, playing Glenda, The Good Witch in THE WIZARD OF OZ, directed by Terry DeBono. She then attended Monterey Peninsula College. Her first show there was A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, directed by James Dunn. A year later she moved to Germany, where she lived for four years, performing some at the American High School. She returned to Monterey in 1988 and soon moved to San Francisco to study and get a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management. While in San Francisco she did two shows -- A CHORUS LINE and CAMELOT. She also studied at the ACT Winter Conservatory, giving her one of the best summers of her life. (sic)

Susie Burns

In 1990, Susie moved back to the Monterey Peninsula, got a job working at the Ventana Inn and "of course got in the swing of doing shows all over the place." After two years she left the Ventana Inn, became manager of the Horizon Inn in Carmel, and continued doing theatre. She also has been teaching on and off for the last five years at the Carmel Ballet Academy. She describes her experience: "To teach and work with the youth is so inspiring. Just this past summer I had the thrill of working with Gloria Elber on WESTWARD WHOA!; what fun it is to create a show around kids. I also stage- managed CBA's THE NUTCRACKER for the last three years."

In 1995 Susie did A CHORUS LINE at Pacific Repertory Theatre and met Melissa Chin. Melissa offered her an internship as her assistant at the Western Stage in Salinas. So she quit her job at the inn and has been at the Western Stage ever since. She is now Management Associate at the Western Stage and "loving every moment of it" with duties including finding housing for out-of-town company members, helping arrange hospitality volunteers, and lots of paperwork. She also performed in several shows since joining the Western Stage including PIPPIN, EVITA, THE MUSIC MAN, and TRAVELS WITH CHARLIE.

Susie will be leaving the Western Stage soon. She explains: "I am now on to the next chapter in my life...moving to Las Vegas (how original). I start at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas in February of next year. I am going to go through their masters program in Musical Theatre. But I hope to be back on my summer break to do something for the Western Stage.

Susie expresses gratitude: "My love and devotion to theatre started at the Children's Experimental Theatre, and I am forever thankful to Marcia Hovick, Loel Shuler, Mark Shuler, Barbara Rose Shuler, Lari Witt, John Rousseau, and MaryAnn Schaupp and so many more who have given me the love and encouragement to keep going." About the Western Stage, she adds, "I must say that the last three years have been some of the best in my life and the one person I have to thank is my dearest friend Melissa Chin for having trust and faith in me and my work."