Bio
Bio
Ms. Sheppard’s first stage appearance was a walk-on, or actually a walk-over, when, at thirteen, she portrayed the variety of legs that defined the basement window in “My Sister Eileen.” More than forty stage appearances have followed. At sixteen she created “Rags the Clown” and spent the next three years on WQAD-TV’s “Bozo’s Big Top” as well as being the production assistant for their news department. She appeared in a variety of shows while earning a degree in Communication Arts (with minors in Theatre and Journalism) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and as part of Northwestern University’s NHSI intensive acting program. Madison credits include playing Martha Dobie in “A Children’s Hour,” writing, performing in, and MCing the university’s award-winning Humorology musicals for four years, and becoming Elaine May for “An Evening with Nicholas and May.” Other credits include First Woman in “A Thurber Carnival” at Northwestern, “Stop the World I Want To Get Off” with the Straw Hat Players, Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn in “The Music Man,” Aunt Eller in “Oklahoma,” Emma in “Funny Girl,” Kate Keller in “The Miracle Worker,” Miss Higa Jiga in “Teahouse of the August Moon,” and smaller roles in "Li'l Abner" and "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." She has also been stage manager and assistant director for "A Thurber Carnival," “Inherit the Wind,” “South Pacific,” and “The Sound of Music.”
After a stint in New York as Guest Public Relations Editor for Mademoiselle Magazine, Christine became writer, editor, producer, anchor, moderator, and on-air host for KCSI-TV, winning both regional and national awards for interviewing and reporting, political programming, and advertising and marketing. She also developed and taught college courses in television production. As a well-respected informational and motivational speaker, Christine has been featured both regionally and nationally presenting topics ranging from targeted advertising and historic preservation to foreign and special needs adoption, congenital heart defects, cancer survival, and foster care. In addition she has been a judge for state drama competitions.
Christine has played Ruth at The Speakeasy as well as Flora Van Husen in "The Matchmaker" and Miss Prism in "The Importance of Being Ernest for On Stage Theatre, Ella Rentheim for Actors Ensemble of Berkeley's staged reading of "John Gabriel Borkman." She has also played Nancy in "Seascape" for Role Players Ensemble as part of the Eugene O'Neill Festival, In addition she has been part of staged readings for "The Taming" (Exit Theatre,) "The Wilde Life" (Actors Ensemble of Berkeley,) and "Billings" (The Playwrights Center of San Francisco.) She has also acted with Chanticleers Theatre as Sister Philomena in "Drinking Habits," with Masquers in "The Women," and in the Actors Ensemble of Berkeley's workshop of the original musical "The Wife Of Bath/Marriage Of Sir Gawain" as well as the full production "What Do Women Really Want?" Christine has been a regular with The 2nd ACT having played a variety of roles including Lady Felicity in “Relative Values,” Cookie Cusack in “Rumors,” Ethel Banks in “Barefoot in the Park,” Karen Nash in “Plaza Suite,” Myra Marlow (and her twin Sister Sadie) in “A Bad Year for Tomatoes,” Leona Crump in "Love Thy Neighbor," Ivy Julian in "The Trouble with Cats," Mother Goose in “Mother Goose Is Eaten By Werewolves," Naomi Farkle in “Faith County,” Sister Augusta in “Drinking Habits,” and Hippolyta in “A Kid’s Summer Night Dream.” Additionally she was acting coach and played the minister in their workshop performances of the original comedy “The Purple Orchid List."