Tanya Rollins Shadley has had a microphone in her hand since the age of 5 years old and was blessed to be cast in her very first production, "Black Girl" at the age of 8 on the campus of Norfolk State University with NSU players under the direction of her mentor DeShera "Sunshine" Rainey. She would later go on to perform in the SEVAA summer arts workshop.

 

During her entire high school journey, she was blessed to be a part of the Governor's School for the Arts Performing Arts department, where she landed a role as a guest star on the television series American Gothic and later graduated with honors from both GSA and Maury High School.

 

In 2000, while attending Old Dominion University she performed in a one-woman show, as Billy holiday, in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill with VJ enterprise. She would later return to teach with the SEVAA arts workshop for many years as well as obtain a Theatre Director position for a local Christian school system teaching theater to 6-12 graders. Since then she has not only starred in numerous performances but has had opportunities to also write, direct, stage manage as well as showcase a host of other skills. In 2006, she started her own production company, TRS PRODUCTIONS, Broadway in V-A.

 

Since then she has written, directed, and produced original plays and music including Onward and Upward and Lady Shadley’s Juke Joint. Her newest endeavors include Virtual Entertainment experiences, to provide moments to remember when you can’t be in person, but still need to stay connected! 

 

She's a proud wife to Melvin Shadley and the proud mother of two boys Meliq and Melichi Shadley and a beautiful girl, Tatiana. Tanya knows God has gifted her with these skills and talents so that she can give local talent a great foundation in the Arts and bring quality entertainment to the people of 757.