Holly Shepherd: Performing gypsy

Holly Diane Shepherd was born and raised in Nashville, so swinging to the beat is in her blood. She graduated from University of Tennessee-Knoxville in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in human performance and education, and has lived and worked in Europe, including performing and producing the American Music Show at the Karl-May Festspiele in Elspe, Germany for the past four years.

Shepherd's other performing credits include singer in the big band The Kadillacs and the swing band The Sugar Daddies, and roles in Cabaret, Steel Magnolias, Hello, Dolly, A Chorus Line, A Christmas Carol and The Wonderful O for local theater companies. During the pirate show, The Wonderful O, her parrot-imitating talent was discovered which "has since resulted in an increased number of callbacks for auditions," Shepherd said.

Shepherd has also taught theater and choreographed musicals at Brentwood Academy for several years, and recently founded Center Stage Children's Theatre, which staged The Wizard of Oz as its first production. Her latest endeavor is directing, choreographing and performing in a new Christmas musical co-produced with her mom, Diane Hayes, The Christmas to Remember, which premieres at The Factory at Franklin on Dec. 10.

What are your passions?

Crossword puzzles, good music, fireplaces, karaoke, and movie-theater popcorn

What are your pet peeves?

People making uneducated statements as if they were absolute truth, people rolling their eyes and people not using their turning signal

What would people be surprised to know about you?

That I am actually good at math and that I speak Polish and German.

What have you learned about yourself while acting?

It is good to make choices, even if they are the wrong ones.

What's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

When I was living in New York City, I was on my way to an acting class and had to carry a huge box of props with me. My shoe had come untied so I was continuously stepping on it, but couldn't stop to tie it because of the box. At that instant, a very large Rastafarian man was approaching and, without saying a word, he bent down and tied my shoe and then kept walking. I yelled after him thank you. He just kept walking without ever looking back.

Describe your favorite vacation.

Two weeks in Turkey with my husband and two weeks in France with my mom.

What is the biggest rush you've ever experienced?

Riding through the Alps on the back of a motorcycle.

What three things do you want to do before you die?

Touch the lives of at least three people, produce my own cabaret act and develop a theatre exchange group between America and Eastern Europe.

What do you know for sure?

As soon as you go to the restroom in a restaurant your food will arrive.

What would you eat for your last meal on earth?

Fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and lots of good wine

What is your favorite smell?

Fresh cut grass and campfires

What is your favorite memory?

Riding in my mom's Volkswagen Bug listening to 8-tracks of Carole King and Bread.