- Please introduce
yourself, what you do, and what you're working on.
My name is Therese
Plummer and I am a professional Actor and Audiobook Narrator. I just
finished recording a six book series called The
Vampire World Saga by P.T. Hylton and Jonathan Benecke for Podium
Audio. I am also working on a title for
Irene Hannon called Starfish Pier for
Recorded Books and a couple fun day records at Audible with different projects.
2. How did you get started?
I was auditioning
and taking classes in NYC about 18 years ago and my mom kept encouraging me to
get into audiobooks. As a daughter is
wont to do, I ignored her and kept on my path, but when an audiobook class
popped up I was intrigued and took it and the rest is history. Robin Miles was teaching that class and told
me I should be doing this professionally.
She taught me the skills needed to go into the booth and bring a story
to life and amazingly it is ALL about acting.
It is acting. I began auditioning
and the journey has been evolving for the last 15 years. So, I had to go back
to my mom, who is my number one fan today, and tell her, again, she was right!
3. What inspired the work that you're doing?
I am the fifth of
eight kids: four brothers and three sisters.
If you wanted to get heard in that tribe you better have your story and
characters and performance top notch because it was a rough crowd! My dad is a brilliant storyteller and used to
perform A Christmas Carol by Charles
Dickens as a one-man show for us growing up.
He started the gig as a way to make extra money for Christmas presents
for his tribe but it became a hit and soon a Christmas tradition for so many
families. Today my brother and I tell
the story at Grey Towers in Milford PA., since my father retired, and it is a
complete honor and joy. Also, I have
been fascinated by life and other human beings since I have been born. I am a natural student and observer of the
human experience. I studied psychology
and theatre at King’s College, in PA.
Working with kids and adults in crises and dealing with substance abuse
and mental illness was the greatest acting school I could have gone too. I began naturally utilizing my creative sides
in therapy, with the kids especially, and watched them flourish and come alive
in a way talking therapies couldn’t bring out.
Having my own struggles and recovery growing up I also brought an
understanding to the table that most clinical workers don’t have. Again, the human experience. So, no matter who I am voicing in a story I
have so much research in my mental and physical database to draw from that it
is amazing. I never knew being alive and fully immersed in life in all its
colors could provide me with so much to give back to others.
4. What is your biggest passion? Do you feel like you're living your passion and purpose?
My biggest passion
in this lifetime is to utilize my creativity and gifts and be of service to
others. I don’t always know what that is
going to look like but some of the emails I receive from listeners going
through health issues or depression or PTSD and telling me that listening to my
voice perform the stories has made their days brighter is the greatest feeling
in the world. Moms emailing me that they listened to a story I performed on a
family vacation and the kids were laughing and enjoying it is pure gold for my
heart. My passion is to continue
reaching as many people as I can (TED Talks, The Moth…) with my story and where
I ended up to help maybe one person in the room not give up and keep going.
5. What is your joy blueprint? What lights you up, brings
you joy, and makes you feel the most alive?
Hearing my nephews
and nieces shriek with giggles when crazy Aunt Rez is around. My mom and dad trying to figure out FaceTime
and have the best talks about their days as retirees. My husband and stepson and big chubby orange
cat on the couch watching a movie and having no idea how it all happened but it
did, and I am loved, and love, and am at peace. I am happiest when others
around me are smiling so my actions and intentions are to bring light and love
and laughter wherever I go.
6. How
do you live intentionally? Are there tools/resources/practices that you rely on
to help you stay mindful and grounded?
I wake up each
morning and listen to my app where Sarah Blondin guides me through her
meditations before I even get out of bed.
I then feed the cat and make coffee and go upstairs and set my timer for
20 minutes of writing. I do all of this
before looking at emails, social media or anything that will encourage the
crazy. I do a gratitude list. And I try to stay on my team throughout the
day. My sense of humor is key to my sanity.
7. What would your younger self think about what you're
doing now?
I think she would
freaking love it. As a survival strategy
growing up in my house I would often go into the attic and there was a room I
claimed as my own where I would practice monologues and dance and write lyrics
and jam out with my little brother who played amazing guitar. I got to escape everyone and everything and
go into my fantasy world. It was my creative cave. I am pretty sure it saved my life. The fact that as an adult I get to be
creative for a living is fantastic and amazing.
I perform stories and act out all the crazy characters in these stories
and it is hard work but incredibly fulfilling.
8. Do you have a go-to mantra or affirmation?
**Move a muscle
change a thought
**one word at a
time
**let it go
I would LOVE to be
on a bigger platform to utilize my gifts of acting and storytelling and helping
others. I come from a really crazy
beautiful talented and dysfunctional upbringing that has shaped me into the
actor and storyteller I am today. I almost gave up when I was younger and if it
wasn’t for my innate creativity and the help of teachers, mentors and guides
along the way I wouldn’t be here. I
would LOVE to share that story on a TED Talk or other platforms so others will
have hope.
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