Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashaunti Samms.
Ashaunti, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
SO SORRY if this is too long, I just started typing. Thank you for taking the time to read, and hope you enjoy my story.
I grew up in WestSide ATL. Bankhead, Hamilton E Holmes, and Cascade were what I had to drive through when going home from school. Collier Heights is where my grandparents live, and that was where I was raised. My grandmother was very prominent in my life during my younger years. My cousin and I ( we were raised together as we are 2 weeks, 5 days, 4 minutes apart – she’s practically my sister) spent our developing years being attached at her hip while our parents worked. My mother is a lawyer, and had me right after she graduated. She was a public defender for the majority of my life, so we lived with my grandmother majority of the time. Education was always something my family deemed of the utmost importance. My grandfather, before he passed when I was 6, was not only a prominent pastoral figure in the AME Church alongside my grandmother, but he was also an educator; he taught me to read when I was only 2 years old. I had a plan of what I wanted to do from a very young age. Or rather, I at least felt like I had one, not knowing as I grew older that it would change..
My main goal growing up was to become a doctor, specifically a veterinarian. I rescued animals growing up, taking in strays, making sure animals I found lost got back home, volunteering at the Humane Society of Atlanta every summer during high school, placing in regional and state competitions in HOSA for Veterinary Science…the whole thing. But when it was time to start applying to colleges, I noticed the main thing I kept looking for was whether that college had a theater program. I attended South Cobb High School, and at the time, it was well known for its Medical Science and Research Magnet Program. I poured myself into that program and maintained good grades (graduated top 20 of my class), even though I had always felt I was not the smartest and struggled with studying tactics that worked for my constantly overworked, easily distracted brain. However, I was also heavily involved in the orchestra, the drama department, and the dance team. Performing was not just a large part of my life, but a main part of my identity. My mom put me in dance when I was just a baby, to strengthen my back muscles due to complications I had being born prematurely. I got introduced to drama during my middle school years after being dragged in by my sister, who originally wanted to do it (I was the shy one out of the two), but I ended up on stage and loved every moment. Performance gave me an escape for many things (bullying, family troubles, feeling like an alien on a planet full of people I can’t comprehend). The two sides of myself felt at war during senior year. I was heavily involved academically, but the feeling of being on stage and being surrounded by artists made me want to pursue it seriously after graduation.
After sifting through my scholarship offers, I landed at Wesleyan College in Macon, GA –first for women. If you told high school me that I would end up at an all-women’s College, she would’ve laughed in your face. I will say that being surrounded by highly intellectual and outspoken women helped me become who I am today. I received a theater scholarship and pursued Theater, English, and Communications. College, though I have great memories from my time there, was extremely hard on me because of a lot of family turmoil that carried over from my last two years of high school. So much to the point that I had to declare myself as an independent after my freshman year, then a lovely lady in student relations helped me get into the Student Ambassador program, allowing me to stay on campus through the summer from my junior into senior year of college. When you are trying to find who you are as a person outside of your familial expectations, name, and image, while also struggling with your mental health due to trauma, it is a battle I do not wish upon anyone.
I was working incredibly hard with multiple majors. I didn’t have a summer, as I took summer classes every single year, so that I could graduate on time with the rest of my class. I had all of my senior seminar classes in one semester (-500/10 experience; would not recommend). I was also on the Equestrian Team on campus, for both English and Western disciplines. What’s so amazing about that experience is that I started as truly a beginner in the saddle (there isn’t much opportunity in Bankhead, Atlanta, to ride horses growing up). This city girl, despite everything, was able to work her way from Beginner Walk Trot to being Team CO-Captain senior year. That was huge for me, because I was usually one of the only, if not THE only, black person in competition. I often say now that my best friends that I made in college (who I am still very close with to this day) and horses really saved my life during that time, and I don’t think I would be here without them.
Despite hardships of multiple magnitudes, I was able to graduate with honors, be recognized by the Equestrian Team and the English Department, and have my show from my playwriting apprenticeship produced during the student-written showcase. After graduation, I took a year to be part of the production staff for Dynamite Productions run by Stepp Stewart as his executive assistant, production stage manager, and a summer camp counselor for his performing arts camp Camp Spotlight, while also auditioning for roles, being an extra on sets, and starting applications for graduate programs. I wanted to go to grad school because I ultimately felt like I had NO idea how to enter the film/TV market, nor did I think my acting ability was where it needed to be to do so. After auditioning for many different programs, I got accepted into the SCAD Performing Arts MFA.
SCAD was an experience that I find hard to describe. Compared to others who attend an acting graduate program, I was fairly young, all of my acting experience was primarily academic, I had very little involvement in performing Shakespeare, I still had no grasp of my own technique and how to go about it, and I was still very insecure about my own abilities. I wanted to find myself as an actor, and I can say that through the program, many of my professors helped pinpoint and find what I needed to work on and what I already had. The crazy thing about acting and performing is that the majority of the walls, obstacles, and stagnation you feel as an artist comes from within you; it’s almost always a mental game. To become a great actor and a master of the craft, you have to really look within yourself, and that is something that people end up working on, not just to be a better performer, but to be a better person who moves through life. That type of work truly never stops, and I believe that is the biggest lesson I learned while I was there (and am continuing to learn now as an educator). SCAD has an interesting reputation, and without having their mafia of lawyers come at me, I will say it is an experience that I was not fully expecting. I gained so much knowledge, became a better actor, but there are things that I wish had gone differently. Every SCAD-Bee I meet in “the wild,” our conversations have the same introductory outline of “Oh, you went to SCAD, OMG! How are you feeling?” However, those circumstances really showed me what I love and what I don’t love about the entertainment industry, and those important lessons I use and carry with me to this day.
After doing my senior thesis performance of The Colored Museum with my friends and all of us having turmoil in our thesis writing class, I graduated with my new degree. The only issue is that it was the time when COVID hit the US. My last semester was all online. I did not get to walk for my graduation; I had to stay secluded away from all of my friends, and I eventually had to go back home because all the plans I had for myself were taken away from me. COVID was an interesting time. It was hard for me to audition, to find representation, and to make a living. I worked as a waitress and bartender, walked and nannied dogs, and did an editing job for a small publishing company; I was just scraping to get by while also helping my mother with taking care of her house. I almost gave up on acting, as the entire industry was basically shut down to those without any real connections to get into it.
That’s when I turned to social media. Social media became my creative outlet. MY TikTok went through so many different phases (pet page, natual hair page, acting page, random page) but what made it go viral was when i would teach my co-workers differnt dancing trends and we would record them, It was alot of fun, and I was happy for that time because it gave me a lot fo content creation and editing experience. COVID also led me to get back into my love of nerd culture. I started working at Momocon as a moderator because I had put down my experience of being one for SCAD’s Film Fest, as well as all of my theater experience, on my volunteer application. Surprisingly enough, I was accepted, and my very first panel I ever moderated for was the voices of Halo, which featured Steve Downes (Master Chief) and Jen Taylor (Cortana). Halo was, and still is, my favorite video game, and that panel showed me that I had a skill that I did not know I possessed. It fulfilled my need to perform, connect with other actors and artists, and be creative in a space where I did not feel like an alien on a different planet. I loved it so much that that same year, I just started applying and working as a moderator for different conventions in the area. I’ve interviewed so many people from many different shows, films, anime, games, and cartoons like Avatar: The Last Airbender, My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, Stargate, Genshin Impact, Power Rangers, and so much more. This space gave me avenues for new content, making connections in the voice-acting and convention sphere, and it really inspired me to not give up on acting. I figured that during this COVID downtime was a time for me to keep working on myself to better prepare for when it was time to start acting again, so I decided to start practicing for voiceover, built an in-house studio, and began vocal lessons with Mass Music Voice Studio.
Along this same timeline, I started teaching, something I thought I would NEVER do, as I avoided it for so long. Everyone’s question about what I majored in is, “Oh, so you’re gonna teach?” in an almost derogatory manner. You could say I avoided it out of spite for being asked that question many times, and you would probably be right, but alas, I needed an income opportunity, and I took it. The publishing company that I edited for is also part of a home-school prep academy, and I was asked to come teach as they were losing their math and science teacher because of my experience in my high school magnet program. That eventually led to being asked to return the following school year as the theater department head. Teaching kids who are similar to me in regards to headspace and mentality, especially when I was their age, is rewarding. Seeing my kids grow into their craft and start coming into their own is something I enjoy seeing and partaking in their journey. We did a production of Julius Caesar last year with the theme of Recess from Disney, because I had YOUNG kids in a play about WAR and BETRAYAL.. Daggers were dodgeballs, the war zone was a sandbox, and the set was a literal playset from a playground. The kids had so much fun, and they grasped on to Shakespeare’s language well because they were having so much fun. That experience was very special to me, and now, as I continue with the school as the department head this year, I encouraged my kids this semester to be more creative and hands-on with what they wanted to perform. One of my kids wrote a short play for everyone to act in (including me), and two of my other kids decided to do a duo from an excerpt of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead as Timon and Pumba from The Lion King. I’m very excited for all of them to showcase their hard work at their Gala Showcase this upcoming weekend. I feel like a proud older sister whenever they accomplish something or complete anything we have worked on together.
After typing all of this out, I realize that I’ve done so much in my life, and there are even things that have happened or I have done that are missing. But it’s nice to see the journey I have taken written out in such a manner. All of this is leading up to my goals. Acting is still happening. I was able to be in 4 local theater productions in 2024 that took up my entire year, and this year I focused on my kids so they could have success in their productions while also auditoning for voice-over and live0- action, repsonding to call-backs, I was able to get representation this year, and now I’m on my journey to starting to my own company. My company, which will be named Princess-ential Entertainment– an extension of my brand, HonesTay the Convention Princess– is a company that I came up with through my work in the convention sphere, as well as social media management and content creation. We will offer guest relations workers, panel moderators, event consulting for newer conventions, as well as content creation, editing, and other media (videography and photography), and once that has all been established and nailed down, it will expand to management for influencers, actors, and entertainment personalities. I have experience doing social media for Open Seat Productions (I was on a film set this whole week, filming bts footage, creating fun content for the page, and managing the accounts), and have been starting to acquire small hosting jobs that I have extended from my work in conventions and being the brand ambassador for Charlie’s Collectible Show in Stone Mountain. I’m truly excited to be on that new pathway, to see how much it will grow.
Thank You for taking the time to read. I hope you enjoyed it.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
– Getting bullied in school
– Mental Health
– I did have to stop dancing a few times due to different injuries growing up and in grad school, which I had to stop dancing in the middle of being in a professional-level dance team while at SCAD
– insecurities about myself while moving throughout life
– growing up in a very heavily Christian household with my grandfather, grandmother, and mother, and one of my step-fathers that I had all being pastors
– There was a stint in time when my mother did not have access to her house, as the person she married took it over and moved in with another family with the baby he had while cheating on her. (he cheated on my mom with a step-daughter from a previous marriage he had. It was very weird.) We didn’t get access to that house back until right before I went to Grad School
– COVID was a pretty big one
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
– ALL the things that I actively do and pursue are Social Media Content Creator, being in the Cosplay and Convention space as a Moderator, Educator/Tutor, Actor, Voice Actor, Dancer, Singer, Writer, and business woman
– Social Media – mainly known on TikTok with over 100k followers; amassed the following from Dancing with My Co-Workers during my bartending and waitress days. The content has shifted to what I do as HonesTay the Convention Princess at conventions; I’ve worked at Momocon, DragonCon, LugCon, Rangerstop, Anime Weekend Atlanta, ATL Comic Con, MetroHam Con, and I’m the head of the moderating department for KamiCon and KamiCon Hai, and was recently a creator for DreamHack
– Educator – Working for Hazelwood Prep Academy in Lawrenceville, GA. Currently, as the head of the Drama Department and English Language Arts Teacher, I also helped start up the brand new tutoring service, HW Pathways, where we are offering. I have done about 3 productions with them, 2 that actually have gone up (1 of them happening this weekend)
– Performing Arts – IN 20024 I was in some local productions- Percy Jackson: The Musical at OnStage Atlanta, where I played Grover; Exit PUrsued by a Bear, at Contemporary Classics where I played Sweetheart, Rock of Ages at The Strand Theater, where I was a dancer and ensemble member, and Clue: The Musical at The Academy Theater where I played Miss Scarlet; I’ve recently joined an all adult idol cover group to give myself more opportunites to dance and be a aprt of a dance team again now that my injuries aren’t hindering anything
– Writer – Writing has always been a small chunk of my life, as I started writing in journals and reading at a young age, but I got to really dive into it during college. I wrote about 3 short plays and one longer one-act during my playwriting apprenticeship at Wesleyan, and Westminister College ended up being the one produced. While at SCAD, I entered the 24-hour play festival that happens at the beginning of the year, and both times I entered (my degree was only 2 years), my play was chosen. The first year was Love on the Edge and the second year it was Grounded. I’m very very proud of both of those productions because I made it a point to include only POC cast members; I also co-wrote a show for Hazelwood, my first semester of being Drama Department head, it unfortunately did not go up because of sudden, uncontrollable circumstances, but we plan to put it up in the upcoming years
– Business Woman – the company that I am about to officially launch at the beginning of next year, Princess-ential Entertainment, to extend my knowledge and expertise to the convention world, while also managing talent. Just had our first paid job this past tuesday hosting for Club Anime and WIne
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Being in Little Shop of Horrors, my sophomore Year of high School. I think that is where I truly fell in love with theatre. I wasn’t even the main part, I was literally the PUPPET for Audrey 2, it is one of my most favorite roles I have ever done to this day. I had so much fun, and because I was observing EVERYTHING because I was constantly on stage, I learned everyone’s lines, everyone’s vocal parts, everyone’s blocking to the point where my music director made everyone aware that I was basically everyone’s understudy at that point. It was that small accomplishment and recognition from her that showed me that I could do this in the long run.
I also really love puppets. I keep putting one in shows I direct with the kids
Also playing Halo with my uncle. My dad was ALSO a lawyer, so when he was working, my uncle would come watch me, and he would always pick out a new video game for us to play. He brought the original Halo for the original Xbox console, and we played it through so many times, and every time a new one would come out, we would play it together. Morning into the night.
Finding my dog Tyco right before my freshman year of high school, and then ending up having him with me my senior year of college, and all through my time in Savannah, attending SCAD. We graduated 3 times together before he passed
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mz_pupluv/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mz_pupluv
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@mz_pupluv
Image Credits
– The two CCS Photos – Boon Vong Journal
– Theater Shot of Exit Pursued by a Bear – Picture Port Studios
