Modesto native Emily Kay Shrader has a good habit; performer reprises ‘Sister Act’ role

You could say Emily Kay Shrader is having trouble kicking the habit.

The Modesto native and Enochs High School graduate returns to the area stage as Sister Mary Robert in Sierra Repertory Theatre’s new production of “Sister Act,” opening Saturday, Feb. 18. It’s the same role the actress and singer played for close to a year on the Broadway musical’s national tour.

“I love the character of Mary Robert. We all have that shy, timid Mary Robert inside of us. Sometimes we need someone else to encourage us to be bold, to step up and let what’s inside of us out with the world,” Shrader said.

She last performed in the region in early 2015 when she came to downtown Modesto’s Gallo Center for the Arts with the national “Sister Act” tour. That role was the Youth Entertainment Stage Company alum’s first professional job after graduating from Marymount Manhattan College with a degree in theater arts. She was on the tour for 11 months and has since has performed a number of concerts and cabaret shows in the New York area.

Her return to the area also marks her return to Sierra Repertory Theatre. She played Beth in the foothills theater company’s 2009 production of “Little Women” while a senior at Enochs.

“Well, I love Sierra Rep; I grew up from the time I was 8 or 9 years old driving up to Sonora with Mom and Grandmom seeing shows here,” she said. “This, to me, was Broadway growing up. There is always a special place in my heart for this place.”

Shrader is joined in the Sierra Rep production by her “Sister Act” national tour co-star Nancy Evans, who plays Sister Mary Lazarus. Playing a nightclub singer turned pretend nun Deloris Van Cartier is Courtney Bruce in her Sierra Rep debut. Company Artistic Director Scott Viets helms the show with guest choreographer Jake Delaney. The musical is an adaptation of the 1992 movie comedy starring Whoopi Goldberg as a singer who goes into hiding in a convent after witnessing a murder.

Shrader said she continues to connect with her character Sister Mary Robert, particularly her journey from a timid postulant (nun in training) to more confident young woman.

“I definitely think growing up I was a little more shy. I’ve come out of shell a bit being in theater and living in New York. I think there’s always a part of me that’s a little timid, like I don’t know if I can do that and I’m scared. But it’s really all about confidence,” she said. “I’ve learned through the years you have to fake it until you make it. That’s what Mary Robert does. She is unsure at first. But once she lets go of her inhibitions, the best version of her comes out.”

The performer is also looking forward to another homecoming. At her Gallo Center appearance, family, friends, former classmates and theater mentors came out to see her perform.

“Oh, my gosh, it was surreal. I still think about it and feel like that didn’t really happen. It was crazy. I mean, that’s where I grew up. The first time I performed there was in YES Company in high school in ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ ” she said. “I’ve always felt so grateful to YES Company and the theater community there. That solidified my gratitude.”

As for her new show, Shrader hopes people leave with the same joy she feels performing the numbers.

“The final number is called ‘Spread the Love.’ It’s all about love. It’s about how people can become friends despite their differences,” she said. “You have this person, Deloris the nightclub diva, and a convent full of nuns who can’t sing. It’s such a joyful show, and that is what our world needs right now.”

This story was originally published February 15, 2017 at 9:01 AM with the headline "Modesto native Emily Kay Shrader has a good habit; performer reprises ‘Sister Act’ role."