In this episode, we sit down with director and writer Ryan Shealy, Associate Artistic Director at The Renaissance Theatre, and a longtime friend, collaborator, and anchor in Mansfield’s arts community. Ryan opens up about the evolution of found family, what it means to curate the people who fill your life, and how he’s learned to trust his own artistic lane after nearly a decade in professional theater.

From the quiet power of shared creative work to the loud joy of helping raise kids who aren’t biologically his, Ryan reflects on friendship, boundaries, and why building a life with people you choose is just as meaningful as the one you inherit. He also shares how theater both reflects and challenges a community and why Mansfield is braver, more curious, and more audacious than outsiders give us credit for.

At its heart, this conversation is about belonging, the art that shapes us, and the relationships that make us feel most like ourselves.

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