By Paul Janczewski
Legal News
For her day job, Shannon M. Pawley spends her time collecting debts owed to her clients.
But for a magical period during late summer and early fall, Pawley collects smiles, and creates memories, for children and others who visit the Michigan Renaissance Festival.
The festival, held in the make-believe village of Holly Grove in northern Oakland County, successfully recreates a 16th century village, complete with a queen and her court, knights jousting, rouges seeking females and wenches on the prowl for men.
Pawley, 36, of Troy, transforms herself into Duchess Margaret Audley of Norfolk, a member of the royal court for the festival, which runs roughly from late August through early October on weekends. It’s a role Pawley has developed through her lifelong interest in theater and a desire to seek attention while spreading happiness through make-believe.
“It’s the fun of being somebody different,” she said. “It’s the chance to use your imagination and the opportunity to make other people happy.”
“It’s to make other people believe the experience, and to be a part of the memory for a child experiencing it for the first time. And their belief in this environment makes you that much more excited about being a part of that,” she said.
Pawley’s journey to attorney and actress began in Norfolk, Va., where she was born. She attended high school in nearby Suffolk, which was part of a magnet school of the arts. She attended high school half the day, and then had the opportunity to study one of the arts the other half. Pawley chose theater.
But her parents also stressed education, and having Shannon and her sister become well-rounded adults. For the education part, her father made a deal that she would be paid for receiving A’s and B’s, but would have to pay him if she got D’s or F’s.
“I never had to pay my Dad,” she said. “I was very money-focused, so card day was a huge payoff.”
On weekends, the family took trips to cultural and historical places, like museums, zoos, cultural festivals and the Smithsonian, which instilled that part of her overall education. But during her junior year, while serving as a Congressional Page for the House of Representatives in Washington, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor spoke to the pages, and Pawley decided law was her future.
“It was astounding to see such a strong woman,” Pawley said.
She had considered a career in law before, and wanted to become involved in her community socially or politically no matter what, but seeing O’Connor sealed the deal for law.
After graduating from high school in 1991, Pawley went to North Carolina Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount, N.C., graduating with a degree in history and psychology and a minor in honors study in 1995. Along the way, she met her future husband, Wayne, who was stationed on a submarine in Norfolk while serving a stint in the Navy. The couple married in 1995 also, and now live in Troy with their two dogs. They have no children, but have 11 nieces and nephews, and Pawley said “when I want to have that motherly time, I get them to come over.”
Her husband was from Waterford, so after graduating they decided to come back to Michigan for what they believed would only be a few years while she attended law school at Michigan State University. Pawley said she was able to breeze through high school and college without really knowing how to study, but her first semester there “was a slap in the face with reality.”
But she persevered and got her law degree in 1999. And after passing - she said it was more like surviving – the state bar examination, Pawley said she had no desire to leave Michigan and take another state bar test in Virginia. Pawley clerked at a law firm while attending law school, and found tax courses and work to her liking. She took a job at Kemp Klein in 2000, doing taxation, estate planning, commercial litigation and creditor rights, among other duties.
While there, a managing partner gave her advice that she would carry throughout her legal career – be the most prepared lawyer in court, have a good work ethic and take pride in your work, because your reputation depends on it.
“To this day, I live by that,” she said.
In 2005, Pawley was hired by Zwicker and Associates in Troy as managing attorney for litigation operations in Michigan, and this year was promoted to assistant vice president of litigation operations. The firm handles national banking organizations, blue chip companies and federal student loan organizations.
In 2006, Pawley received her master’s degree in taxation from Wayne State Law School. She also is a member of numerous bar associations.
Although being a debt collector can be stressful, and unpopular to the general public, Pawley said she tries to treat people as she would like someone treating her mother, if she was on the other side of the table.
“I try to help them, but I have my client’s best interests in mind,” she said.
While she can’t give debtors legal advice, she does try to answer their questions and create an amiable relationship.
“I don’t want someone leaving that situation thinking they’ve been had or fast-talked,” she said.
Her goal is to resolve the debts as soon as possible, with court and other sanctions, such as bankruptcy, used as last resorts. Some people are truly victims of circumstances, she said, while others blame everyone under the sun for not paying their debts and being fiscally irresponsible.
“There are only two valid defenses to a collection action – identity theft and fraud,” she said.
“But I really enjoy my job,” she said.
Pawley’s love of theater carried over through high school and college, where she sung with a children’s choir or acted in theater groups, but took a backseat while she went through law school and early on in her legal career.
“My Dad has determined my whole interest in being an attorney is because I like to hear myself talk,” she said.
Pawley got back into performing in 2001 at the Michigan Renaissance Festival, and decided to become Duchess Margaret Audley, who was a real person who held the train of Queen Elizabeth I at her coronation. But during that season, the terrorist attacks of 9/11 occurred, and there was a debate on whether the show should go on.
“But people came and were so very happy that we were open,” she said. “They appreciated just being able to come in and immerse themselves into something other than the reality we were seeing on the news.”
Her character has evolved and grown over the years, and the act now includes her real husband, Wayne, who portrays Thomas Howard, a Duke, who was also married to Duchess Audley. Pawley said there are similarities between the couple they are in real life, and the couple they portray.
“I had a strong connection with that,” she said.
In real life, the Duchess died shortly after childbirth, trying to see her husband. Pawley said her and Wayne married young and “we’ve grown up together.”
“He’s my best friend. He the first person I want to talk to when something good happens, and the first person I run to when I’m distressed or troubled. And I saw the same thing in Margaret Audley.”
At first, her conservative husband was not as up for it as she was.
“I am a very extroverted person,” Pawley said.
The first year, he came a few times, but slowly grew to enjoy the role-playing.
“Now, he has no trouble wearing poofy pants and an ostentatious feathered hat.”
The key for anyone in acting, Pawley said, “is to suspend belief and immerse yourself in make-believe.”
“You can’t be too self-conscious or concerned about what people may think. If you don’t believe it yourself your doubt shows through.”
At the festival, many patrons also come dressed in character. It’s full immersion, for the festival people, and those who come to suspend belief for a few hours on weekends.
“People come to interact and to experience, and it’s fabulous,” Pawley said. And the thrill comes when “you know you’ve touched someone.”
“It makes you feel really good. I love the excitement that you see.”
Pawley said her travel for work prohibits the time commitment required for community theater, and for now she is content with playing Duchess Audley. But her work in theater over the years has benefited her law practice, too, in posture, projecting her voice, proper enunciation and thinking on her feet.
Pawley said the players make a small stipend for their work, but she spends that on items she gives to children through her role on the Queen’s court.
“What you get out of it goes well beyond anything,” she said.
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