![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Jai-Shanae-crop.png\")
Jai Shanae Credit: Courtesy<\/p>\nJai Shanae Credit: Courtesy<\/p>\n
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay\u2019s spring arts issue features more than a dozen artists to watch this year and beyond. Meet Jai Shanae.<\/p>\n
She grew up singing in church: And watching her grandfather, who had a group of his own.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A creative writing and musical theater major at Blake, she also models, draws, and does hair: \u201cPeople made me feel bad about not being focused\u2026 Now I just embrace the fact that I can do a lot and that\u2019s a blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her first professional theater gig: Playing the Motown star Tammi Terrell in Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe\u2019s hit musical about Marvin Gaye. The 35-year-old has done several shows since at WBTT, which she calls \u201ca great nesting ground.\u201d<\/p>\n
On playing the tomboy-ish Opal in \u2018Fat Ham\u2019 at American Stage: \u201cProbably the most settled I\u2019ve ever felt in a role. It\u2019s a Black family at a cookout, the mom has kids that are gay and she doesn\u2019t approve\u2026 I wasn\u2019t super-girly growing up.\u201d<\/p>\n
On playing a civil rights activist passing for white in \u201cCadillac Crew\u201d at The Studio@620: The challenge of the role was to understand \u201cwhat it was like for a Black person to live as a white person\u2014the dangers of it, and also what it offered her in life.\u201d There were costuming challenges, too: \u201cWe went through so many wigs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Where you may have seen her on TV: As a Wawa barista serving up holiday treats; on a girls\u2019 trip to Walt Disney World; introducing a stressed-out colleague to Docubee.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Providing a safe space for battered women and children: \u201cIt\u2019s something that\u2019s always been heavy on my heart.\u201d\u00a0Ultimately: \u201cI just want to be well off enough doing whatever art that I\u2019m doing to be able to cover myself and also help others.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pitch in to help make the Tampa Bay Journalism Project a success.<\/a><\/p>\n Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n Follow us:\u00a0Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0BlueSky<\/a><\/p>\n This article appears in Jan. 22 \u2013 28, 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n \t