Sheran Keyton is entertainment. She is a professional writer, director, producer, actor, singer, youth mentor, and overall superwoman. She is defined by critics as “a force of nature” and “DFW’s Darling Diva” and has the heart to match. Sheran first began singing at the age of four in her church youth choir here in Fort Worth. Her father was a soul singer and growing up she would sit in his rehearsals on the weekends as a way to spend time with him. Between that and watching the older kids every Sunday, Sheran knew that performing was guaranteed to be in her future. Her dad was also responsible for her getting ‘bitten’ by the ‘acting bug’ at an early age. When she was about six or seven years old, he directed and produced a short film about The Atlanta Child Murders. “I appeared in that film,” she said, “and once again knew what my journey was really to be.”

From there, Sheran spent most of her creative outlet time singing in the church choir and later added school choir and theater to her daily curriculum. Once in school, she was finally able to learn some much-needed techniques. “I was fortunate enough to have solid mentors placed in my life,” Sheran said, “lack of resources, opportunities, and flat out know-how led me to be a young starving artist with no sense of direction and they gave me opportunities that my single mother couldn’t otherwise afford. I made it a point to seize every opportunity and learn at every turn.”

Sheran’s lust for learning and growing never stopped. She studied and analyzed directors, producers, choreographers, and technical people in action. “During show rehearsals and filming, other actors chatted among themselves as they awaited their return to work,” Sheran recalled. “I, however, was watching the process very closely because I wanted to learn all I could.” She continued to self-study and later figured out how she could work with others who would let her use the newly acquired skills.

And what a life this amazing woman now leads! Her career is multi-faceted but her day-to-day job title is Manager of Education and Community Engagement for the Fort Worth Opera, the oldest continually performing opera company in Texas. Aside from continuing the long tradition of taking opera performances into schools throughout North Texas, she has also formed solid relationships with area organizations. One of her personal goals was to create and to host an art-focused summer intensive for young students and in the summer of 2018, that dream was realized and has since culminated into a pilot program with FWISD.

Sheran is also the Owner and Artistic Director for DVA Productions, which is a constantly evolving non-profit education outreach company dedicated to supply arts integrated programing for those who have been otherwise underserved. In 2011, DVA produced their first season including original musicals, music revues, dramas, comedies, and a one-night arts events for adults. During that time, DVA also created a youth mentor program called DVA Young Artists. Young Artists was designed to give a select group of performers affordable (or free) musical theater classes, opportunities to perform, and the ability to travel to cities across America to experience different cultures of art. While traveling, the students in this program were able to sightsee, attend music or theater events, take master classes, and perform for students in that city. “This was mostly gifted to them by myself and a couple of other people who supported my vision.” Sheran said.