Martha Schultz’s (11) theatrical birth began simultaneously after her big move. Schultz moved to Washington from Anaheim Hills, California, with the intention of playing soccer. However, after her friend enrolled in a local theater program, she decided to try acting instead. It didn’t take her long to discover her love for performing arts: “I’ve always loved watching actors up on the big screen and being able to change how they are, and [I] always imagined what it was like to be up on that stage.”
Schultz has always loved the transforming potential of acting. She was inspired by the emotional range and character depth of her favorite performers, including Florence Pugh in Little Women, Zendaya in The Greatest Showman, and Rachel Zegler in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, stating, “The range of emotion that they can get across in a character is what I hope to achieve one day.”
Her favorite role was playing Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music. This part gave her a taste of a new community and spirit, as she helped castmates create clothing, dressed up as a nun, and even sang a “cool song.” Reflecting on the experience, she believes it was her first true exposure to the close ties and relationships that theater fosters.
One of her most notable challenges was stepping in suddenly as Gingey in Shrek while in fifth grade, shortly after returning from a trip to Hawaii. It taught her adaptation, which is an essential skill for any performer.
Schultz’s development as an actress has been evident since her debut in 2018. She says how her versatility and ability to “chameleon” into multiple parts have grown, noting examples such as playing an enthusiastic, happy character in Annie and a wise, old woman in a more recent production. “All these different roles have taught me how to change myself and who I am while still retaining who I am.”
Right now, Schultz is working on ‘Frozen’, where she stars as the main character, Elsa, in Gig Harbor’s new feature-film play. Her career in performing arts is just getting started, whether she ends up on Broadway or elsewhere.