“This is Life You’re Living”: An Oral History Interview with Annawyn DeBenning Shamas

In 2007 the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program (OOHRP) was formally established as part of the Oklahoma State University Library. A focus of the OOHRP is to record and preserve the cultural history of Oklahoma through the voices of its citizens who might not otherwise appear in the typical historical record. Collection development and curating procedures are in place, and as part of that process, brief biographies are generated to accompany each narrator transcript. The aim is to provide the person viewing the oral history with a glimpse into the life of the narrator. Each editor of a transcript may approach this task a little differently, so what follows is but one method, and in this case the editor also conducted the interview.

When preparing for an interview, background research is conducted on the narrator and a question guide is developed. The topics tend to flow chronologically beginning with establishing basic biographical information such as place and year of birth. From there, education followed by career is discussed and along the way achievements may be highlighted. When writing the brief introductory bio, this sequence of information is generally followed as well. It is important to keep in mind the audience, which in the case of OOHRP is both the narrator and the general public. As part of the OOHRP procedures, the narrator is given the opportunity to review the transcript which includes the generated brief bio. This means the narrator can correct mistakes and add or delete content. The goal is to keep changes to a minimum by writing accurately and reflectively.

It is helpful to read through the transcript, taking note of the desired bits of information that will be used in generating the brief bio. Other tips include proofreading the paragraph(s) and editing for content and flow and reading the brief bio aloud as if it was being read to a particular audience, even the narrator. This will help with catching cadence as well as content issues. After finishing the brief bio, it is advised to put it aside for several hours and then re-read to catch things that may have been overlooked. At that point, share the product with the narrator. Once the reviewed transcript draft is returned from the narrator, incorporate any changes as requested, it is their story after all.

The following brief biography is part of the transcript for an oral history interview conducted in late 2023 and early 2024 for the Stories from Oklahoma State University oral history collection. The narrator has had the opportunity to review the material and the requested edits have been made.

About Annawyn DeBenning Shamas …

Annawyn DeBenning Shamas, daughteer of Evelyn Burris and M.J. DeBenning, was born in November, 1934. Her brother Burris arrived in September, 1936. A 1956 graduate of Oklahoma A&M College (OAMC) and 1957 graduate of Oklahoma State University (OSU), as a young child she moved with her family to Ada, Konawa, and near Wewoka, Oklahoma. They ultimately seettled in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where she entered the fourth grade in 1943. She knew early on that she enjoyed performing, whether it was for poetry competitions or in theatrical works. During high school Shamas was involved in many activities and in 1951 was elected Governor of Girls State, perhaps the first to do so from Stillwater. Her senior year she won First Place in the Oklahoma Class A Humorous Reading Competition.

In the summer of 1952, at the age of seventeen, Shamas was cast in the role of Cecily in The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by John Woodworth for Stillwater’s newly formed (1951) Town & Gown Community Theatre. Woodworth is credited with being instrumental in establishing Town & Gown which has been in operation for over seventy years. Shamas enrolled in OAMC in the fall of 1952 to pursue a degree in Speech/Theater and remained involved with the community theater as well as became engaged with the College Theatre Guild serving in various offices including as president her senior year. When a senior she received and shared two award honors, Best Actress and Outstanding Speech Student. Beyond her field of study, Shamas was active in the Wesley Foundation, where she served as secretary of “Religious Emphasis Week,” and the League of Young Democrats, where she held the offices of treasurer and vice president. Also, as a sophomore she was Arts and Sciences School Queen.

Shamas was active in the College Theatre Guild and had roles in several productions such as I Remember Mama, Romeo and Juliet, The Traitor, and Ring Around the Moon. Vivia Locke and Olive Hilles, key figures in the theater department at the time Shamas was a student, became mentors and longtime supporters. The department grew in size and reputation throughout the mid-twentieth century and Locke had an instrumental role in this. It was Locke who directed Shamas toward a career in community theater and helped lay a strong foundation for what led to a very successful career in community theater. A favorite memory Shamas has of Locke is one where she recalls visiting Locke to discuss a challenging issue she was having and Locke saying, “Listen, this is life you’re living. This is life,” (Shamas, 121). And Shamas has carried that with her and is proud to say that Locke’s influence has extended beyond that one conversation.

In the fall of 1955 Annawyn married Jim Shamas, a 1957 graduate of OSU with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. After graduating the couple moved to Independence, Kansas, and began a series of moves as Jim established a very long and successful career in the oil industry. With each move Annawyn sought out involvement with community theaters, early on performing and then later more and more as a director. In the mid-1960s the family returned to Oklahoma, and Annawyn had the opportunity to earn a master’s degree from OSU while Jim pursued a Doctor of Jurisprudence at the University of Tulsa. While in school, Annawyn served as an English graduate assistant and later as a member of the theater staff. Upon graduation, Annawyn became connected with the Tulsa Little Theater, first as an actor and then as a director. Of particular note, she directed We Bombed in New Haven, winner of the Oklahoma Community Theatre Association’s first play festival. She also served as President of the organization. From there her body of work continued to expand. She would go on to direct productions in other states as well as three productions invited to be performed internationally in England, Germany, and Morocco. In 1980 the family moved to Littleton, Colorado, and once there Annawyn, with the full support of Jim, helped establish a community theater and the Main Street Players, a successful theatrical troupe.

Jim and Annawyn are the parents of Laura, Jimmy, Jr., and Ellen, all of whom hold doctorates. The DeBenning/Shamas family has represented the State of Oklahoma well and has been recognized by OSU for their various achievements. Jim was named to the OSU Engineering Hall of Fame, Annawyn was named as a 2024 Arts & Sciences Distinguished Alum, and in 2013 Burris DeBenning was posthumously named an Arts & Sciences Distinguished Alum. Burris “Burr” DeBenning, a professional actor with over ninety television credits, became a student of Vivia Locke after changing his major from Business to Theater. Annawyn and Burr grew up in a home that encouraged and supported the performing arts. Her mother, Evelyn Burris DeBenning, accompanied Annawyn to competitions as well as nurtured in various ways both of her children’s desires to perform. Also of note, Annawyn’s father, M.J. DeBenning was inducted into the Oklahoma CareerTech Hall of Fame in 1991 and was employed by OSU’s College of Business for a period of time. He had a long and influential career in Distributive Education.

Shamas is an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation. Her great-grandfather was C.A. Burris, Colbert Ashalatubbi Burris, a Chickasaw Hall of Fame member. He accompanied his mother to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears. Born during the Depression, Shamas has lived through World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and the country’s many economic twists and turns. She is proud to say she has remained true to her heritage, her alma mater, and her country.

References

“An Historical Perspective of Town & Gown Theatre,” Stillwater’s Community Theatre in the
Round, (Stillwater, OK), accessed July 5, 2024, https://www.townandgown.org/history

“League of Young Democrats, Scheduled to Attend Rep. Tom Steed’s Speech,” The O’Collegian
[Oklahoma State University], (November 18, 1952; 58/51, p. 1), accessed July 5, 2024,https://cdm17279.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/ocolly1940/id/18994/rec/4

“M.J. DeBenning,” Oklahoma CareerTech, accessed July 5, 2024,
https://oklahoma.gov/careertech/about/foundation/hall-of-fame/inductees/mj-de-benning.html

“Oscar Wilde’s Comedy Set for Three Nights: Town and Gown Presents Play This Week,” The
O’Collegian [Oklahoma State University], (July 15, 1952; 57/172, p. 1), accessed July 5, 2024,
https://cdm17279.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/ocolly1940/id/18477/rec/15

Shamas, Annawyn DeBenning. Interview by Tanya Finchum. November 16 and 17, 2023 and
January 25, 2024, in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Transcript. Oklahoma Oral History Research
Program, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK.

Shamas, Annawyn DeBenning (personal communication, June 12, 2024).

This resource is no cost at https://open.library.okstate.edu/goodthingstoread/