by Linda Moore

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Susan Skemp's business card says Actress/Singer/Dancer but that's out of date really, because the Steveston graduate is also a writer/performer - and a very busy lady.
Skemp, born in Wisconsin, came to Richmond (with her parents) when she was three, and did all her schooling here before studying theatre and history at UBC. Since then, she's covered a lot of ground, working for Tokyo Disneyland, headlining of Princess Cruises, doing dozens of commercials, and for the past year and a half, she and her partner have been writing two scripts. One is a murder-mystery, the other a romantic-comedy, and both are currently "in negotiations."
So, after a self-imposed absence from performing, Skemp is indeed "Steppin' Out" in a Manis and Tommi International Production running at the Norman Rothstein Theatre from Sept. 11 to the 21 in a revue that promises the spectacle of Las Vegas, the glamour of Hollywood and the panache of the Lido in Paris.
Skemp praises fellow performers A-Jay Muller, who won a Tony on Broadway as assistant choreographer for "Meet Me In Saint Louis." She has worked with the likes of Shirley MacLean, Liza Minelli, Peter Chipman (a mainstay of Variety Club productions) but most often with her young dancing partner Johnathon Tannis, who literally tap-dances rings around her.
It sounds as if she's having a marvelous time, and considering the number of projects on the go - a CD in the wings, the possibility of going to New York, and a few other opportunities still under wraps, stepping out to see Skemp "Steppin' Out" while she's still in town seems like an excellent idea.
There are two shows nightly, 7 and 9:15 p.m., with tickets available through Manis and Tommi International Productions at 526-5465 or the Jewish community centre at 257-5111.