In the College of Applied Science and Technology, all of our alumni are superheroes, but only some of them actually wear capes. Sophie Remmert ’20, a Gamma Phi Circus alum, is one of the few.
A current cast member of Marvel Universe Live, Remmert spends her days portraying Black Widow in the world’s biggest touring stunt show, which showcases more than 25 of Marvel’s favorite heroes and villains. “It is such a unique show with stunt fighting, fire spinning, aerial acts, action, and more,” she said.
A double major in music education and vocal performance with a minor in athletic coaching, Remmert spent much of her time in Horton FIeld House’s South Gym as a troupe member of the Gamma Phi Circus. She performed in many acts: German Wheel, tumbling, dance, and several aerial acts, including multi trapeze, aerial net, straps, aerial cube, and aerial bamboo.
Initially, Remmert was using her degree as a general music teacher for grades K-6. “While I loved being a teacher, I missed performing so much,” she explained. “I knew if I wanted to pursue it, there would be a limited window of opportunity. Therefore, I made the tough choice to stop teaching and pursue performing instead. If I hadn’t been in Gamma Phi Circus, I would have never considered professional performing as a career.”
Remmert obtained a contract for Pirates Voyage Dinner Show in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. There, she performed in tumbling acts, Chinese poles, aerial acts, and more.
A couple of friends told her about the audition process for Marvel, which took place in Atlanta. “While I have experience with circus training, this is my first professional stunt contract,” said Remmert. “It seemed a bit out of my element at first, but I decided I wanted to give it a try. It ended up being a very fun process! I was challenged, but before I knew it, I had made it through all the phases of the live audition process.”
“I went back to my everyday life, and then a few months later, I got a call asking if I would be interested in taking a contract,” she said. “I couldn’t believe it!”
“My favorite thing about performing with Marvel is getting to learn skills and grow from the other performers,” said Remmert. “This is such a well-rounded show, and everyone comes from a unique background. It is such an encouraging environment, which really helped ease my nerves, being brand new to this industry.”
Remmert is traveling the world as a performer with the show. “This contract is an international tour, so we will be traveling to many different countries all over the globe that I would otherwise likely never see,” Remmert said.
“I am so excited to portray a strong female hero and inspire young girls in the crowd. The best feeling is looking into the audience and seeing the kids waving and smiling right at you. It gives me chills to see audience members so excited about seeing their favorite heroes right before their eyes.”
Remmert’s job occasionally has its challenges, pushing her out of her comfort zone. “In the show, Black Widow has a really awesome fire staff fight against Nebula, who is using a flaming sword,” she explained. “It was hard to learn and get comfortable literally ‘fighting with fire.’ It’s a long fight, and we have to have a lot of precision and focus to make it as safe as possible,” Remmert said. “While it was a mental and physical challenge in the beginning, it has grown to be my favorite part of the show. With great teachers, and a lot of practice, I feel confident and totally awesome in this scene.”
Remmert’s time at Illinois State University and as a troupe member in Gamma Phi prepared her for this opportunity. “I performed in many recitals, and opera scenes as a vocalist, and that time on stage helped me to become better at performing, acting, and stage presence,” she said.
She credits Dr. Michelle Vought, her voice instructor, for preparing her for success. “She has had a wonderfully well-rounded performing career, and she always encouraged me to work hard and pursue my dreams. While I am not actually singing in the Marvel Universe Live job, I am using a lot of performing and life skills that she helped me to discover within myself.”
Gamma Phi troupe members have leadership opportunities, and Remmert took advantage of those as well. She served as recording secretary, vice president, and president for two years. She was also the German Wheel act captain and costume head. These opportunities left her with a lot to balance during her time as a student.
“I was passionate about my studies and my circus experience, so I quickly learned how to manage my time wisely and developed my work ethic,” she said. “My work ethic is probably the thing I am most proud of, and I attribute a lot of that to my college years. It was difficult being in class from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., going straight to circus practice, then staying up late to study. However, that work ethic will be forever valuable in my life.
“One of my favorite quotes is, ‘Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard,’” said Remmert. “While I might not have been the best circus artist or stunt woman around, I work really, really hard, and I know that takes me far in life.”
Her time in Gamma Phi also prepared her to be a quick learner as a member of the Marvel team. “In Gamma Phi, I was able to learn a lot from the experienced performers who were older than me. It was a very similar setup to Marvel, where I can learn a lot from the alumni, and those with experience in the stunt world.
“Likewise, Gamma Phi always instilled that we were a team, and we worked together for the betterment of the act or show. That is the exact same mindset as the Marvel show. While we all need to be successful individuals, it is extremely important to work together and focus on the show as a whole and how we can collectively make it better.”
Members of Gamma Phi focus on six values: commitment, integrity, respect, courage, unity, and service. “While these are all extremely important in my everyday life, I reflect most on the value of integrity. Integrity is extremely important in my career. It is about doing the right thing, even when people aren’t watching. For me, this includes working on my skills outside of rehearsals, taking responsibility for my health to be in peak physical shape, staying honest with myself and my coworkers, and having strong work ethic. Stunt performing is all about working with others, so it is important that I am representing myself as dependable, reliable, hardworking, and self-aware.”
Remmert still reflects on the motivation she found in Horton’s South Gym. “The executive director of the circus, Marcus Alouan, always used to say the famous quote, ‘If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.’ In the circus world, this can be taken literally as well, which we always found funny,” said Remmert. “In all seriousness, I think about this quote almost daily. I would not be where I am today without the help of so many who came before me and paved the way or helped me along my journey. I have a lot to be grateful for, and I am always inspired to give back and motivate others along the way.”
