Shay was born in Virgina, on April 8th 1973 to James Ronald Brown and Patricia Ann Belcher. She was raised in Columbia, South Carolina. She studied theatre at Winthrop University and University of South Carolina. She was named "wittiest" and "most talented" in her High School Yearbook. Her first pair of shoes were tap shoes. She found her way from suburban South Carolina theatre to Los Angeles California's bright lights of theatre, television and film.Jumping right into comedy, she studied under the guidance of Groundlings founder Gary Austin. Gary has since directed her one-woman show "Laurel Canyon & Riverside." She starred in many performances with the comedy troupe Fries on the Side. Shay has studied with Diane Salinger, Jamie Rose and Phil Hartman, among others.Shay won Best Supporting Actress for her role as "Nora" in the Palisades Theatre production of "Brighton Beach Memoirs." Brown's notable television credits include: Scrubs, Days of Our Lives, Passions and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. She has appeared in numerous independent films. Most recently, completed for Doug Herzog of Comedy Central, Shay Brown's lifelong-developed character "Sissy Belcher" was directed in the hilarious comedy short, Bring It Arm!Grapple Productions was founded by Shay in 2005.