Through the years, Crisp has won recognition for the plays he has staged and for fostering the arts in Macon. It’s uplifting and full of love.”Ĭrisp steered Theatre Macon until his retirement in 2018 when the artistic director role was handed to Richard Frazier. Despite its unique circumstances, the story of Hellen Keller and her teacher and lifelong companion, Anne Sullivan, is a universal one of overcoming challenges. “We chose ‘Miracle Worker’ intentionally because it’s about the importance of finding the way to community and living in awareness and love. “It was a tough play to do but we had a marvelous cast and Hellen Keller was played brilliantly by 7-year-old Amanda Hutchinson,” Crisp said. The first show Theatre Macon staged was the somewhat challenging “The Miracle Worker,” the story of young Helen Keller who lost her sight and hearing at 19 months old. “The first play I directed was in celebration of the theater’s history and was a repeat of the first play they’d ever performed, Noel Coward’s ‘Hay Fever.’”īut Crisp’s stay at MLT only lasted just over three years: he was fired from the theatre group in early 1986 over “artistic differences.” But instead of leaving town for new opportunities, Crisp and a handful of others created a new opportunity right here by forming another community theatre group: Theatre Macon. “I moved to Macon to work with Macon Little Theatre in 1982, quite a wonderful year for them as they were celebrating their 50th anniversary,” Crisp said. Though it’s been quite a stretch since Crisp last directed at MLT, it was MLT that brought a young Crisp to Macon in the first place. “Jim has more than 300 shows under his belt as a director so it’s the perfect show and also the perfect time to bring him back to Macon Little Theatre.” “Neil Simon was certainly one of the greatest playwrights and ‘Lost in Yonkers’ is a great, award-winning show so it’s a perfect match for Jim and his experience,” said JP Haynie, artistic director at MLT. Today, he returns to MLT as guest director of Neil Simon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Lost in Yonkers” which runs through April 9. directed a play for the Macon Little Theatre stage. In addition, the APA coordinates individual instruction on instruments from flute to violin and often brings in talented young professional actors and theatre instructors from New York to lead workshops and special event courses.It’s been 37 years since Jim Crisp Jr. Together they have directed and music directed many local productions, as well as having written and composed works for the stage including two original musicals Alice in Wonderland and Traditions. Haynie serves as guest director for countless local productions and charitable functions featuring participants of all ages. Voss is a band director, percussion instructor and professional arranger as well as an accomplished percussionist. The APA is owned and operated by Laura Voss and Sylvia Haynie, two Middle Georgia professionals with years of experience in their fields. We contract to do on-site workshops all over Georgia. As we grow you'll see more of us at Macon Little Theatre, Stratford Academy and at many local schools and performance venues. On December 31, 2016, the APA became a virtual school - with collaborations all over Middle Georgia. Although classes do have general age requirements, we like to see students in classes which suit them best, so we’ll work with you to choose what’s right for your student based on interest, experience and age. The Academy of the Performing Arts opened in 2004 to offer a wide variety of classes in the areas of theatre arts & instrumental music.
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