Chris
Gilly-Forrer
Director
and
Educator
About Me
I direct because I have seen firsthand the potential for theatre ​to transform lives through the exposure to new ideas, ​viewpoints, and cultures.
Whether a contemporary setting of Shakespeare that ​illuminates our current socio-political conditions, a golden age ​musical that encourages us to band together in difficult times, ​or anything in-between, the empathetic connections we build ​within our audiences can rewrite the cultural fabric of our ​communities both big and small.
Interviews
The project was posed as an experiment: not one but two ​directors for the world-premiere performance of "The ​Julies" by Calley N. Anderson in order to ensure that the ​students of color in the School of Theatre could be best ​served in their artistic and pedagogical needs. Iyanna ​Huffington and Chris Gilly-Forrer describe their ​navigation of this process, the institutional support ​systems and roadblocks, and the impact on the acting ​company and their final presentation before ultimately ​challenging the long-standing notion of "director-as-​captain" and offering possible solutions to more ​equitable models for theatrical direction.
"JIM, 18 years old--played by 5 men. TILLY, 18 years old--​played by 5 women." So reads the character description ​for "Incognito," a one-act play written by UNCG professor ​Janet Allard. With the playwright's blessing, directing this ​play offered an opportunity to employ color- and gender-​conscious casting practices to assemble a diverse cast ​that represents the student body at the UNCG School of ​Theatre and also to reject the socially constructed ​categories of "race" and "gender" as they are applied in ​the American theatre. Created for the 2021 UNC ​Greensboro Graduate School Showcase of Scholarship ​Faculty advisor for this project was Professor John Gulley
World Premiere
Work
with Me
Work Email: chris.gilly-forrer@wku.edu
Personal Email: chriseforrer@gmail.com