“I ask students to examine their habits as audience members and ask the questions, What do I consume as entertainment and why? I believe that encouraging students to articulate their own voices in the classroom is the most effective way to ensure they articulate their own voices when they leave the classroom.”

Title

Assistant professor of theatre

Educational Background

• M.F.A., University of Memphis – Memphis, TN
• B.A., Presbyterian College – Clinton, SC

Year Joined Franklin

2009

Expertise

Theatre directing

How do you get involved in FC Theatre?

All of our mainstage stage productions have open auditions, which means you don’t have to be a theatre major to be involved. Rehearsals for our mainstage productions are in the evenings, typically Sunday-Thursday, and we rehearse for 4 weeks leading up to the production.

Are there opportunities for student directors in FC Theatre?

Absolutely! We have a Festival of Short Plays in alternating years that is entirely student-directed. In addition to the Festival, the Directing I class culminates in student-directed work, and independent study opportunities are available for students interested in directing for film.

Selected Professional Accomplishments

The Glass Menagerie, East End Playhouse, director
Fat Pig, East End Playhouse, director
Six Degrees of Separation, Carmel Community Players, director
Reasons for Falling: a story of Icarus, Voices of the South, actor

What Students Say

“Working with Nick Crisafulli is a different experience than I had with previous directors because of his tendency to plan as he goes, elevating actors to his level during the process of styling a show to make it a unique, cohesive effort. He does this by asking actors to create their own vision of some abstract concept like a storm or the physical embodiment of the passage of time. This approach breathes fresh air into the shows he directs and creates a bond of trust between the actors and him.” – Cassandra Schmitz ’18

In My Spare Time

When I’m not making theatre or teaching, I enjoy building furniture. In my house you will find my handiwork in the form of bookcases, a dining room table and chairs, and a set of bunk beds for the kids