We recently connected with Devin Franklin and have shared our conversation below.
Devin, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
“Happy” seems a bit insufficient. I’d like to say that I am fulfilled as an artist– even with all the curveballs. I do sometimes wonder what it would be like to have a “regular” job; that thought usually pops up when financial issues arise or I get overwhelmed by working in a subjective field.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
This question of how I got into the industry always brings a smile to my face because I was a competitive athlete for the majority of my life– primarily track & field and cross country. I didn’t make my commitment to being an artist until junior year of high school after performing in my first musical (we got any “Beauty and the Beast” fans?). I was a Southern Black kid (let’s make some noise for the 205!) that was always interested in storytelling, but was prioritizing sports for the majority of my life. It was when I performed in “The Wiz” my junior year of high school that I realized there was space for people like me in the theatre industry! For context, my commitment to theatre occurred during a huge transitional time in my life where I transferred schools and ended up in a more predominantly Black (and fabulously queer) theatre program– and I’ve been a fan ever since. I got my BFA in Musical Theatre at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (class of 2022!) where I trained primarily as a performer (a different kind of athleticism), and with the interest and guidance of a mentor, Karla Koskinen, I began pursuing directing my junior year, applied to grad school, and now I’m in my second year of my graduate directing program at Ohio University under the tutelage of Jeanette Buck.
I’m particularly interested in Black, Queer stories, and more specifically, stories that hold Black, Queer, Southern folks with a steady tenderness. I love embracing those intersections with softness while navigating the messiness that is part and parcel of the human condition. Donja R. Love is someone I’m a huge admirer of because his plays hold Black, queer folks living with HIV in such an honest, dignified light, and allows them to be messy! I love investigating the messiness of the “Other” in society.
I’m most proud of how I create a welcoming, warm environment in my rehearsal rooms. I’m an early-career artist, so I’m still learning so much through experience (skill-wise), but something I’m consistently proud of is my ability to make people feel seen. I’m leading, but I also get to lean on my collaborators.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson that I had to unlearn was that if a skill doesn’t come easy for me then it’s not meant to pursue/refine. I’m currently in grad school for directing, and as fulfilling as this craft is, I’m only 24 years old, and directing is still fairly new to me. My undergrad training is in performing as a musical theatre actor, not a director, so when I hit a wall during rehearsals, I’m constantly having to remind myself that it’s hard because it’s new. I’m in the process of creating my own directorial process while directing, so I’m learning in real time, and that can be terrifying as someone who has a fear of looking incompetent.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
Cicely Tyson’s “Just As I Am” provided the reassurance that when it’s your time, it’s your time, and nothing can stop its arrival. I also really value getting the perspective from a dark-skinned Black woman who pioneered in an industry that was overtly anti-Black throughout her career. Additionally, Toni Morrison had an article in “The Nation” titled “No Place for Self-Pity, No Room for Fear”. I revisit that piece yearly as a reminder that being an artist is necessary for the wellbeing of those most marginalized in this world.
Contact Info:
- Website: devintyfranklin.com
- Instagram: @devintyfranklin
- Twitter: @devintyfranklin
Image Credits
Billy Bustamante, Anna Giovingo, Aija Penix, Megan VanVlack,