We caught up with the brilliant and insightful JC Gutierrez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
JC, appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
When I entered college to get my B.F.A in Theatre Performance, I had no idea my main thing would be directing in the years to come. I was in love with performance, and I never pictured anything else for myself. One of the most valuable things I learned from seeking my degree, is the art of creative collaboration. I quickly learned that the most vital skill in a rehearsal space is the give-and-take between performer and director. I found myself on the other side of the stage because I loved watching the growth of another artist, and being able to contribute to it was most meaningful to me. The work started to become less about me, and more about the art itself, in conjunction with other artists and creatives. The obstacle was letting go of the need to be in the spotlight and embracing my role as a “bigger picture” creator.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
After acting school, I picked up a day job as a middle school teacher and by night, I set out to become the actor I imagined I could be. After working with a few local theaters, the pandemic hit, and the acting jobs were scarce. I had developed an increased passion for teaching and writing short films. Several mildly successful short films and acting students later, my heart was no longer in performance, but rather in telling stories. The act of coming together with a group of people who use their talents to help you share your vision with the world is exhilarating. My newfound goal was to return to my roots and direct a theatrical production. There is absolutely no space in the industry where a first-time director can get a shot. It’s hard to bank on inexperience. I reached out to theatres, did my homework, sent out my short films and humbled myself in to learning a new craft. I was born a performer, but I had a hunger to direct. Some of my mentors guided me in the right direction (no pun intended) and I knew, as they knew, my work ethic would get me there. In a surprising turn of events my shot at being a director wasn’t behind one of those doors I was banging on, but rather on the table of a local coffee shop where I worked on the weekends. One of my coworkers had a customer ask her if she knew any theatre directors. As I brought his latte to the table, I made my pitch, and the rest is history. Along with an incredible team of some close friends and new acquaintances, we produced, and I directed, Moana Jr. the musical for kids. As if watching these kids grow from stage frightened newbies to Broadway hopefuls wasn’t enough, in the same year, I directed “Eurydice,” the play by Sarah Ruhl. Complete with a raining elevator on stage and a descending “house of string,” the play garnered a lot of positive attention. The experience I valued the most was widening my scope of skills as an artist and meeting an array of talented individuals who I look forward to sharing many creative endeavors with. It is very often that the theatre industry becomes an “echo chamber” of artists going to support other artists -but ultimately my goal is to create work for everyone to see, so we can, together, inspire people of all ages and walks of life to seek the creativity within themselves and harness it.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
There are probably tons of kids out there who are born artists, and tons of kids who never get to try it. As an educator, it is my absolute dream to open up a space where teaching artists can nurture the creativity within young people. A space with abundant resources, elevated facilities and passionate people coming together. Although an ambitious dream, it is my driving force, to create a school of the arts that focuses on bringing out the unique capabilities of each individual that joins us. A school that is complete with an active professional theatre that also puts on work that the adjacent community and beyond can be proud of.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Buy the tickets! Watch the shows! It goes without saying that any of this theatre business is impossible without the people in the audience. The every-day person, the Netflix bingers, club-goers, 9-5ers…we need to get you in the seats. Not just on Broadway, but in your local theatre down the street. That’s where it starts. One night of theatre could change your life, and it is certainly changing the lives of the performers who depend on small theatres to thrive. If live performance hasn’t touched you yet, give it another shot. It’s the only way to keep it alive. Guaranteed, there is a more heightened sense of humanity and aliveness in watching a performance on stage, than there is sitting in front of a TV screen on the couch. Spend the extra buck, go support a local theatre, keep. art. alive.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @jctheatreartist @jcatmiami @jcfilmproductions @whatifworks