We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Laurel Crowe a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Laurel , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I try to make sure that every project I have the privilege to work on is meaningful, not only to me, but to those around me. Specifically I want to share a more recent project that will forever rank at the top for me. During the most intense moments of the pandemic, I did a lot of introspection about the specific work I get to do with young people through the Georgia Ensemble Conservatory program. I chose to begin substituting the word “successful” to “SIGNIFICANT”. I found myself recommitting to serving our students in a way that moves beyond just theatre training. I would much rather be significant in the lives of our young artists, than successful. Around the same time, our organization learned that we would no longer have access to office and classroom space at the cultural arts center where we held all of our operations. These things happen, and while we would continue celebrating our status as resident theatre company through our main stage programming, we would need to find a new space for everything outside of productions.

This became the catalyst for the realization of a dream that I have had for our conservatory for over a decade. Last spring (spring of 2021) we moved into the Georgia Ensemble Theatre Studio. With the help of a mighty band of actors, parents, students, teaching artists, board members, and staff, we renovated and redecorated our new space and opened our doors in June of 2021. All of these people came together on the weekends and after work to help us paint, pull up carpet, clean, organize, AND move our operation to the new space. These were all volunteers. They donated time, funds, and supplies. More importantly, they banded together to show us how significant we are to them. It was a truly beautiful (and exhausting) experience.

In the year since, we have really discovered how significant we are. Our studio has grown with multiple performance ensembles, a resurgence of adult acting classes, and the ability to offer more opportunities than ever before. We serve a lot of young people in a place of discovery about themselves. My job is to hire the best teaching artists to teach our students, what is most important to me is that we are creating a safe place for them to land, a place where they can come as they are, and a place where anyone (students, parents, teachers, actors & creatives) who walks in the room will realize that they have found their creative home. Our students have a creating space where they can tackle challenging social issues through theatre, develop their skills as improvisors, and take a deep-dive into their love of musical theatre (all in one week, if they so choose).

At the end of the day, when you are committed to a vision and a mission, committed to being significant in the lives of others, MEANINGFUL success will follow.
My goal is to do my best to inspire this in the people I work with, whether it is a professional cast of actors or a brand-new student. Meet people where they are, I promise that there are beautiful surprises waiting for you.

Laurel , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am the Education Director for Georgia Ensemble Theatre & Conservatory (GET). I have been a teaching artist for 17 years and continue to learn from my students and faculty as much as they may learn from me. I also have the privilege of leading our Travel Team program, which includes Theatre for Young Audiences and Elder Tours. I love directing students and teaching improv. Directing Theatre for Young Audiences productions is one of my all time favorite experiences and watching the audience engage in a play or musical fills my cup!

My parents (Robert J. Farley and Anita Allen-Farley) founded GET in 1992, which has allowed me to watch and be mentored by some of the greatest artists in our city. It was a truly unique perspective, and feeling their support as I embarked on my own path as a theatre artist and artistic administrator was invaluable.

I am incredibly vision and mission focused. When I feel overwhelmed, I clarify my thoughts by honing in on the mission of my organization which is to “Connect artists and audiences of all ages”. It is simple. It makes sense. It provides me with a compass. I have celebrated international trips to teach in China, students who were debilitatingly shy become adept performers, and watched countless students embark on their own education or arts path. It is extremely satisfying.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I would have loved to have had a deeper understanding or opportunities to train as a teaching artist in college. I would have loved to have more training in Theatre for Young Audiences. I am so grateful to see university programs embrace these areas now. That being said, it is one of my greatest pleasures to train and watch an emerging artist blossom into a capable teacher, so if you didn’t get those opportunities as a college student and you are interested in this part of our field, give me a call.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice).

Well, honestly no one has described it better than Pete Davidson on SNL. If you haven’t seen his digital short with Kate McKinnon, Jack Harlow, and Chris Redd called “What the Hell’s an NFT”, you really should treat yourself.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.get.org
• Instagram: @gaensemble
• Facebook: @getconservatorystudio
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYu2HdfpzHs&t=46s