Creative-Passionate-Versatile
Beat Q&A
Interview with Kris Schultz, President of Town and Gown Players in Athens, GA
Q: How did your journey begin with Town & Gown?
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A: I'm currently a nurse practitioner. Twenty years ago, I was working in oncology, and one day, while talking with one of my patients about theatre, he said, "Have you checked out Town & Gown?" I said, "No, I haven't heard of it." He said, "It’s just a cute little theatre. They have wonderful productions. You should go check it out." They were advertising auditions for Neil Simon's Rumors, which I had already been in three different times. So, I came out and auditioned, got a small part, met a lot of marvelous people, and ended up serving on the board, doing their membership for a couple of years. I’ve continued doing about one show a year. A couple of years ago, they asked me to consider running for president. I thought, well, let's do it, and now I’m finishing up my second term at the end of this year.
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Q: What's been your favorite production that you've been in or helped bring to life?
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A: There have been some really, really good ones. I think the best performance I gave was in a small second-stage show back in 2017 or 2018 called Next Fall. It was a small drama and very challenging for me.
In the last couple of years, there have been a couple of musicals that were some of the finest productions I’ve seen in the 20 years I’ve been here. Last year, Putnam County Spelling Bee was amazing. They did such a good job. And this year, Josh Darnell directed The Hello Girls. It was incredibly well done and poignant.
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Q: And you’re doing an original musical this year, right?
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A: Yes, in December. Longtime Town & Gown member Derek Adams, along with Jonathan Sparks, who is a co-chair on our facilities team, are writing an original musical.
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Q: So what's that musical about?
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A: That I don’t know. The premise I understand is that it’s about a young wizard named Winter, and she’s essentially in wizard college. It’s called A Spell for Winter. I don’t know much more beyond that, but I’m extremely excited to see it.
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Q: Town & Gown is volunteer-based, so what keeps it going?
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A: The people. The volunteers. Day-to-day operations are all volunteer-driven. Everyone on the board is a volunteer. The directors, volunteers. Actors, volunteers.
We do have donors, and ticket sales provide most of our revenue. The money is used to maintain the building, buy rights to new shows, and build sets. Everything we make goes back into future productions.
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Comments trimmed for length and clarity.
Kris Schultz, current president of the Town & Gown Players, stands next to a ladder outside the company’s building in Athens, GA, Tuesday, Sept 24, 2024. Schultz is adding new string lights to the theatre’s entrance. (Photo/Mara Mershon)
Why did I write this?
I conducted an interview with the president of Town & Gown to gain insight into how the theatre company fosters creativity and community engagement while maintaining the volunteer-only model. Learning about this perspective taught highlighted the challenges and rewards throughout the artistic environment.
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