Education
- M.F.A. in Acting, University of Montana
- B.S. in Theatre Arts, Southern Utah University
- A.S. in Theatre Arts, Ricks College
Biography
Justin has strong feelings for the Rocky Mountain Region of the United States and Canada where he has worked as both artist and educator for most of his life. Raised in Calgary, Alberta where his passion for the theatre began, Justin subsequently earned his B.S. Degree in Theatre from Southern Utah University, and then his M.F.A. in Acting from the University of Montana. Justin has taught at several academic, and pre–professional training programs including the University of Montana, Dixie State University in St. George, Utah, and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
A student–centered teacher, Justin joined the faculty of Brigham Young University–Idaho in 2009, where he teaches Voice Diction, Storytelling, and all levels of Acting. In addition to directing annually as part of the Department’s mainstage production season, Justin has served as Associate Dean for Online Instruction in the College of Performing and Visual Arts, and presently serves as Department Chair for the Department of Theatre and Dance.
Justin is a collaborative, honest, and compassionate artist whose directing and acting interests include Shakespeare, Absurdism, Realism, and Magical Realism. Noted for his strong ensemble work, some of Justin’s directing credits include the world–premier of Jon Jory’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mary Stuart (honored by region 7 of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival),Dancing at Lughnasa, Enchanted April, Waiting for Godot, The Tempest, How I Learned To Drive, The House of Bernarda Alba (in an original translation by award winning translator Steven J. Stewart), Silent Sky, Leaving Eden (an original work by Janine Gilbert, based on the award–winning short stories by Jack Harrell), and Talley’s Folly.