Krista Lively Stauffer on Connecting to the Story and Drawing Inspiration
By Lauren Mox, marketing associate at Jewish Community Center of Greater Columbus
Krista Lively Stauffer is a local professional actor on stage and screen. Some of her favorite stage credits include AVENUE Q (Kate/Lucy), Sunday In the Park with George (Nurse/Harriet/Mrs.) and SHE KILLS MONSTERS (Agnes). She will be directing Gallery Players’ production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Feb. 22 – March 9, 2025.
Lauren: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is going to be your second director’s credit (the first being Gallery Players’ Fiddler on the Roof). How do you decide which shows you want to direct?
Krista: I think it’s important to try to have some connection to the story. With Joseph, this was my first professional production, and so it has huge memories and a big place in my heart. But I also love the story and the idea of telling stories through the generations, so that’s what we are going to emphasize in this production.
Lauren: Your first big professional job was being a kid in the chorus for Joseph. How does it feel to come back to Joseph in a non-performing way?
Krista: I still have fond memories of sitting nervously in front of the scrim on the Palace stage and hearing Rueben right behind telling us not to look toward the scrim, but wishing us good luck. This show is a favorite of a lot of people and it’s really just fun. I know how much fun I had as a kid and I hope to impart that to my cast.
Krista and the cast of Gallery Players’ Fiddler on the Roof
Lauren: Where do you draw inspiration from for your directorial decisions?
Krista: I start with the story. I read through it and get to know what is underneath and what can be drawn out to make more sense. I listen to a few different versions of the songs to hear if there are any interesting bits to keep in. Sometimes I’ll watch other productions with a very loose eye to see how people made sense of certain scenes, but I definitely don’t try to steal from that. And then a big part is doing the dramaturgy.
Lauren: Who are the directors you look up to the most and why?
Krista: I love working with directors who are collaborative and kind, first off. My favorite experience was Sunday in the Park with George at Short North Stage. We were blessed to work with Broadway director Sarna Lapine who was the niece of the original book writer alongside Stephen Sondheim. We spent two and a half weeks on table work to understand every single aspect of our character, but on top of that, she knew the story so well because she had grown up with it and had many tidbits on why the pieces and characters were written.
Lauren: People have called you a jack-of-all trades. What exactly do you do?
Krista: Too much, ha ha. I am a professional actor on stage and screen, I am an acting coach who works with actors, young and old. I am a production assistant for Opera Columbus. I am an event coordinator with Columbus Young professionals. I am working to train on intimacy coordination so I can bring that aspect to both stage and screen. But I can’t tap dance. That’s a given.
Lauren: What does working with Gallery Players mean to you?
Krista: Starting off with a big undertaking like Fiddler on the Roof was scary, but the community welcomed me with open arms, and we were able to bring a beautiful piece of theater together. I enjoy the spirit and excitement that this theater provides.
Catch Krista’s Gallery Players’ production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Roth/Resler Theater from Feb. 22 — March 9, 2025. Tickets are available at columbusjcc.org/joseph.
This article is part of a bi-weekly column brought to you by the Greater Columbus Arts Council as part of the Art Makes Columbus campaign. Explore a calendar of events, public art database and artist stories at columbusmakesart.com. To learn more about GCAC grants visit gcac.org.