By Dora Gilreath
Entertainment Editor
Elizabeth Armstrong, the current executive assistant to the president, has had a life surrounded by theater. It all started in her Freshman year of Neosho High School playing the small role of the drunkard in Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales.” She described the feeling as “a sort of freedom and vulnerability (in acting) that’s addictive.”
After graduating from high school, she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in fine arts and acting. During and after this time period, she held a variety of jobs to finance college.
Armstrong stated, “I produced for independent theater companies. I was the director of the online writing center for the university and I did work through some repretroy theaters as an actress. Those were my professional jobs for different companies. Then from 2018 to 2019 I lived abroad from Europe, traveled around and did different jobs. When I first moved back to the states, I worked as the Deputy County Administrator, who works with physically and mentally incapacitated people to proivde for their needs. Then in August 2021 I started my job here at Crowder as the Executive Assistant to the President.”
Crowder Theater Director NaTasha O’Brien-Davies, stated, “Elizabeth was introduced to me by a colleague. I didn’t know her before, but after reviewing her references, I thought she would be a really lovely fit to be a guest artist for the department. I told her we wanted a comedy, and she told me that Shakespeare was a strongpoint for her, and it’s been awhile since Crowder has done anything Shakespeare, so I gave her a green light for the production.”
This semester, Armstrong directed the play “The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Abridged,” and chose the play because she has a fondness of Shakespeare from experiences in her past. “My favorite experience when I was working professionally in theater was with Shakespeare and Company in Massachusetts, which had classical Shakespeare training and worked with individuals working in a women’s prison using Shakespeare as rehabilitative therapy. Those experiences shaped my life as an artist.” Her overall goal is to “Bring more appreciation and awareness for Shakespeare productions.”
Freshman Langley Miller and the role of Player 2 in “…Shakespeare: Abridged,” described what a typical rehearsal with Armstrong looks like. She stated it contained “fun warm ups, Shakespearean monologues, shenanigans, and a whole lot of laughter.” She describes Armstrong as “well spoken, intelligent, and passionate.”
Langley has been a part of other Crowder theatrical productions, but this is the first show she has been involved in with Armstrong as the director. “Very controlled chaos,” Miller said when describing Armstrong’s directing style. “It’s organic, and she gives direction when given, and always improving what’s there. She lets organic motion happen, but always makes sure things are going forward.”
Armstrong continues to balance her work as the executive assistant to the president and as a play director. She stated, “This is the first time since moving into a non arts career field that I’ve reached back out to my artistic side, so there have been challenges in bridging that divide, but I’ve found through those challenges I’ve created a stronger correlation between my non artistic work and my artistic work.”
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