Our director, Timothy X. Troy

I though I would blog on some days about our fabulous staff for the production of The Sparks Fly Upward.

Our director in 2008, who is also planning to direct the stage production in 2012, is Timothy X. Troy. Tim is Professor and Chair of Theatre Arts at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. In 2008 he travelled to Des Moines to direct the production and did an absolutely fabulous job of turning my somewhat cinematic vision into a stage vision.

Tim received his Bachelor of Arts degree, The History of Ideas - modern, from Lawrence University. He earned the Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts/Directing from the University of Iowa, where he directed the original production of five new plays from
the Iowa Playwrights Workshop. Professor Troy¹s regular contribution to Lawrence's Freshman Studies program was honored with the Freshman Teaching Prize in 2004. Since serving as Visiting Professor at Trinity College-Dublin
in 2005, Mr. Troy has recently turned his attention to playwrighting. The Playwright¹s Center in Minneapolis will present his latest play, Radio and Juliet, in March of 2011.

Here is what Tim has to say about Sparks and his involvement in its development:
"It's been a privilege to be part of the SPARKS project. The opera matches all my core values as both an artist and a citizen. It tells an important story that we need to tell and retell to help us remain vigilant in the face of oppression. It's an opera with emotional depth and intellectual integrity that reminds us that all the great challenges we face happen in the context of love of family and our attachment to neighbors and friends. Most importantly, Cathy chose the medium of music drama to tell the story - the
complete artwork that dazzles our eyes, enriches our ears, engages our mind, and stirs our hearts. Being part of the team that first brought SPARKS to life for an audience remains one of the most important projects in my career. I dearly hope we find a way to expand our ability to share this important work with more audiences who need its richness, depth, and humanity to help them navigate the perils that beset us."



Help us start our journey. Donate now at: www.thesparksflyupward.org
Any donation, no matter how small, is welcome and needed!