Philip J. Hickman
director / playwright / actor
“Each person involved in a performance—actors, technicians, audience members—contributes to a kind of communal magic that only lasts one night.”
Artist Bio
Philip J. Hickman (he, him, his) is the artistic director of Actors' Theatre of Columbus. He is a playwright and director whose work has entertained thousands of people each year at ATC's amphitheater in Schiller Park.
He was co-founder of Foolish Bison Players (where he served as artistic director) and has been an active member of the Columbus theater community for 25 years. Actors’ Theare of Columbus is supported in part by a GCAC General Support grant.
Artist Gallery
Artist Q & A
How do you describe your creative process?
We all live in interlaced networks of other people, and I think theater at its best can reflect that. I enjoy the collaborative process of working with actors and designers to create theater that is a reflection of all of the contributors working together.
What do you love most about your art making process?
What I love most about the process of making theater is how ephemeral it is. Each person involved in a performance—actors, technicians, audience members—contributes to a kind of communal magic that only lasts one night. Each performance then becomes absolutely unique; each moment is indescribably fragile, yet somehow lasts in our memories for years.
What is the most important thing you have learned about yourself as an artist?
The most important thing I've learned about myself along the way is how much I can learn from the diverse community around me. Expertise is overrated; the goal is to keep learning.
What is something that people may not know about you?
I will happily watch squirrels for hours.
What advice to you give to emerging artists?
Working all the time doesn't make you better, it makes you tired. Take breaks to absorb the things you're learning.