Clarksville, TN – JJ Gibson is no stranger to the Austin Peay State University (APSU) Sara and Mike Gotcher Theatre, having performed in adaptations of Urinetown, A New Brain, Zombie Prom, and more as an undergraduate.
However, watching his original musical, A Brief* History* of Manmade* Spacefaring* Objects* (*Mostly), come to life during the APSU Department of Theatre & Dance’s 2025-26 season left him with emotions he never expected.
“I really did feel like I was watching it for the first time with everybody else,” said Gibson, who earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre from Austin Peay State University in Spring 2024. “It was very humbling, because I have not had a work of mine produced at this level before. All the work the students put in had me floored, and the entire creative team put so much care into this project that’s near and dear to my heart.”
(*Mostly) ran from October 2nd-5th as part of APSU’s New Musicals Project, with Gibson as assistant director. The one-act production sees personifications of Entropy, Curiosity, Hope, and Inevitability gather around a campfire at the end of the universe to reflect on humanity’s ambition, progress, and destructive tendencies.
“It’s a little weird, abstract, and out there, but that’s the brand of musical theatre I enjoy,” Gibson said. “My politics are very important to me, and this show is deeply informed by those politics and where humanity is headed if things keep going the way they’re going.”
The songs featured in the musical explore different eras of space travel, with overarching themes about what humans are willing to sacrifice to achieve their goals.
“In terms of inspiration for the show, there’s a lovely game called Outer Wilds that’s all about time loops – the universe is ending, and there are all these communities responding to it in different ways,” Gibson said. “That has always been such a grounds of inspiration for me, and it had already driven me to write three or four songs.”
Gibson began developing (*Mostly) around those songs last fall after receiving a request from Victoria Fowler, assistant professor of musical theatre and the director of APSU’s New Musicals Project.
“It’s been such a joy helping JJ bring his gorgeous original musical to life,” Fowler said. “Seeing how his voice, vision, and leadership have grown since his time at APSU has been so inspiring for me and for everyone involved. His creativity and drive truly embody the spirit of musical theatre’s next generation, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.”
Although Gibson had already been working on the idea for (*Mostly), it took on a very different form once he started writing for APSU’s New Musicals Project.
“It’s totally morphed over the last six months,” he said. “I decided to turn what I had written into a musical about space, and that I would find out more as I worked on it.”
Learning from the best
Gibson’s growth during rehearsal was, in some ways, an extension of his time as an undergraduate. He said APSU’s Department of Theatre & Dance helped him branch out as a performer and composer, make connections, and learn fundamental lessons about concepts like licensing.
“I would not have traded my education for anything, because I was trained by some of the most talented working professionals in the field,” he said. “I learned all the artistic and practical things I needed to know, and it gave me everything I could have asked for from a theatre program.”
The department also facilitated professional opportunities for Gibson, who attended the Southeastern Theatre Conference as a senior and landed a 10-month post-graduate acting internship with Florida Repertory Theatre.
“It’s basically an apprenticeship program for one of the most outstanding theatres in the state,” said Gibson. “You go and learn three shows for young audiences, then tour them throughout southwestern Florida. I have so many more credits on my resume, and because I had the opportunity to work on those main stage shows, I have a full contact list of working professional actors across America.”
[320leftSince graduating, Gibson has also starred as the Cowardly Lion in the Ramsey Theatre Company’s production of The Wizard of Oz. He recently moved to Chicago to look for opportunities to perform and direct in the city’s experimental theatre scene.
“We often think about theater as this untouchable thing in New York and London or on movie screens, but it almost always starts with local theatre,” he said. “There is nothing more important to me than making sure that people know how valuable their participation is … art is central to the formation and maintenance of a person, and you won’t find a more affordable and surprising experience than local theatre.”
Building forward momentum
As Gibson looks toward his future in Chicago’s local theatre community, he envisions (*Mostly) appearing in new works showcases or fringe festivals.
“Normally with a process like this, I feel a sense of finality toward the end where I’m content to let it be,” he said. “With (*Mostly), that finality has not come, so I get the feeling I’m going to be doing a lot of submitting with this project.”
Thanks to (*Mostly)’s run at APSU, Gibson now has recordings of the show he can use to create pitch decks and showcase his writing style. Through his work, he aims to inspire audiences to strengthen their connections with the world.
“My hope is for people to walk away and ask questions about each other, themselves, and the way that they engage with their communities,” he said. “If anybody leaves the theatre having a critical conversation, telling somebody they love them who they haven’t told in a while, or just going home and loving on their dog a little extra, that is all that truthfully matters at the end of the day.”
