FSU/Asolo Conservatory Directror To Retire After 17-Year Tenure

Greg Leaming, director of the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training program and associate director of the Asolo Repertory Theatre, will retire at the conclusion of the academic year after 17 years of teaching, directing and leading the MFA Acting Program at Florida State University's School of Theatre.

"Working with the FSU/Asolo Conservatory and Asolo Repertory has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my career," Leaming said. "The faculty, staff, artists at Asolo Rep and the administration in Tallahassee are all superb craft persons, and our alums are truly the future of the American Theatre."

Leaming said he looks forward to guiding the program through this school year and "passing the reins on to a younger and more energetic individual to move this remarkable institution into the next decade."

"Finding ourselves solid and stable after the past 18 months, and after having recently been named one of the top training programs in the English-speaking world by The Hollywood Reporter, the Conservatory is in an excellent place for me to step aside and retire," Leaming said.

Since 2004, Leaming has simultaneously served as director of the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training and associate director of the Asolo Repertory Theatre. He has directed more than 14 performances for the Repertory Theatre, including his own translation/adaptation of Pierre Hennekin and Maurice Veber's "Anything to Declare?" as well as "God of Carnage," "Boeing Boeing," "Hearts," "The Imaginary Invalid," "The Play's The Thing" and the world premiere of Jason Wells' "Men of Tortuga."

In his role at the FSU/Asolo Conservatory, he has directed "Cloud 9," "Pericles," "Blue Window," "Murder by Poe," "The Mystery Plays," and "Two Gentlemen of Verona." He also curated Asolo Repertory's "UNPLUGGED," a new play series and "DOG DAYS THEATRE" for three summer seasons.

"Under Greg's leadership, the program has consistently been recognized as one of the highest caliber among its peers both nationally and internationally," said James Frazier, dean of the College of Fine Arts. "We are grateful for his years of visionary stewardship, and I wish him the best in his retirement."

Leaming leads a small faculty of four other professors who teach classes in various acting, movement and voice techniques. Leaming himself teaches a text analysis class in which the students learn how to get what they need out of the scripts they are assigned, as well as a class in business for theater professionals. He has actively recruited talented actors for FSU's program, traveling each winter to several cities to recruit the next fall class, keeping in mind the eventual needs of Asolo Rep.

"Greg's impact can be seen in the successes of our students, the achievements of our alumni, the strong relationship with the Asolo Repertory Theatre, and the numerous awards and national rankings that the program has received," said Brad Brock, interim director of the School of Theater. "Greg will certainly be leaving the Conservatory program in a strong position for continued success. I am excited that we have one more year with Greg leading our MFA Acting program and look forward to what we can accomplish together in his final year at Florida State University."

The College of Fine Arts will conduct a national search for Leaming's replacement over this academic year.

Considered to be one of America's leading acting schools, the FSU/Asolo Conservatory is part of the School of Theatre and offers a Master of Fine Arts in acting where actors of the highest caliber are trained in a professional theatre environment through classroom work and production experience.

FSU/Asolo is also recognized as one of the Top 25 Best College Drama Programs around the world by The Hollywood Reporter, a well-established online trade journal. They have also been featured in The New York Times, U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review through national rankings and articles of top graduate-level training programs in past years.

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