Reaching for the stars: APSU alumnus JJ Gibson debuts original musical on campus stage
By: Ethan Steinquest October 14, 2025
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - JJ Gibson is no stranger to Austin Peay State University’s 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 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 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 Oct. 2-5 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.”
The cast of “A Brief* History* of Manmade* Spacefaring* Objects* (*Mostly)” rehearses for “APSU’s New Musicals Project,” which also featured “Slotherhouse: The Musical.” | Photo by Sean McCully
Breaking new ground
The process was mostly unfamiliar territory for Gibson, who wrote his first original music as a sophomore at Austin Peay for his classmate Breanna Douglas’ senior capstone.
“I had never written music before, and I didn’t think I’d be able to do it, but I had a habit of saying yes to everything,” Gibson said. “I’ve moved past that habit now, but ultimately, saying yes to that project led to a whole new world of creative opportunity and an artistic partnership and friendship with Douglas that I still hold very dear to my heart.”
From there, Gibson began writing songs for his own senior capstone while taking steps to improve his craft.
“It was very evident to me that my songwriting was not going to get better from working on one project,” he said. “I wasn’t late to the game per se, but my major was in musical theatre performance, not composition - so I decided I was going to find things I cared about and write as often as possible.”
Several pieces from (*Mostly) were originally written during this period, and by the time it began production Gibson had refined and solidified music he was confident in. He also gained valuable experience in scriptwriting and characterization, particularly during the three weeks of rehearsal at Austin Peay.
“My voice is pretty inescapable sometimes; I know how I would say something, and all of a sudden everybody on stage sounds like me,” he said. “The cast spent a lot of time performing these characters and getting to know them, so a lot of the script revisions involved me asking them, ‘Does this line feel weird to you because it doesn’t sound right coming out of your mouth?’”
JJ Gibson plays guitar during a rehearsal for “A Brief* History* of Manmade* Spacefaring* Objects* (*Mostly).” His influences include Dave Malloy, Grace McLean, Elizabeth Swados, and Jason Robert Brown. | Contributed photo
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.”
Since 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.”
JJ Gibson performs in APSU’s production of “A New Brain” in Spring 2023. His passion for local theatre dates back to participating in a church play at 7 years old. | Photo by Jaylon Gonzales
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.”