LIZZIE NEWCOMB GUMULA
"I seriously believe everyone should have a Lizzie in their life."
Student, Scranton Shakespeare Festival Youth Ensemble
"Working with Lizzie is the ultimate blueprint in what it means to be collaborative. Lizzie is organized, creative, and dedicated to the detail and care it takes to hold space for young artists to grow and learn in. A true collaborator, Lizzie shares ideas that are supported in the context of storytelling, and holds space for communication between her actors and director, always honoring the humanity of the actor above all else."
Sean Patrick Gibbons, Level 3 Intimacy Director with IDC; Faculty of Theater, Dean College
"Ms. Gumula’s work with the actors showed a finesse and nuance of a much more experienced director. Impressive. Ms. Gumula’s direction was intelligent and passionate – a hard combination for many people to achieve, as well as very professionally and artfully executed."
Dr. Stephanie Daventry French, Professor of Theater, East Stroudsberg University
Review of 'Shakespeare's R&J'
"Lizzie is a truly inspiring person to work with. Her brilliance and insight as a director really shows in the attention to detail she gives every scene. Her creative abilities always work to give the shows a unique and refreshing atmosphere to them. I've had several opportunities to follow Lizzie's creative lead over the years, and they've been among my favorite memories. Lizzie is always super supportive and open to suggestions, but is equally focused and authoritative when she needs to be. Her passion for theatre helps to elevate my own. "
Student, Scranton Shakespeare Festival Youth Ensemble
"It is no question that Lizzie is a true scholar of the theatre. Dedicated, organized, researched, and open mindedness: such is the stuff that makes Lizzie a true asset to any collaboration."
Michael Bradshaw Flynn, Artistic Director, Scranton Shakespeare Festival
"Although Renaissance primary texts are, of course, difficult reading for undergraduates, both in language and in concepts, Lizzie demonstrated early on that she had mastered the language and was happily grappling with the concepts. Similarly, our critical and theoretical texts presented her with challenges that she welcomed. And she read them. All of them. Apparently with pleasure. She demonstrated interest and ability in early modern feminist and queer theory, and has gone on to use both in her dramaturgical and directing work for the department."