As an Actor, Director, and the Founding Artistic Director of Chicago’s Definition Theatre, Tyrone Phillips juggles many responsibilities. Still, his mission of heartfelt and honest storytelling won’t allow him to stop until the job is complete.
The first-generation Jamaican-American artist is the proud recipient of the 2022 Alumni Association Award for Diversity & Inclusion, he is an honors graduate of the Fine and Applied Arts College at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) and has studied abroad at Shakespeare’s Globe.
Some of his directing and associate directing credits include: Purpose (Steppenwolf Theatre), Twelfth Night, I, Cinna (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Dutchman (Definition Theatre), An Octoroon (Goodman Theatre/Definition Theatre), and The MLK Project (Writers Theatre) as well as the Jeff Award-nominated productions of Fairview, and Byhalia, Mississippi. Phillips also was recently honored with the 2022 Arts Midwest’s Peter Capell Award for Midwestern Creativity & Entrepreneurship and inducted as a member of the 2024 Newcity Stage Hall of Fame.
Phillips is currently helming the director’s chair for the Goodman Theatre/Definition Theatre collaboration production of the Chicago premiere of James Ijames’s Pulitzer Prize-winning, five-time Tony Award-nominated play, Fat Ham.
Described as “a comedic coming-of-age play that’s also a witty reimagining of Hamlet“, the play tells the story of Juicy, a Black, queer young man who is confronted by the ghost of his father during a family barbeque. Seeking revenge for his murder, his father puts a screeching halt to Juicy’s quest for joy and liberation. Ijames’s reinvention of Shakespeare’s masterpiece features an all-Chicago cast that features Trumane Alston, Sheldon Brown, E. Faye Butler, Ronald L. Conner, Victor Musoni, Ireon Roach and Anji White.
N’DIGO recently connected with the passionate artist and director to learn more about his journey into the arts, the work in progress with Definition Theatre, and the ins and outs of making his directorial debut at the Goodman Theatre with Fat Ham.
N’DIGO: In your own words, who is Tyrone Phillips?
Tyrone Phillips: I am a first-generation Jamaican-American artist. A son, a brother, a person working to become the best version of himself. A poet, a visionary, a child of God.
What are three words those closest to you would use to describe you?
Inspiring, passionate, and funny!
What did you dream of being as a child?
I was born and raised in a Jamaican church and at a very young age it was clear I was going to serve as a pastor. For many different reasons that didn’t happen. Although I’m not a member of the clergy, I truly believe that theatre is church. Strangers gather in a room, participate in the willing suspension of disbelief, and by witnessing a story you can leave changed. With each project, I hope to change hearts and minds and increase empathy for our neighbors. The fact of the matter is we are all connected and if you’re better off, I’m better off.
Take us back and talk a little about your first theatre experience and your path into the world of theatre.
Your zip code should not define your quality of life but unfortunately, it currently does play a major role. I moved from Rogers Park to Skokie before attending high school and that move changed my life. It was there that I was exposed to all of the different career paths in the fine arts and I remember feeling the distinct difference and investment in the arts from parents and community members in the suburbs versus in the city.
I’ll never forget walking through Niles North High School as a freshman and walking into the Drama Performance Center for the very first time by accident. I remember thinking, “I don’t know what they do here, but I want to be a part of it.” I would not get back to that space until I was a sophomore as I found out from my counselor that I would have to take theater classes to get in that room. From the moment I took my first theater class, I was hooked as I had an incredible teacher who challenged me and my classmates every day. In those classes, I woke up. I realized I had to become an active participant in reaching the goals I had for my life. I became a very active member and leader in the theater department which laid the foundation for the career I have today.
What does it mean to you to make your Goodman Theatre debut directing such a widely revered production as Fat Ham?
It has been a labor of love bringing this play to life and to be honest, I kept forgetting this was my Goodman debut! Like every play I touched, I was focused on making a piece of art that would stand the test of time. I thankfully had not seen any other productions of Fat Ham so I got to investigate the play with fresh eyes and find my connection. It means the world to me that Definition Theatre gets to take center stage and raise awareness of our incredible organization through this co-production as we need financial support to give our theatre a permanent home in Chicago’s South Side neighborhood of Woodlawn. This production is the proof of concept as it shows what we are capable of creating given the resources.
Did you have a special way you chose to approach guiding the actors and directing this production?
Every production requires specific care and with this piece, I wanted to be sure that the ensemble felt they were in an environment where they could take risks and create with joy. Early in the process we also made sure that we all were familiar with our source material (Hamlet) and focused on how these character types remained present and how each character had a very specific role to play in this contemporary story. Once we were all clear and rooted in how the Shakespearean elements were at play, our foundation was set and the ensemble was able to take flight.
I also carried a lesson learned from my time spent in training at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, which is that our body goes through the same physical response when we laugh and when we cry. This play depends on that duality and I wanted to highlight that life will deal you joyful and tragic moments. How you respond to the tragic moments tells me who you really are.
How does your experience as an accomplished actor inform your work when in the director’s chair?
It informs everything! Knowing what the process is from the onstage perspective helps me guide and coach the actors. It’s all about timing…
Please tell us a little about Definition Theatre Company and some of the things you do in your role as founding Artistic Director.
Definition Theatre is an ensemble that prioritizes equity in the fine arts industry on and off the stage. When you look at the current struggles of the American Theatre, Definition has examined what is missing and leads the way as an anti-racist organization.
We’re currently producing in Hyde Park (1160 E 55th) in our interim storefront space as we continue to raise funds for our new theater, community center, and entrepreneur incubator in Woodlawn that we’re building from the ground up.
As the founding Artistic Director, I have had the honor of building our presence in Chicago by cultivating our seasons, spearheading new programming for community members, providing professional development opportunities, and supporting and uplifting our ensemble members while also serving as an advocate for the Chicago theatre industry at large.
What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?
I do not like chocolate.
What’s the best piece of advice you have been given?
You create your own stage, the audience is already waiting.
What’s the best piece of advice that you can give?
This above all, to thine own self be true.
Favorite quote or affirmation?
It costs nothing to be kind.
It always seems impossible until it’s done.
What’s next for Tyrone Phillips?
Securing the funds we need to build Definition Theatre’s new space is my priority. I am hopeful the Chicago philanthropic community will stand up in the name of equity so our organization can connote to be a beacon of light in these dark days.
For more information on Definition Theatre, please visit www.definitiontheatre.org and connect with Tyrone on Instagram at @tyronemphillips
Fat Ham was recently extended to run through March 9th at the Goodman Theatre in downtown Chicago. For more information on dates and times, please visit www.goodmantheatre.org
