Work as a director and playwright — new plays and classical text, built from the ground up with an ensemble.
John C. Young Research Program
Selected as one of just seven students at Centre College for the John C. Young Program. During Ollie's senior year, the project will be to write a new full-length play, cast it from their peers, and direct it — with performances on campus and at the SETC Fringe Festival in 2027.
A full production section will live here once the work is underway.
Directing
Macbitches
Written by Sophie McIntosh · Stage Management by Rosa Tamori · Technical Design by Eric Dahlgren · with an ensemble of Centre students
How does unchecked ambition damage the human psyche? Shakespeare famously explored this question in his play Macbeth, demonstrating how the title character's ambition drives him to madness and ruin. Sophie McIntosh enters this conversation, focusing specifically on young women grappling with this question — wryly setting her narrative in a collegiate theatre audition for Macbeth. By placing her characters in the shadow of the modern ‘mean girl’ cliche, the script resembles a satirical spoof, but reveals a narrative that takes young women with deadly seriousness. Here, women's humor, interests, and conflicts are not ‘cringe’ or ‘overdramatic,’ but are instead shown with the sincerity and gravity they deserve. McIntosh takes Shakespeare's contribution to this universal question a step further: when young women gain access to the power and ambition that Macbeth grappled with, how should they avoid falling into the same fatal errors he did? When an invisible male presence influences their motives and experiences, how can these characters gain the power and agency they seek?
I am deeply honored to be the student director for this production. The opportunity to work closely with my mentors and peers has been an incredible learning experience, and I am so thankful for their guidance and support. To the fabulous designers and crew, you have truly outdone yourselves, and I am astonished by your tireless work and care. To the lovely cast, I am so grateful for the trust you placed in me and the tenacity you brought to this rehearsal process. I could not be more proud of the work we have done on this production.
With all my love,
Ollie Gibson
More production photos
The Shakespeare Showcase
Co-directed by Nate Brantley · Technical Design by Atticus Harvey
This production was an entirely student-led performance of 8 scenes from across Shakespeare's canon. Ollie worked with beginners and theatre students alike to create a delightful evening of Shakespeare on campus.
More production photos
Portrait of Dora — a short film
For a class studying Hélène Cixous's Portrait of Dora, Ollie adapted a section of the text into a short film — directing, filming, and performing it entirely on their own.
Jefferson County Traditional Middle School — Musical Theatre
Ollie directs, coaches, and tutors young performers one-on-one in JCTMS's Musical Theatre program — mentorship that has helped several students earn admission to Louisville's Youth Performing Arts School (YPAS). Over the past three years, Ollie has also choreographed several of its productions and contributed to set and costume design.
Choreography: Newsies Jr. · Matilda Jr. · Aladdin Jr. · Mary Poppins Jr. · Into the Woods Jr. · Frozen Jr.
Choreography
Ollie choreographs musical theatre — much of it for young performers — building numbers from the ground up and teaching them step by step. Dance training: three years with Barbara F. Cullen at the Dancers' Center for Training, in musical theatre jazz and rhythmic tap.
Taproot Theatre, Seattle — Choreographer Intern
Musical Theatre Revue · Frozen Jr. · The Music Man Jr.
Playwriting
On the Sidewalk Outside Our Home
Original play · Staged reading, Centre College · December 3, 2025
An original play given a staged reading at Centre College. The plot follows a young girl named Florence as she discovers the secrets and malfeasance of her family through the help of her new friend, Enrique, and his talking dog.
Carpool Catastrophe
Original short play · Walden Conservatory Short Play Festival, Louisville · 2020
An original short play produced as part of Walden Conservatory's annual Short Play Festival.
New Play Development
The Farm Theater Playwriting Workshop
Dramaturg Assistant & Performer · New York City · 2026
In New York City with The Farm Theater's new-play development workshop, Ollie worked as both a dramaturg assistant and a performer on plays in development.
