2020 Arts Award: Anabel Johnson
by Ally Lardner ’21
Director, stage manager, singer, and more, Anabel Johnson reflects on her four years as a leader in the arts at Boston College.
Anabel Johnson ’20
Major: Theatre
Minor: Management & Leadership
Arts Festival: Co-Production Manager 2020, Assistant Production Manager 2019, Stage Manager 2018
Director: The Wolves, and The Vagina Monologues
Contemporary Theatre: President, Production Manager
Theatre Department: Marketing Assistant
Stage Manager: Pippin, Jailbait, and Beyond Therapy
Robsham Theater Arts Center, Senior Technician
A Cappella: The S#arps
Speakeasy Stage Company, Production Management Intern, Fall 2019
How have you been involved in the arts at BC?
My very first semester, I was very much going to go for the performance track. So I was in a play (Waiting for Lefty and Still Waiting), and I joined the S#arps, which I’ve done for most of my four years. I started working for the Arts Council my freshman year on the Arts Festival, and I've done that every year after that.
I got into stage management halfway through freshman year. I joined Contemporary Theatre freshman year as well, which has been a big part of my arts life at BC. I also started working for RTAC and Julie-Anne in the Theatre Department Office freshman year. Then, I got into production management with both the Theatre Department and Contemporary Theatre. And then I got really into directing towards the end of my college career. It’s kind of been a little bit everywhere!
What has been your most meaningful arts experience at BC?
Anabel with the cast and crew of The Wolves (2020).
I think doing found space shows with Contemporary Theatre have definitely been the hardest parts of my college careers — both Beyond Therapy (2018) and The Aliens (2019). They were the most rewarding as well. They were so cool and different, and the audience and theatre community really enjoyed them.
Of course, directing The Wolves for the Theatre Department has been so important to me.
Directing is such a leadership position, and I've always enjoyed being in leadership positions. It was such a meaningful show to me. I ended up having such a great cast, and it was awesome being in a group of all girls. Number three, similarly, would be working on Vagina Monologues with the Women’s Center, because, again, it was a chance to direct and to be in a space of all girls.
How has your work in the arts informed your next steps after graduation?
I don’t exactly know what I want to do yet but I know that I will always have a very deep passion for the arts and be connected to it in some way. That’s what’s so special about it — you really have to put your full self into it. That might mean having an administrative job to do with event management, and then directing on the side. That would be ideal, because I do love directing. But maybe it’ll look like me going to see theatre all the time, singing, and getting together with the S#arps.
I don’t necessarily know if it’ll be part of my career, but it’s always going to be a huge part of me that I wouldn’t be able to let go of. Even if I wanted to! I don’t think I could.
What advice would you give underclassmen about getting involved in the arts?
It’s always about the people for me. It’s always been about the people in the arts community: the people who did Vagina Monologues, who worked for the Arts Council, who worked for RTAC, who are in the Theatre Department, who are in the S#arps. . . They’re all the best people I’ve met at BC.
And I definitely was someone who had a lot of different friend groups, but in the end I really think my closest friends and the people who know me the best are the people who I met in the arts community.
The arts bring people together in a way that nothing else can.
Sports are kind of similar, but it’s more connected to your emotions with the arts.
So my advice would be to spend the most time with your people in the arts community as you possibly can, because they’re going to be the ones who teach you all these big, important life lessons and really help you discover yourself.
It’s funny, actually, answering this question, because a girl from my valley just committed to BC, and she wants to get involved! I would give her that advice. You’ve got to try and stick with the arts!
Anabel and the Contemporary Theatre E-Board (2017)
I’m looking back at the list of ways you were involved in the arts, and I’m just amazed at how many different ways you stayed busy! How did you do it?
I think in the moment it was sometimes difficult to not get overwhelmed. But looking back, I do not regret getting involved in all of those different things. I wouldn't change it for the world! I think that’s because I met so many great people, it really all comes back to the people for me. Seriously, all of the best lessons I’ve learned at BC have been from the people who got me involved in the arts and helped me and my passion for the arts. I’m glad I did all of those things in the arts — though at the time it was not always easy!
Who are your mentors or inspirations in the arts?
Weirdly, some of my biggest mentors were my peers! Meg (Ellis MCAS ’20) for sure, I worked with Meg a lot this year particularly. I learned so much from Ryan (Gardner MCAS ’19) during Chicago when I was an assistant stage manager. Jacob (Kelleher LSOEHD ’21), Ally (Lardner LSOEHD ’21), Erica (Fallon CSOM ’18)... and everyone who I’ve worked with on a leadership level, as a stage manager or director.
I think your peers push you to be better people, and to continue working until you’re at your absolute best. Of course, nobody’s perfect. But I think if I didn’t have peers who challenged me at Boston College, I would not be as motivated or as committed as I am to the arts.
And obviously, my bosses, George Cooke, Julie-Anne Whitney, and Tatiana Flis, were huge mentors. They not only taught me how to do those three very different jobs, but also taught me how to be a better person. They passed on a lot of leadership skills that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
