Joy Pace

Joy Pace, (Director) Is the Artistic Director & Executive Director of Itinerant Theatre, recently retired as three-year Chair of Region 6 for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF). Joy earned her B.A. from Centenary College of Louisiana, and her M.F.A. in Directing from Virginia Commonwealth University. Though a native Texan, Ms. Pace has lived in various areas of the country. Joy came to Lake Charles in 2006 and was the Coordinator of McNeese Theatre until 2013. She taught as Associate Professor of Theatre at Kentucky Wesleyan College where she was head of theatre and advisor to the Wesleyan Players for five years. In February 2015 Joy was awarded the coveted Kennedy Center Medallion for her six years of volunteer work for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, Region 6, (KCACTF6). Joy has worked professionally as an actor, director, vocal coach, instructor, and stage manager. Some of those credits include La Petit Little Theatre/Tennessee Williams Festival in New Orleans; The Blue Ridge Theatre Festival, Barksdale Theatre, Theatre Gym, and The Neighborhood School of The Arts in Richmond, VA; The Independent Theatre, Region 14 ESC, and Buffalo Gap Historic Village in Abilene, TX; and Theatre Workshop and Riverpark Center in Owensboro, KY.Joy’s most recent directing credits include Race by David Mamet, Man of a Thousand Songs by Carolyn Woosley, Louisiana Women: Bound, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, All My Sons, Pygmalion, Othello, Waiting for Godot, & Working: a musical. Her favorite recent acting credits include “Mag” in Beauty Queen of Leenane, “Lorraine” in This Wide Night, ”Martha” in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, “Josie” in A Moon for the Misbegotten, and “Sister Aloysius” in Doubt. Joy is greatly looking forward to a life filled with theatre and social justice — her great passions — her family and her dogs.

Joy is thrilled to be directing this production of The Diary of Anne Frank at ACTS and is grateful for the amazing team of set builders and thrilled with the work of this cast. The story is so important, as we look around at our world today, we must remember our past and never think it couldn’t happen again.

We must remember the words of Martin Niemöller

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.