Tor Campbell (GC24) takes the Goodman

Tor Campbell (GC24) came to the Northwestern School of Communication in 2020 to get his MFA in Directing and enhance his theatrical teaching craft, but he is leaving with so much more. 

Last summer, he scored the 2024/2025 Northwestern University Directing Fellowship at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. SoC Dean E. Patrick Johnson and Goodman artistic director Susan V. Booth (C87) conceived of the fellowship program to give recent MFA graduates hands-on experience as part of the Goodman’s artistic staff—and lend the renowned theater some up-and-coming Northwestern talent.

Campbell credits his time in SoC for helping develop his clear vision for his future and a newfound passion for “art-ivism,” but he’s certain his time at the Goodman has enhanced whatever will come next. We caught up with Campbell to discuss all this and more. 

Breajna Dawkins, SoC: Hi, Tor. What brought you to SoC? Can you tell me about your time with Northwestern?

Tor Campbell: So, I started as a flight attendant. Things happened, and I became an artistic director for hotels and casinos. Then, I was a theatre professor, director, and choreographer, but I realized I wanted to work in the regional theatre world, and the only way to do that was to dive into grad school. So that’s what I did.

I started the MFA program in SoC in 2020 when the pandemic hit. I thought I was going to get a directing degree and focus on art. I had no idea my life was about to change. 

I chose NU because of the amount of research and writing required, but I didn’t know I would write that much. However, the more I wrote, the clearer I became on my vision and the type of artist I wanted to be. My electives outside of theatre helped, too, giving me a great foundation to continue to build my future on.

Dawkins: Did that just happen through your studies or did your interactions with people in the SoC help too? 

Campbell: I had two mentors that were very prominent in changing how I view art and how I want to do it: Dr. Cristal Chanelle Truscott and KO. 

Dr. Truscott was one of my cohort’s first-year professors, and I was a lifelong fan of KO. A chance meeting in the elevator led to me TA-ing one of their classes.

I never even knew what “art-ivism” was. I knew I wanted to fight for civil rights and humanity, but I never thought that I could do that through my art. When KO and Dr. Truscott introduced me to how to use art to sustain the momentum of a movement, my life changed.

Dawkins: Why did you decide to apply for the fellowship with the Goodman?

Campbell: I assistant directed A Christmas Carol [at the Goodman] in 2022 with Jessica Thebus, one of my professors and the head of the SoC MFA Directing program. While there, I realized that I liked the theater and the people who worked there. I also knew that I wanted to stay in the regional theatre scene and Chicago after graduation.

Dawkins: And how have you found your time there since you started last fall? Can you tell us what you are working on?

Campbell: It’s been great! I like the structure of the program. We can assistant direct four shows, and then we get to choose other places in the theater to give our time. One of the departments I have attached myself to is the Education and Engagement Department because it gives me the chance to explore art with the youth and the older generations. It is inspiring.

The four productions I’m working on are also in progress. I did A Christmas Carol again with Professor Thebus during the Holidays. Currently, I'm finishing up an amazing play, Fat Ham. I leave for New York soon to shadow the production Antiquities at an off-Broadway theater so that I can bring it back here. Finally, I finish my time at the Goodman with The Color Purple, which I will assistant direct with award-winning theatre director and SoC alumna Lili-Anne Brown (C95).

The Purple be purpling out here!

Dawkins: It really does! Okay, final question: What does the future look like for you? You have mentioned teaching a few times. Will that be in the cards?

Campbell: Yes, I'm glad you mentioned that. I finished my degree and thesis last year, and August 31 is my last day at the Goodman. From there, I will work on two shows at the Paramount Theater in Aurora, Illinois. Then, I’m directing Hairspray at the Uptown Music Theater of Highland Park while preparing for another show here at the Wirtz in the fall. I will also be teaching at Lake Forest College, just north of Chicago.

The best part is that all of these connections have been made because of Northwestern and having the Goodman Fellowship under my belt.

But the reason I came to grad school was because I wanted to teach and create a theatrical space where all people feel seen and celebrated. So, ultimately, I want to run a spiritual center of the arts rooted in telling stories that teach kindness and peace. So, 10 years from now, that is where I will be. 

Campbell will be directing the Wirtz Center’s upcoming production of ‘Imagine U: A Tale of Peter Rabbit’ from April 25 to May 11, at the Mussetter-Struble Theater on campus. Head to goodmantheatre.org to secure tickets to one of the shows mentioned above. You can learn more about his theatrical journey at torcampbell.com.