Professional Staff

Yvonne A.K. Johnson (Executive Artistic Director)

@yvonneakjohnson Launchpad

Yvonne is entering her seventh season at Spokane Civic Theatre. Previously, she was the Company Director and Producer of the national award-winning CLIMB Theatre, Inc. in Minnesota’s Twin Cities. At Civic, most recent directorial credits include: Metamorphoses, West Side Story In Concert, BUDDY: The Buddy Holly Story, Annie Get Your Gun, Chess In Concert, The Pirates of Penzance, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Never Swim Alone, Sweeney Todd In Concert, The Last Five Years, Into the Woods In Concert and South Pacific. Recent local awards include Best Local Musical for The Pirates of Penzance and Best Director, Musical for The Pirates of Penzance. She holds several advanced theatre degrees including an M.A. in Contemporary Theatre Practice from the University of Essex in Colchester, England, and an M.F.A. in Directing from Minnesota State University. From 1996 until 2001, Johnson served as the Artistic Director of Kassiopia Theatre Company in London, England. Additionally, Johnson has directed various North American tours of Irish full-length and one-act plays. Over the past 20 years, Johnson has taught theatre classes and directed over 90 productions for various schools, universities, community, and professional theatres throughout the Midwest and UK. She also serves as a Member at Large and Chair of Strategic Planning on the National AACT Board in addition to being an Endowment Trustee.