Olivia Skillern named James Clemens theatre department’s artistic director

MADISON – For Olivia Skillern, it’s ‘as if I never said goodbye’ (to quote a line from “Sunset Boulevard”). With her new job in the Theatre Department at James Clemens High School, Skillern is returning to a Madison stage.

Skillern has accepted the position of drama teacher and the demanding role of Artistic Director for James Clemens Theatre. She will collaborate with Bryan Comer, who works as Technical Director for the department.

Skillern graduated from Bob Jones High School. The Madison community helped her define her interest in fine arts. Her first role was in “Guys and Dolls.” Skillern continued to appear in competition one-act plays for three years and perform in 11 productions.

As a senior at Bob Jones, she received the Polly Holliday Award and Scholarship from the Southeastern Theatre Conference or SETC. Students from 10 southeastern states applied for the award. The award’s name acknowledges Polly Holliday of Jasper who earned notoriety as the sassy waitress Flo in the 1970s’ hit sitcom, “Alice.”

Skillern earned a bachelor’s degree in theatre and marketing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She began her professional career in the Birmingham theatre community, where she worked as a scenic artist, actor and props master.

Skillern returned to Huntsville to serve as a teaching artist with Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theatre and Academy and as the Technical Director at Huntsville High School. Most recently, she led both the Theatre and Musical Theatre programs at Grissom High School.

One of her goals is to create an inclusive, creative and challenging environment for young performers and technicians, according to James Clemens Theatre’s Facebook page. Skillern is happy to bring that vision to James Clemens and already has held initial meetings with student actors and technicians in the Jets family.

Skillern is filling the vacant slot for Amy Patel, who retired at the end of the 2024-2025 school year. “I am beyond thrilled to pass the baton to Olivia! She is insightful, caring, inventive, fun and authentic,” Patel said in a post on James Clemens Theatre’s Facebook account. “JCTheatre, you are in such good hands.”