Dr Sybil Johnson is a Tampa native who grew up in the wonderful world of West Tampa. She took the stage for the first time nurtured by Marcelle Alexander at The University of Tampa’s Young Peoples’ Theatre, for those of you who can remember Tampa that long ago. From the moment she stood behind that great old proscenium in the Falk Theatre, covered in silver grease paint, dressed for the role of the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, Sybil never wanted to leave the glow of the footlights
Much to her family’s dismay, she refused to follow in her mother’s wise footsteps of Speech Therapy and chose to become a theatre professional. A journey which continues today as she still enjoys taking theatre classes and performs as often as she can.
She holds a PhD in theatre from The Florida State University and has performed and directed internationally.
Sybil recently returned from The South Pacific where she studied indigenous theatre forms and traditional ceremonies. She has published several poems and short stories chronicling her unusual journey. She served as Director of the Theatre Program at American Samoa Community College and founded the now thriving Music Theatre Program Directed by her former Student Carmela Gallace.
As the new coordinator of the theatre at The Ybor Campus of Hillsborough Community College, Sybil anticipates the birth of an educational program which will impact not only Tampa but the global community as well.
Mrs. Sybil Barnes practicing speech therapy at HCC in early 1960's
Dr. Sybil Johnson
