Juli Crockett is an American playwright and theater director, retired professional

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: *Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing * Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

and amateur champion,WBAN Boxing Record for Crockett
lead singer of the

alternative country Alternative country (commonly abbreviated to alt-country; also known as alternative country rock, insurgent country, Americana, or y'allternative) is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that diffe ...

band The Evangenitals, ordained minister, and producer of ''

The 1 Second Film ''The 1 Second Film'' is an American non-profit collaborative art project which began as a student project by Nirvan Mullick in 2001. Receiving contributions from thousands of people around the world, including many celebrities, the project is cu ...

''. Born in Coffee County, Enterprise,

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

she is the daughter of writers Linda Crockett and Daniel Savage Gray.

Education

Crockett studied Theater at Pinellas County Center for the Arts in

St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the List of municipalities in Florida, fifth-most populous city in Florida and the most populous city in the sta ...

, received a BFA in acting at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

Tisch School of the Arts The New York University Tisch School of the Arts (commonly referred to as Tisch) is the performing, cinematic, and media arts school of New York University. Founded on August 17, 1965, as the School of the Arts at New York University, Tisch ...

(1996) and MFA in directing at the

California Institute of the Arts The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a Private university, private art school in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for ...

(2001). She received her PhD in the Philosophy of Media and Communication at the

European Graduate School The European Graduate School (EGS) is a private graduate school that operates in two locations: Saas-Fee, Switzerland, and Valletta, Malta. History It was founded in 1994 in Saas-Fee, Switzerland by the Swiss scientist, artist, and therapist, ...

(2013), graduating ''summa cum laude'', also serving as Director of Alumni Relations during her time at the school. Her dissertation, "Void Creation: Theater and the Faith of Signifying Nothing" was published in 2013 by Atropos Press, New York. Crockett recently completed an Artist in Residency at the California Institute of the Arts that focused on developing her new play ''Saint Simone.'' Her residency was completed between November and December 2015.

Theatre

As a playwright/director, Crockett is best known for her adaptations of classic works of literature. Crockett has composed scores for experimental opera pieces in addition to her directing and playwright experience.

'' r, the whale'

The

spoken word Spoken word is an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a 20th-century continuation of an oral tradition, ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetic ...

opera '' r, the whale' is an adaptation of

Herman Melville Herman Melville (Name change, born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance (literature), American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works ar ...

's ''

Moby-Dick ''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 Epic (genre), epic novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is centered on the sailor Ishmael (Moby-Dick), Ishmael's narrative of the maniacal quest of Captain Ahab, Ahab, captain of the whaler ...

'' written and directed by Crockett with music by composer

Jeremy Zuckerman Jeremy Zuckerman (born July 31, 1975) is an American composer of concert music, film and television music, music for modern dance, and experimental music. He is best known as the composer for the animated series ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'' a ...

. The piece debuted in Los Angeles in 2001, was presented at the 2001 Moby Dick Conference at

Hofstra University Hofstra University is a Private university, private research university in Hempstead, New York, United States. It originated in 1935 as an extension of New York University and became an independent college in 1939. Comprising ten schools, includ ...

, and performed by the TENT group in

Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...

in 2004. In 2013 the piece was remounted for a reading with the Poor Dog Group. '' r, the whale' was published in 2014 by Press, Singapore, with illustrations by Ivy Maya.

''The Dawn of Quixote: Chapter the First''

''The Dawn of Quixote: Chapter the First'', an adaptation of the first chapter of ''

Don Quixote , the full title being ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'', is a Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, the novel is considered a founding work of Western literature and is of ...

'' by

Miguel de Cervantes Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra ( ; ; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 Old Style and New Style dates, NS) was a Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelist ...

, was presented in Los Angeles at the 24th Street Theater and as part of EdgeFest Theater Festival. In 2009, it was presented at the

Edinburgh Fringe Festival The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as the Edinburgh Fringe, the Fringe or the Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest performance arts festival, which in 2024 spanned 25 days, sold more than 2.6 million tickets and featur ...

in Scotland.

''Orpheus Crawling''

''Opheus Crawling'', an experimental opera based on the myth of

Orpheus In Greek mythology, Orpheus (; , classical pronunciation: ) was a Thracians, Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet. He was also a renowned Ancient Greek poetry, poet and, according to legend, travelled with Jason and the Argonauts in se ...

and

Eurydice Eurydice (; Ancient Greek: Εὐρυδίκη 'wide justice', classical pronunciation: ) was a character in Greek mythology and the wife of Orpheus, whom Orpheus tried to bring back from the dead with his enchanting music. Etymology Several ...

, was composed by

, with libretto and direction by Crockett. ''Orpheus Crawling'' was workshopped at the 24th Street Theatre and premiered at the New Original Works (NOW) Fest at

REDCAT Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater (REDCAT) is an interdisciplinary contemporary arts center for innovative visual, performing and media arts in downtown Los Angeles, California, located inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex. Named for ...

in Los Angeles in August 2006.

''History of Water''

Crockett's original work, ''History of Water'', premiered at the 24th Street Theater's Saturday Explorer Series on May 10, 2008 and was performed as part of the Downtown Film Festival's Sustainable LA festival. Crockett has called this piece an "environmentally minded performance piece" that was heavily influenced by her work at

iO West iO, or iO Chicago, (formerly known as ImprovOlympic) is an improv theater and training center in central Chicago. The theater teaches and hosts performances of improvisational comedy. It was founded in 1981 by Del Close and Charna Halpern. The ...

in 2008. ''History of Water'' and ''The Dawn of Quixote'' were also adapted into radio dramas and performed on

KPFK KPFK (90.7 FM) is a listener-sponsored radio station based in North Hollywood, California, which serves Southern California. It was the second of five stations in the non-commercial, listener-sponsored Pacifica Radio network. KPFK 90.7 FM be ...

's ''Pacifica Performance Showcase''.

''Cattywampus''

Crockett composed the original "Country/Western" score for Robert Cucuzza's play ''Cattywampus'' which was workshopped at the Son of Semele Theatre in Los Angeles in 2012. Written and directed by Cucuzza, ''Cattywampus'' is an adaptation of

August Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (; ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than 60 pla ...

's play ''

Miss Julie ''Miss Julie'' () is a naturalistic play written in 1888 by August Strindberg. It is set on Midsummer's Eve and the following morning, which is Midsummer and the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist. The setting is an estate of a count in Sweden. ...

'', reimagining that the narrative in modern-day Appalachia.

''Saint Simone''

Excerpts of Crockett's new play ''Saint Simone'' now appear in the

Padua Playwrights Padua Playwrights Productions, or Padua, is a Los Angeles-based theater company founded in 1978 by playwright and poet Murray Mednick and John Woodruff. The company ceased operation in 1995 and re-emerged in 2001, under the direction of Guy Zimm ...

anthology "I Might Be the Person You Are Talking To" (2015).

Directing credits

* ''Loving'' (2009) by R. Murray Schafer * ''Living in Boxes (2006'') by Eric Layer * ''Easter'' (2000) by

* ''Doctor & the Devil'' (1997) by Dylan Thomas * ''

In the Jungle of Cities ''In the Jungle of Cities'' (German language, German: ''Im Dickicht der Städte'') is a play (theatre), play by the Germany, German Modernism, modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht. Written between 1921 and 1924, it received its first theatrical p ...

'' (1996) by

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known as Bertolt Brecht and Bert Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a p ...

* ''The Shadow: a radio play on stage'' (1994) * ''The Orgy'' (1995) by Enrique Buenaventura * ''

The Elephant Calf ''The Elephant Calf'' (German: ''Das Elefantenkalb''), also known as ''The Baby Elephant'', is an early one-act surrealistic prose farce written by the German modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht. It originally formed the penultimate scene of Brecht ...

'' (1995) by

* ''Dreamers'' (1994) by

Shel Silverstein Sheldon Allan Silverstein (; September 25, 1930 – May 10, 1999) was an American writer, cartoonist, songwriter, and musician. Born and raised in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, Silverstein briefly attended university before being drafted into ...

Crockett's directing-only credits include

's ''In The Jungle of Cities'' at the Red Room in New York City, ''Living in Boxes'' at the Salvation Theater in Los Angeles, and the US Premier of R. Murray Schafer's ''Loving'' at the CalArts Modular Theater.

Boxing

As an amateur boxer, Crockett was the 2000

USA Boxing USA Boxing is the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing. It is overseen by the United States Olympic Committee and World Boxing, which sets its rules. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA Boxing is a non-profit organizati ...

Blue and Gold National

Lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing (sport), rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) boxing weight classes, weight class in the spor ...

Women's Champion, defeating an active-duty Marine from Camp Pendelton at the championship tournament in

Baldwin Park, California Baldwin Park is a city located in the central San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 72,176, down from 75,390 at the 2010 United States c ...

. Crockett's brief professional boxing career ended when she retired undefeated at 3–0 (2 KO's). Her boxing career was brought to the attention of the general public in 2005, after being mentioned in several media outlets, including ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

'' and ''

US News ''U.S. News & World Report'' (''USNWR'', ''US NEWS'') is an American media company publishing news, consumer advice, rankings, and analysis. The company was launched in 1948 as the merger of domestic-focused weekly newspaper ''U.S. News'' and ...

'', due to her professional connection to F.X. Toole and the film ''

Million Dollar Baby ''Million Dollar Baby'' is a 2004 American sports drama film directed, co-produced, scored by and starring Clint Eastwood from a screenplay by Paul Haggis. It is based on stories from the 2000 collection ''Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner' ...

''.

Music career

The Evangenitals, which Crockett co-founded with singer Lisa Dee in 2003, has earned praise from some of the media for their

neo-folk Neofolk, also known as apocalyptic folk, is a form of experimental music blending elements of folk and industrial music, which emerged in punk rock circles in the 1980s. Neofolk may either be solely acoustic or combine acoustic folk instrument ...

style of music. The band has played at many festivals in the United States and the UK, including Lightning in a Bottle, Eagle Rock Music Festival, Lummis Day, and the

in Scotland. Writer

Colum McCann Colum McCann (born February 28, 1965) is an Irish writer of literary fiction. He was born in Dublin, Ireland, and currently resides in New York. He is known as an international writer who believes in the "democracy of storytelling." He has won ...

spoke in an interview of Juli Crockett and the music of the Evangenitals saying, "For pure craziness, there are lots of other bands, including one that I can't write to but I've become a big fan; they're called the Evangenitals. They're from Los Angeles. One of the front singers is a former boxer-slash-philosopher. She's a fantastic singer. Her name is Juli Crockett." In addition to fronting The Evangenitals, Crockett has performed with Cash'd Out, a

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...

tribute band A tribute act, tribute band, tribute group or tribute artist is a Musical ensemble, music group, Singing, singer, or musician who specifically plays the music of a well-known music act. Tribute acts include individual performers who mimic the so ...

, singing the

June Carter June is the sixth and current month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars—the latter the most widely used calendar in the world. Its length is 30 days. June succeeds May and precedes July. This month marks the start of summe ...

parts in their stage show, folk singer Jim Kweskin, and Dorian Wood. Crockett and Lisa Dee also perform outside of the band under the name Crockett Sisters. In October 2012 Crockett composed and recorded the title music for director

Nirvan Mullick Nirvan Mullick (born April 8, 1975) is a Los Angeles–based filmmaker, writer, speaker, stop motion animator and founder of the Imagination Foundation. Career Mullick came into public view after creating ''The 1 Second Film'' project, amongst t ...

's short film

Caine's Arcade ''Caine's Arcade'' is a 2012 short documentary film directed by Nirvan Mullick. The film documents a cardboard arcade created by then 9-year-old Caine Monroy, which he operated from his father's auto parts store in East Los Angeles in mid-2011. A ...

which became a viral sensation on the Internet and gave birth to the non-profit Imagination Foundation.

Personal life

Crockett has been married since 2013 to composer Michael Feldman. The couple have one child, son Thelonious.

Professional boxing record

, style="text-align:center;" colspan="8", 3 Wins (2 knockouts, 1 decisions), 0 Losses, 0 Draws , - style="text-align:center; background:#e3e3e3;" , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Res. , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Record , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Opponent , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Type , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Rd., Time , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Date , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Location , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Notes , - align=center , Win , align=left, 3–0 , align=left, Lisa Lovell , align=left, , align=left, , , align=left, , align=left, , - , Win , 2–0 , align=left, Christine Rodriguez , , , , align=left, , align=left, , - , Win , 1–0 , align=left, Jocelyn Bearden , , , , align=left, , align=left,

References

External links

*
Streisand, Betsy. A Million Dollar Maybe
''US News and World Review'', February 14, 2005
Juli Crockett Producer Profile for ''The 1 Second Film''

Evangenitals Official SiteEvangina Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crockett, Juli 1975 births Living people People from Enterprise, Alabama Boxers from Alabama 21st-century American dramatists and playwrights American women dramatists and playwrights American theatre directors American women theatre directors American women boxers American folk musicians Tisch School of the Arts alumni 21st-century American women writers