In area theater, beneath and the lights or behind the curtain, Chip Joyce’s formidable credits read like the Great American Playbook. Onstage, he performed in “Grease” and “The Wizard of Oz” at Peoria Players, and “Hedwig and the Angry Itch” at Corn Stock’s Winter Lab. In the director’s chair, he’s helmed “Cabaret” at Peoria Players, “Rent” at Eastlight Theatre, and a Gene Wilder tribute at the Peoria Cabaret Theatre.
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In show business, the play’s the thing, but shows must go on — after planning, designing, building, casting, rehearsing, directing and more. Chip Joyce is “now playing” in Peoria Players’ production of “42nd Street” through May 3, and he’s also working on “Into The Woods,” which he’ll direct at Corn Stock Theatre in August.

The long-time figure in Peoria theater — 30 years of involvement and 20 years directing — took a few minutes to reflect on the challenges and rewards of directing.

“In casting, I like to sometimes give a shot to someone whose part might be a little outside their wheelhouse,’ he said.

Being an audience member can be another story. “I tend to watch through a new set of eyes,” he said. “Sometimes I think of what could have been done better — or differently.”

Joyce’s household is made up of his wife Jennifer and their three cats, all in an atmosphere of activities traced to his upbringing in Peoria. He went to Woodruff High School, where he was active in speech and the yearbook, drama and show design, and his stage debut in “To Kill A Mockingbird” at Corn Stock. After high school, he attended Columbia College in Chicago before finishing his bachelor’s degree at Illinois State University, studying theater and cinema. He eventually studied at Bradley, earning another bachelor’s in art/graphic design.

Offstage, Joyce worked as an ad/sales rep at Cumulus Radio, and now “directs” outreach and marketing at the Brimfield Public Library.

In area theater, beneath and the lights or behind the curtain, his formidable credits read like the Great American Playbook. Onstage, he performed in “Grease” and “The Wizard of Oz” at Peoria Players, and “Hedwig and the Angry Itch” at Corn Stock’s Winter Lab. In the director’s chair, he’s helmed “Cabaret” at Peoria Players, “Rent” at Eastlight Theatre, and a Gene Wilder tribute at the Peoria Cabaret Theatre.

But wait! There’s more …

1. What’s your favorite dish or entrée, whatever?

Well, my wife’s a vegetarian, and I’m more of a meat-and-potatoes guy, so we rarely agree, but pizza or Italian are go-to meals.

2. What really fascinates you?

Documentaries — especially true crime shows. “Dateline,” I don’t know, “20/20,” “Unsolved Mys-teries.” And Kanopy has a lot of good documentaries — and it’s free to stream with a library card!

3. White Sox or Cubs — or Cardinals or Brewers?

I don’t really follow sports, although I have friends who are Cub fans. I did go to a game at Yankee Stadium where the Blue Jays were in town, so I got to see a preview of their AL Division Series. So that was interesting.

4. Any hobbies or activities to escape the demands of work or theater?

It’s not a hobby, but I spend quiet Sunday mornings working at an AMC theater — just me cleaning and getting ready for the day in, I guess, silence or solitude or whatever.

5. What might surprise people who only know you from Peoria’s theater scene?

I’m a big fan of theme park design. I really liked Disneyland Paris, or even the original Disneyland in California, with its mid-century flavor.