Aislinn Cain, a senior musical theatre major, spoke with Michael Flowers about his upcoming retirement and his time as a professor and director:

After 37 years of dedicated teaching at Birmingham-Southern College, Michael Flowers will be taking his final bow as musical theatre director this spring.

From Little Rock, Arkansas, Flowers completed his BFA at Arkansas State University in 1979 and MFA at the University of Mississippi in 1982. He originally intended to go into sports journalism, but the theatre bug bit him his freshman year of college. He went on to work summer stock theatre during his master’s program and, after graduating, taught through a few short contracts. Flowers came to BSC after seeing the job opening for his current position. He explained bluntly that he “was weeks away from being completely unemployed and having no idea” how his future would look. Thankfully, the College gave him an interview and the position, and Flowers has been here ever since.

Flowers is excited for the new changes to his routine and that he’ll have to use his “improv skills” to figure out where to go from here. After decades of directing show after show, he is looking forward to not having a “full plate” and having the opportunity to travel when the world opens back up.

“It’s time to do the things I haven’t been able to do. I don’t want to put that stuff off,” he says. “I’ve done one thing for most of my life, and now I’m ready to hop in the car and go places with (my wife) Pat.”

However, he is not looking forward to cleaning out the tens of years of notes and scripts in his office.

When asked about his favorite shows he’s directed at BSC, he responded that the Sondheim shows, especially “Sweeney Todd,” hold a special place in his heart – no surprise to anyone who knows him. However, he made sure to emphasize that he is very proud of the theatre department‘s most recent production of the musical “Lizzie” despite the challenges of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Flowers described the moments with students where he has witnessed their discoveries about themselves and their art form as the most rewarding aspect of his career. “That’s what gets me out of bed in the morning to go to work.” Those moments will be what he misses most about his time at Birmingham-Southern.

Flowers’ wish for the future of the department can be summed up in a word: diversity. He emphasized the critical need for diversity in the department and on the Hilltop and hopes it will be found in the new hire. Michael is excited about the many growth opportunities and looks forward to returning as an audience member in the future.

Michael Flowers’ commitment to the instruction of his students in the art form of live storytelling will forever be treasured by the Hilltop and Birmingham community.