UMUC Professor Wins Top Art Award in Guam

Jefferson Cronin and the Maga'lahi Art Award.

By Alita Byrd
Special to FYI Online

Jefferson Cronin, UMUC associate professor in Guam, is really quintuplets. Or so goes the theory of his colleague Fritz Logan, director of English and speech for UMUC–Asia.

"It's the only way I can account for his myriad projects, initiatives, performances, benefits for the underprivileged, imaginative ventures, and general Renaissance-man accomplishments," Logan said.

Most recently, Cronin was honored in Guam with the 2001 Maga'lahi Art Award for Performing Arts, in recognition of his theater work on the island and its impact on the community. The juried award is considered the highest accolade a Guam artist can receive.

For the past eight years, Cronin has served as the artistic director of Theatre Guam, the only independent theatrical producer on the island. All productions at the theater benefit local charities, and have raised about $250,000 during Cronin's tenure. The current beneficiary of the theater's proceeds is a charity called Sanctuary that "helps abandoned and abused children, battered families, and others who fall through the cracks of society," Cronin said.

In addition to directing, Cronin has written an original mystery to be performed at Theatre Guam this spring called, "Just Dying for Your Company: A Genuine Original Ersatz Murder Mystery." He wrote two other successful audience-participation murder mysteries that were performed at the theater earlier, and has also produced plays by Shakespeare, Tennessee Williams, Neil Simon, and James Thurber.

Under Cronin's direction, Theatre Guam also sponsors workshops, acting classes, and children's theater.

Lt. Governor Madeline Bordallo presented the annual Maga'lahi Art Award to Cronin in December for "artistic achievement, generous contribution, and continued support of the arts and culture of the Island of Guahan in the performing arts."

Logan says that Cronin is very well known in the larger community in Guam. "He has a radio program," Logan said, "and he is always on hand for any charity or benefit events. He has almost become a Chamorro [a native Guamanian], and has helped them in innumerable ways."

Cronin has taught theater, speech, and English for UMUC on Guam for the past five years.

"Students rave about him, and with reason," said Logan, who has visited his classes.

Cronin also manages to combine his work at Theatre Guam with his UMUC teaching by getting students involved at the theater in all different roles. The experience benefits the students, and also makes a valuable contribution to the theater and its productions.

Cronin earned a Master of Fine Arts in theater from Ohio State University and has been a professional actor, director, producer, teacher, and writer for nearly 30 years.