Georgia Entertainment recently released the names of the 200 Most Influential of Georgia’s Creative Industries. The individuals are highlighted in the bi-annual printed publication – Georgia Entertainment: The Creative Economy Journal. See the digital version. Our 200 Spotlight series showcases many of those that were included.
By Carol Badaracco Padgett, Senior Writer
Christopher Moses, Artistic Director, Alliance Theatre
When you ask Christopher Moses what makes Georgia’s creative and entertainment industries special, one thing he notes is this: “The aspirational quality of the artists and the willingness to collaborate across different disciplines.”
This realization is one reason why the 20-year professional theatre veteran is an unmatchable fit for his role as creative director at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre, which is committed to producing professional theatre for every conceivable age group. The Atlanta institution, begun in 1968, has hit this mark well by serving more than 150,000 people annually with its productions and educational offerings.
“Not only do we have a proven track record of sending large-scale shows to Broadway — The Color Purple, The Prom, Water for Elephants, [currently in its Broadway run], and more — but we also create original theatrical work designed for 0-5 year olds,” Moses notes. Under his leadership, teens, too, can find an outlet for expression at the Alliance Teen Ensemble, which performs world premiere plays commissioned for and about teens.
Moses puts the importance of early and ongoing education in clear context: “By investing in the youngest members of our community, we have helped nurture an entire generation of people who approach the world with curiosity and hope, eager to create and share their own stories.”
This commitment to education in arts and humanities – and Moses’ willingness to create opportunities for engagement at every stage of life — have earned him the Governor’s Award for Arts and Humanities, and he was also named one of the most influential leaders in Atlanta by Atlanta Magazine in 2024. This commitment also makes Moses an ideal fit to oversee the Alliance Theatre Institute, recognized twice as an arts model by the Federal Department of Education. The Institute focuses on theatre for youth and families as well as the Alliance Theatre’s overall acting program.
Under his leadership, the Alliance Theatre also targets the needs of the business sector through Alliance@work, which uses theatre practice to help create a culture of civility in the workplace.
Demonstrating the collaborative abilities he especially loves seeing in Atlanta’s creative performers and players, Moses is a master collaborator who helps ensure vital partnerships in Georgia. These include sustained alliances with social service organizations around the city.
Moses also exemplifies an appreciation of vision – and the need to help instill it in others – that can be witnessed in his response when asked what he loves most about the Peach State. “Its visionary famous sons: Martin Luther King Jr., Little Richard, Otis Redding, Jimmy Carter, and on and on.”
Since taking on the role of creative director and education leader at the Alliance, Moses is celebrated for expanding the reach and impact of its education department by advancing the civic agenda of Atlanta.
In this vein, the theatre has produced dozens of culturally impactful world premiere plays, including Pancakes by Ken Lin, The Dancing Granny by Jireh Breon Holder, Max Makes a Million by Liz Diamond, and The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Madhuri Shekar.
Others looking to impact Georgia’s creative economy in their own ways can learn from Moses’ observations, such as, “If you put your heart and soul into your creative work, you’ll create something lasting.”
He credits this insight to his grandfather, who passed it down to him.
“He distilled his 90+ years of wisdom into six small words, ‘What you put in, you find,’” Moses shares. “If you pour love into the world, that’s what you’ll find. It’s still my north star.”
