Greg W. Justice
Greg W. Justice, Associate Professor Emeritus
School of Performing Arts
243 Henderson Hall (0141)
195 Alumni Mall
Blacksburg, VA 24061
540-231-5335 | gjustice@vt.edu
Gregory Justice began teaching at Virginia Tech in 1983 and retired in 2025. He taught all levels of acting and movement courses, many which he created, such as Introduction to Acting for Non-majors. He also taught Introduction to Theatre, Contemporary Theatre Seminar, and Directing. He extensively coached students for auditions and interviews. He taught courses for the University Honors Program and taught in several study abroad programs, including Semester at Sea, the Virginia Tech Study Abroad Program in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and the Virginia Tech Presidential Global Scholars Program in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland. He also served as Undergraduate Coordinator for Theatre and Cinema for many years.
His creative activity as director and artist includes acting in over 100 productions, serving as movement or acting coach in over 40 productions, and directing 60 productions at Virginia Tech. He offered sustained workshop leadership and consulting seminars both nationally and internationally on the application of acting techniques to teaching, interviewing, and business and professional communication. He extended his workshop offerings to universities, schools, government agencies, business entities, and Fortune 500 companies, as well as through service as a contracted professor for the Virginia Tech Online MBA Program.
His contributions have been recognized through honors including the Virginia Tech Alumni Award for Teaching Excellence, The Diggs Teaching Scholar Award, and the Virginia Theatre Association Distinguished Service Award.
- Production/Research Area: Director, Acting Skills for Teaching, Interviewing, Business and Corporate Communication, and Professional Speaking
- Teaching Areas: Acting, Movement, Directing
- MFA, The Pennsylvania State University
- BFA, University of Utah
- Virginia Theatre Association (V.T.A.)
- Vice President, (1988-1989)
- Audition Coordinator (1986-1993)
- Board Member (1986-1989)
- Member, Southeastern Theatre Conference (S.E.T.C.)
- Member, Association of Theatre in Higher Education (A.T.H.E.)
- Member, Society for Literature in Science (S.L.S.)
- Member, American Society for Training and Development (A.S.T.D.)
What is your favorite place on campus? Why?
One of my favorite places on this campus is the Squires Studio Theatre, which opened in 1990. It is one of the nicest performing spaces I have ever seen or have worked. It is a 220-seat, modified thrust theatre. This makes the space quite intimate. No audience member sits more that 40 feet from the stage. There are 17 different entrances to get onto the playing surface. The space is equipped with some of the best technology in the nation.
Perhaps my most favorite aspect of this stage is how it beckons an actor to perform when they stand on the stage. It is truly a special place. Many times, when standing alone on the stage with no one in the auditorium, I start to work on and perform a monologue to no one, simply because the stage itself asked me to practice my art.
I was privileged to direct the first show that played in the Studio Theatre. It was William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream. Since then I have directed over forty productions on that stage. I never get tired of working in the space.
Something Unexpected:
Things about myself that often surprise students is when they discover the variety of arts that I like to explore. Theatre is where my main passion in art lies. However, I also practice art in several other ways. I am a musician. I played trumpet for eleven years and started university as a music major.
I am a carver and sculpture of Inuit-based, soapstone art. The Inuit are the Eskimos of the far north. They have an age-old tradition of carving indigenous animals and people out of soapstone. It is an art form I became fascinated with years ago while vacationing in Canada. I have carved numerous polar bears, walrus, loons, and Eskimos out of soapstone. My works have been juried on a few occasions and I have sold a number of pieces. One other art love I have is photography. To date, I have taken over 50,000 digital photographs. I focus on landscapes (especially in the American West) and wildlife.