GALLERY BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL Video Images NO VIDEO AVAILABLE BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL Add a Title Keythe Farley, Brian Flemming, and Laurence O'Keefe Keythe Farley Brian Flemming Laurence O'Keefe BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL Keythe Farley Brian Flemming Laurence O'Keefe BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL

OLIVER TWIST GALLERY OLIVER TWIST Video Images Jason discusses OLIVER TWIST with the Vermont Stage Company's Artistic Director, Mark Nash. Using Charles Dickens' original words, a handful of tunes composed by local musician David Symons, and a chameleon ensemble of actors featuring some of Vermont's finest performers, Neil Bartlett's powerful new version of Oliver Twist brings the dark underbelly of nineteenth-century London back to bold theatrical life. The unforgettable characters - Fagin, Nancy, Bill Sikes, and the Artful Dodger - inhabit a world filled with images of danger and fear, innocence and hope; a world seen through the eyes of an astonished child.

GALLERY HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH Video Images Watch HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH Add a Title John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask Classics invite interpretation, and this Hedwig is shaped by a new generation of young artists tearing down the walls of traditional gender strictures. Our rehearsals have been an inquiry into how this multifaceted role can be embodied by a diverse ensemble and how this story continues to resonate more than twenty years after its inception. Whatever your journey, I thank you for being here tonight and wish you an exciting theatrical ride! - Jason Jacob, November 2021 Program Note John Cameron Mitchell Stephen Trask HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH Classics invite interpretation, and this Hedwig is shaped by a new generation of young artists tearing down the walls of traditional gender strictures. Our rehearsals have been an inquiry into how this multifaceted role can be embodied by a diverse ensemble and how this story continues to resonate more than twenty years after its inception. Whatever your journey, I thank you for being here tonight and wish you an exciting theatrical ride! - Jason Jacob, November 2021 Program Note John Cameron Mitchell Stephen Trask HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH Classics invite interpretation, and this Hedwig is shaped by a new generation of young artists tearing down the walls of traditional gender strictures. Our rehearsals have been an inquiry into how this multifaceted role can be embodied by a diverse ensemble and how this story continues to resonate more than twenty years after its inception. Whatever your journey, I thank you for being here tonight and wish you an exciting theatrical ride! - Jason Jacob, November 2021 Program Note

GALLERY UNCLE TOM'S CABIN Video Images NO VIDEO AVAILABLE UNCLE TOM'S CABIN Add a Title Jason Jacobs, Tome' Cousin, and Douglas Levine. Cousin and Jacobs’s aim is to rescue the work from all its accumulated baggage ...and to present Stowe’s — and Aiken’s — story center-stage. This they do, thanks to a knock-out student cast, without the slightest hint of irony or contemporary shading" Tome and I began working on our adaptation of George Aiken's play -- itself adapted from Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel -- as part of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab. We felt the play's history had become misunderstood, and the term "Uncle Tom" had become an epithet that reduced the original character to a stereotype of acquiescence and a betrayer of his people. Our adaptation aims to restore Uncle Tom's name and to re-envsion his story as one of self-assertion, faith, and human dignity. Tomé Cousin Jason Jacobs Douglas Levine UNCLE TOM'S CABIN UNCLE TOM'S CABIN Tome and I began working on our adaptation of George Aiken's play -- itself adapted from Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel -- as part of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab. We felt the play's history had become misunderstood, and the term "Uncle Tom" had become an epithet that reduced the original character to a stereotype of acquiescence and a betrayer of his people. Our adaptation aims to restore Uncle Tom's name and to re-envsion his story as one of self-assertion, faith, and human dignity. Cousin and Jacobs’s aim is to rescue the work from all its accumulated baggage ...and to present Stowe’s — and Aiken’s — story center-stage. This they do, thanks to a knock-out student cast, without the slightest hint of irony or contemporary shading" Pittsburgh City Paper Tomé Cousin Jason Jacobs Douglas Levine UNCLE TOM'S CABIN UNCLE TOM'S CABIN Tome and I began working on our adaptation of George Aiken's play -- itself adapted from Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel -- as part of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab. We felt the play's history had become misunderstood, and the term "Uncle Tom" had become an epithet that reduced the original character to a stereotype of acquiescence and a betrayer of his people. Our adaptation aims to restore Uncle Tom's name and to re-envsion his story as one of self-assertion, faith, and human dignity. Cousin and Jacobs’s aim is to rescue the work from all its accumulated baggage ...and to present Stowe’s — and Aiken’s — story center-stage. This they do, thanks to a knock-out student cast, without the slightest hint of irony or contemporary shading" Pittsburgh City Paper

I, CLAUDIUS LIVE GALLERY I, CLAUDIUS LIVE Video Images NO VIDEO AVAILABLE

Heading 4 THEATRE ASKEW In 2004, I co-founded Theatre Askew to explore how to create "queer theatre" in New York in the 21st century. The company called for a radical new approach to the representation of "queerness" defining queerness as a metaphor for ALL those who stand outside of mainstream, consumerist models. Theatre Askew would make ever-evolving programming choices and create a diverse body of work of social impact and spiritual consequence that reflects the complexity of our experience. Askew's early productions emphasized adaptation and the ways in which a queer perspective can illuminate classic texts. I co-created Bald Diva! an original absurdist farce inspired by Ionesco's The Bald Soprano. Directing The Tempest, I explored the Radical Faerie movement and interpreted Shakespeare's play as an expression of the healing capacity of the "gay spirit." Our episodic satire I, Claudius Live was a parody of the BBC series, irreverently adapted to address politics of the Bush II presidency, and told from the point of view of a disabled heterosexual character who could never be a "real" man by the standards of Roman culture. Our 2007 production of i google myself explored the social and emotional impact of the internet, and our first fully original play. Fundamental to Askew's mission is the inclusion of LGBTQA youth as significant members and the future leaders of the community. In 2005, I co-founded the Theatre Askew Youth Performance Experience (TAYPE) to provide a creative forum to develop and empower the voices of this population. TAYPE is an arts skills program that encourages youth to build community, acquire responsibility, and experience leadership, teamwork, and the personal rewards of achievement – within the process of creating, producing, and performing theatre. In addition to theatrical skills, the program introduces youth to the New York theatre world, including working theatre artists who can inspire, guide, and serve as role models, and point them towards internships and opportunities beyond our projects. Theatre Askew has garnered positive notices from The New York Times, The Village Voice, Time Out New York as well as other media outlets; we have been nominated twice for the GLAAD media award, listed on Theatermania's best-of-the year lists, and in 2007 was named on NYTheatre.com's People of the Year list. In 2011, I left Theatre Askew in order to concentrate on my freelance work as a director, writer, and teaching artist. Previous Item Next Item

THEATRE ASKEW THEATRE ASKEW In 2004, I co-founded Theatre Askew to explore how to create "queer theatre" in New York in the 21st century. The company called for a radical new approach to the representation of "queerness" defining queerness as a metaphor for ALL those who stand outside of mainstream, consumerist models. Theatre Askew would make ever-evolving programming choices and create a diverse body of work of social impact and spiritual consequence that reflects the complexity of our experience. Askew's early productions emphasized adaptation and the ways in which a queer perspective can illuminate classic texts. I co-created Bald Diva! an original absurdist farce inspired by Ionesco's The Bald Soprano. Directing The Tempest, I explored the Radical Faerie movement and interpreted Shakespeare's play as an expression of the healing capacity of the "gay spirit." Our episodic satire I, Claudius Live was a parody of the BBC series, irreverently adapted to address politics of the Bush II presidency, and told from the point of view of a disabled heterosexual character who could never be a "real" man by the standards of Roman culture. Our 2007 production of i google myself explored the social and emotional impact of the internet, and our first fully original play. Fundamental to Askew's mission is the inclusion of LGBTQA youth as significant members and the future leaders of the community. In 2005, I co-founded the Theatre Askew Youth Performance Experience (TAYPE) to provide a creative forum to develop and empower the voices of this population. TAYPE is an arts skills program that encourages youth to build community, acquire responsibility, and experience leadership, teamwork, and the personal rewards of achievement – within the process of creating, producing, and performing theatre. In addition to theatrical skills, the program introduces youth to the New York theatre world, including working theatre artists who can inspire, guide, and serve as role models, and point them towards internships and opportunities beyond our projects. Theatre Askew has garnered positive notices from The New York Times, The Village Voice, Time Out New York as well as other media outlets; we have been nominated twice for the GLAAD media award, listed on Theatermania's best-of-the year lists, and in 2007 was named on NYTheatre.com's People of the Year list. In 2011, I left Theatre Askew in order to concentrate on my freelance work as a director, writer, and teaching artist.

GALLERY MISS BLANCHE TELLS IT ALL Video Images Brian Charles Rooney, Miss Blanche Tells It All at NYMF Patron Preview event Live at the Green Room 42 @ YOTEL on 5/11/17 with Brian Charles Rooney and Robert Frost on piano. MISS BLANCHE TELLS IT ALL Add a Title Jason Jacobs: and Matthew C Pritchard a fine tuned, superbly crafted piece of theatre" a nuanced story and a tour de force performance" "You never know a person 'til you walk in her heels. " 1969 New Orleans: It’s standing room only at The Golden Lantern for “Miss Blanche”, the hottest drag act in the Quarter. A fiery young man takes the stage and with the aid of a mysterious wardrobe trunk explores clues to his family’s past and sets a course to a new future. Inspired by Tennessee Williams, this seductive musical takes us on one man’s journey of desire, self-expression, and liberation. — Official Website Jason Jacobs book is heartbreaking and touching" Jason Jacobs Matthew C. Pritchard MISS BLANCHE TELLS IT ALL MISS BLANCHE TELLS IT ALL "You never know a person 'til you walk in her heels. " 1969 New Orleans: It’s standing room only at The Golden Lantern for “Miss Blanche”, the hottest drag act in the Quarter. A fiery young man takes the stage and with the aid of a mysterious wardrobe trunk explores clues to his family’s past and sets a course to a new future. Inspired by Tennessee Williams, this seductive musical takes us on one man’s journey of desire, self-expression, and liberation. — Official Website a nuanced story and a tour de force performance" - FrontRowCenter.com a fine tuned, superbly crafted piece of theatre" - Theatre Reviews Limited Jason Jacobs book is heartbreaking and touching" TimesSquareChronicles.com a fine tuned, superbly crafted piece of theatre" - Theatre Reviews Limited Jason Jacobs Matthew C. Pritchard MISS BLANCHE TELLS IT ALL MISS BLANCHE TELLS IT ALL "You never know a person 'til you walk in her heels. " 1969 New Orleans: It’s standing room only at The Golden Lantern for “Miss Blanche”, the hottest drag act in the Quarter. A fiery young man takes the stage and with the aid of a mysterious wardrobe trunk explores clues to his family’s past and sets a course to a new future. Inspired by Tennessee Williams, this seductive musical takes us on one man’s journey of desire, self-expression, and liberation. — Official Website a nuanced story and a tour de force performance" - FrontRowCenter.com Jason Jacobs book is heartbreaking and touching" TimesSquareChronicles.com

bec4a0ed-ab59-4b48-9ea2-9ca491b1e8c0 MARAT / SADE POST THEATRE COMPANY: LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY GALLERY

VERMONT STAGE COMPANY VERMONT STAGE COMPANY ..one of the Burlington professional company's most compelling and entertaining productions to date” Times Argus The parallels between the Victorians and how we're treating immigration today, as if it's somehow these people fault..." Promotional Video Dickens — and Bartlett in this adaptation — focused on the brutality toward the poor by 19th C society." Times Argus OLIVER TWIST An adaptation that really embraces 19th-century theatrical storytelling: theater as spectacle, theater as melodrama. GALLERY Adaptation by Neil Bartlett Jacobs conducts the talented ensemble cast with taut precision, which makes Hollinger’s smart script sing.” Seven Days ...feels amazingly authentic and is one of Vermont Stage's most even and consistent productions in recent memory. Times Argus A behind-the-scenes look at a string quartet: every scene, the stakes get higher. " OPUS As a world-renowned string quartet prepares for their highest-profile performance, passions rise, personalities clash, and the artists confront the ephemeral nature of their life's work. GALLERY by Michael Hollinger A smart, funny, respectful treatment of Uncle Vanya...An impressive achievement." Burlington Free Press Jacobs has staged the piece to take full advantage of the intimate playing space. We are caught up in the intensity of communication between the characters." North Country Public Radio ...a delightful piece of theater - witty, touching, fun and sad, in that order." Rutland Herald VANYA VERMONT I got a perspective on how Vermont is so different from anywhere else in America. I wanted to work on something that would speak specifically to this community in a really visceral, valid way. GALLERY adapted from Chekhov by Kathryn Blume Personal transformation is a focus of director Jason Jacobs’ interpretation of Shakespeare’s comedy…The 16-character cast is played in this production by just seven actors, some of whom play cross-gender roles.” Seven Days It's a journey into the forest. It's a forest of discovery, a forest of liberation." AS YOU LIKE IT From the opening invocation of “all the world is a stage” to the final prologue, which seals the compact of cast and audience, the production illuminates the reality of theatrical space, the transformative power of the actor, and role of the viewer’s imagination to create the theatrical event. Starting as the victim of oppression, Shakespeare's Rosalind embraces theatrical strategies to face her challenges: through improvisation and performance, she discovers her strength and power. Leaving a troubled everyday world to venture into the unknown, Rosalind becomes actor, director, stage manager, and spectator. The production celebrates the power of the actor at her/his most joyous best, and suggests that real liberation is not about disguise, but how we bring ourselves – body, hear, and soul, to play our part in the world. GALLERY Wm. Shakespeare ..one of the Burlington professional company's most compelling and entertaining productions to date” Times Argus The parallels between the Victorians and how we're treating immigration today, as if it's somehow these people fault..." Promotional Video Dickens — and Bartlett in this adaptation — focused on the brutality toward the poor by 19th C society." Times Argus OLIVER TWIST An adaptation that really embraces 19th-century theatrical storytelling: theater as spectacle, theater as melodrama. GALLERY: Watch Jason Talk about this adaptation Adaptation by Neil Bartlett Jacobs conducts the talented ensemble cast with taut precision, which makes Hollinger’s smart script sing.” Seven Days ...feels amazingly authentic and is one of Vermont Stage's most even and consistent productions in recent memory. Times Argus A behind-the-scenes look at a string quartet: every scene, the stakes get higher. " OPUS As a world-renowned string quartet prepares for their highest-profile performance, passions rise, personalities clash, and the artists confront the ephemeral nature of their life's work. GALLERY: Promotional Video by Michael Hollinger A smart, funny, respectful treatment of Uncle Vanya...An impressive achievement." Burlington Free Press Jacobs has staged the piece to take full advantage of the intimate playing space. We are caught up in the intensity of communication between the characters." North Country Public Radio ...a delightful piece of theater - witty, touching, fun and sad, in that order." Rutland Herald VANYA VERMONT I got a perspective on how Vermont is so different from anywhere else in America. I wanted to work on something that would speak specifically to this community in a really visceral, valid way. GALLERY adapted from Chekhov by Kathryn Blume Personal transformation is a focus of director Jason Jacobs’ interpretation of Shakespeare’s comedy…The 16-character cast is played in this production by just seven actors, some of whom play cross-gender roles.” Seven Days It's a journey into the forest. It's a forest of discovery, a forest of liberation." AS YOU LIKE IT From the opening invocation of “all the world is a stage” to the final prologue, which seals the compact of cast and audience, the production illuminates the reality of theatrical space, the transformative power of the actor, and role of the viewer’s imagination to create the theatrical event. Starting as the victim of oppression, Shakespeare's Rosalind embraces theatrical strategies to face her challenges: through improvisation and performance, she discovers her strength and power. Leaving a troubled everyday world to venture into the unknown, Rosalind becomes actor, director, stage manager, and spectator. The production celebrates the power of the actor at her/his most joyous best, and suggests that real liberation is not about disguise, but how we bring ourselves – body, hear, and soul, to play our part in the world. GALLERY: Promotional Video Wm. Shakespeare xxxORIGINAL WORK xxxINDIE THEATRE xxxPOST THEATRE CO xxxVERMONT STAGE CO xxxTHEATRE ASKEW More

GALLERY MACHINAL Video Images NO VIDEO AVAILABLE MACHINAL Add a Title Sophie Treadwell In 1928, Treadwell stunned Broadway with a powerful indictment of a system that dehumanizes women. Through expressionism, she revealed the crushing forces of patriarchy in work, marriage, and the law—addressing issues like sexual harassment, unequal pay, and reproductive control. Ninety years later, the students in this cast say they still feel those same forces at work. And as we rehearsed, we watched continued attacks on institutions like Planned Parenthood, and heard hateful rhetoric from the highest levels of power. What gives me hope is the courage these young actors bring. They’ve delved into history, into family stories, and into themselves to understand the relevance of Machinal today. As they give voice to our collective past, they also point toward a future we must continue fighting for—a future where we steer the machine toward progress, not oppression. - JASON JACOBS program note Sophie Treadwell MAC HINAL MACHINAL In 1928, Treadwell stunned Broadway with a powerful indictment of a system that dehumanizes women. Through expressionism, she revealed the crushing forces of patriarchy in work, marriage, and the law—addressing issues like sexual harassment, unequal pay, and reproductive control. Ninety years later, the students in this cast say they still feel those same forces at work. And as we rehearsed, we watched continued attacks on institutions like Planned Parenthood, and heard hateful rhetoric from the highest levels of power. What gives me hope is the courage these young actors bring. They’ve delved into history, into family stories, and into themselves to understand the relevance of Machinal today. As they give voice to our collective past, they also point toward a future we must continue fighting for—a future where we steer the machine toward progress, not oppression. - JASON JACOBS program note Sophie Treadwell MAC HINAL MACHINAL In 1928, Treadwell stunned Broadway with a powerful indictment of a system that dehumanizes women. Through expressionism, she revealed the crushing forces of patriarchy in work, marriage, and the law—addressing issues like sexual harassment, unequal pay, and reproductive control. Ninety years later, the students in this cast say they still feel those same forces at work. And as we rehearsed, we watched continued attacks on institutions like Planned Parenthood, and heard hateful rhetoric from the highest levels of power. What gives me hope is the courage these young actors bring. They’ve delved into history, into family stories, and into themselves to understand the relevance of Machinal today. As they give voice to our collective past, they also point toward a future we must continue fighting for—a future where we steer the machine toward progress, not oppression. - JASON JACOBS program note

05969919-7154-4dbb-b877-4ff99fc1b695 MACHINAL POST THEATRE COMPANY: LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY GALLERY