MY MISSION in teaching is to stimulate, challenge, and support students to realize their potential as artists, citizens, and humans. Their minds and hearts are the most critical resources we have, and I pursue the following approaches to foster their growth: TO EMPOWER students to recognize their potency as artists and citizens, I ask questions about leadership, citizenship, and the impact of their work. Whether in public high schools or private universities, I encourage young people to engage with the wider world and recognize the importance of cultivating their voices. I promote critical thinking, facilitate brave conversations about equality and diversity, and spotlight the many ways theatre can promote social justice. My experience of coming out before LGBT people had mainstream acceptance forged my connection to anyone facing oppression and my commitment to oppose racism, I bring these values to everything I do as an educator and an artist. TO FOSTER students’ ownership of their artistic process and responsibility to their collaborators and audience, I approach teaching as an exchange between creative artists. I believe we all bring unique ideas and experience into the room, and I value the growth that emerges from respectful exchanges. I create a safe working space where each student’s creative ideas are valued and welcomed. My approach to collaboration comes from training with Anne Bogart and Tina Landau; I use the Viewpoints work to build ensemble, heighten awareness to the present moment, and establish a working vocabulary for any project. I lead students through composition processes that challenge them to create the theatrical worlds for each project. TO NURTURE artistry and foster discipline and skills, I engage students in challenging projects which also stimulate my own growth as an artist. Whether through full productions or classroom activities/project-based learning, I create experiences for active learning. I ask a lot of questions, build trust, and encourage risk-taking. I strive to attend to each student's personal objectives: whether honing in on specific skills, habits, or approaches to the process. I hold students to high standards in their written work and research, and maintain accountability for deadlines and responsibilities to partners, groups, and themselves. TO BUILD analytical skills and historical knowledge, I ask students to conduct research and explore the background of plays, playwrights, and theatrical movements. I create assignments to activate academic research and apply it in real-world contexts. I love the classics and approach them as living texts that invite interpretation and adaptation. I believe that students will be empowered by a solid grasp of dramatic literature, and an understanding of how social, economic, and political forces influence theatre and theatre-makers. TO ENCOURAGE students’ introspection about themselves and their work, I ask students the same questions I ask myself and my collaborators when approaching a project: Why have I chosen this project? Why do I need to work on this play? What is my point of view? What do I want to say? Who is my audience and how do I want to impact them? By guiding students to connect to their own purpose and explore the essence of their creativity, I urge them to make choices that align with their own values and beliefs. DIRECTING PHILOSOPHY ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY MORNINGSIDE JKO COMMENCEMENT SPEECH

6ac27a2e-d806-4fdd-a054-d104fb346cdc BALD DIVA! THEATRE ASKEW GALLERY

GALLERY VANYA VERMONT Video Images NO VIDEO AVAILABLE VANYA VERMONT Add a Title Chekhov, Kathryn Blume ...a delightful piece of theater - witty, touching, fun and sad, in that order." 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." 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. A smart, funny, respectful treatment of Uncle Vanya...An impressive achievement." Kathryn Blume Anton Checkov KATHRYN BLUME VANYA VERMONT 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. 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." Connie Meng, North Country Public Radio ...a delightful piece of theater - witty, touching, fun and sad, in that order." Rutland Herald A smart, funny, respectful treatment of Uncle Vanya...An impressive achievement." Burlington Free Press ...a delightful piece of theater - witty, touching, fun and sad, in that order." Rutland Herald Kathryn Blume Anton Checkov KATHRYN BLUME VANYA VERMONT 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. 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." Connie Meng, North Country Public Radio A smart, funny, respectful treatment of Uncle Vanya...An impressive achievement." Burlington Free Press

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