New York-based theatre director Jason Jacobs creates imaginative, thought-provoking, and moving productions acclaimed for their powerful impact on audiences. He has been identified as a 2007 Person of the Year by NYTheatre.com for his outstanding contributions to the cultural landscape. His productions have received two GLAAD Media Award nominations and critical praise from The New York Times, Time Out New York, The Village Voice, and TheatreMania.com.
Jason's work probes a broad range of interests with a focus on adaptations of classic texts and historic material. His original play Another Horatio Alger Story explores Alger's the 19th century rags-to-riches stories from a contemporary perspective. He co-created Bald Diva!, a queer twist on Eugene Ionesco's The Bald Soprano, blending the Theatre of the Absurd style with contemporary gay theatre to create a potent theatrical cocktail. In Burlington Vermont, he initiated an adaptation of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya to address the specific concerns of the rural Vermont community. He also directs bold interpretations of classic texts, such Oliver Twist, The Tempest, As You Like It, and The Cherry Orchard.
Jason is also passionate about working on new plays. He has created dynamic solo productions with Kathryn Blume, founder of the Lysistrata Project, and Jeremy Lawrence (Lavender Songs -- winner of a 2008 Backstage Bistro Award). He has also directed plays by Richard Sheinmel (Post Modern Living), Jason Schafer (i google myself) and David Koteles (The Trick and Bald Diva). He loves opera and directed Center for Contemporary Opera's premiere production of Mario and the Magician.
With a strong commitment to teaching and working with young people, Jason is a teaching artist for Roundabout Theatre Company. He has taught at Williamstown Theatre Festival and worked as a guest artist at Long Island University/CW Post Campus, NYU Department of Dramatic Writing, Bay Shore High School, and Beacon High School in New York City. He co-founded The Theatre Askew Youth Performance Experience, which empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth in the NYC area to develop their unique theatrical voices, and directed TAYPE's first two initial productions.
Born and raised in Culver City, California, Jason received his undergraduate degree from Yale and his MFA from Columbia, under the tutelage of Anne Bogart, Robert Woodruff, Brian Kulick, and Tina Landau. Additionally, he has been spotted on stage over the years in a range of roles the Grasshopper in James and the Giant Peach, his own solo piece Poor Sport, and the enigmatic meterosexual "Tom the Assistant" in Polly Frost's episodic series Sex Scenes.