Jessica Smith
Director, Theater Educator, Artist
About
My name is Jessica Smith
But everyone calls me Jess.
I have lived my life in theater since a young age (note my big star moment at the age of 8 in a community theater production of Pippin), and haven't stopped. I have at moments been an actor, a singer, a teacher, a mentor, always a director, and an academic.
POV: I work now as a director, a theater educator, an artist, and an advocate for the value of performing arts at every level, and for the growth of recognition of women in directing. These points of view are informed by my own experience and challenges as a director and theater artist at varying levels throughout many years. Look for an article I'm developing on this subject, coming soon!
At every theater and every school, my work is guided by the belief that all people thrive when they are deeply known, equally valued, and thoughtfully engaged.
I invite you to explore my CV (which is always a work in progress) and my statement of teaching philosophy, which outlines how I structure my interactions with students and colleagues across every production, stage, and experience. I look forward to being in touch, and welcome learning about new opportunities in theater!
Workshops
Jessica Smith has facilitated workshops in directing and acting throughout New England and the NY area since 2007.
All workshops are tailored to the needs of each group, and can be delivered in a short one-day format (2 hours or so), or as a longer series taking place on multiple days.
Past workshops have included topics such as "Acting The Song," "Scene Study & Stanislavski," "Scene To Song Transitions," "Building the World of the Play," "Directing Styles," and more.
A new directing workshop is now available, based on a directing course Jessica taught for five years at the university level. This workshop allows fellow directors and student directors to work with the concepts of composition and rhythm in an experiential lab setting, to access heightened visceral storytelling in their own work.
Looking to add an energized director to your production team?
Directing has been the driving force of my career, and I have been fortunate to work with thriving theaters and school programs throughout New England & NY for many years. Throughout every production, I feel genuinely that I have brought an
ORGANIZED, POSITIVE, RIGOROUS, COMMUNICATIVE, COLLABORATIVE & KIND director to the table.
Why is that important to me? Let's dig a little deeper, and then deeper still.
Artistic vision is important. When I am considering a piece of theater, I see the entire thing in my head, and feel the story as an audience might feel it. I have a strong visual sense, and upon reading a script, I see the story unfold through color and blocking, shapes and rhythm, and emphasis through body position and placement on the stage, and through the relationships and unique attributes of the characters. These are some of the foundational techniques of directing which drive a story to be told in a visceral way. And I am there for it. I also believe there is more to the collaborative nature of theater which can be explored, and which helps to color the fully informed world-of-the-play, and the experience of all those who come together to build and experience that world.
We know theater is collaborative. Teams of people who have honed their techniques work together in concert to tell a story. And there is no storytelling without an audience to experience it, to enter into the negotiation between the tellers and the listeners. Collaboration is best served by more than mere "meetings." Simply coming together is not enough. People everywhere want and need to be heard, valued, known, safe, trusted, counted upon, and given understanding and clarity. A director who is organized, positive, rigorous, communicative, collaborative and kind can uphold an atmosphere which supports those basic wants and needs. That, coupled with the traditional standards of collaboration, creates an experience at the highest level for EVERYONE involved, from artistic and creative staff, to theater personnel, administrators, actors, musicians, patrons, educators and students alike, in theaters, organizations and schools at EVERY LEVEL.
Those were a lot of words. Do I believe in all of them? Yes, fully, I do.
