Be the Lighthouse, not the Spotlight (Jessica Hanna)

Jessica Hanna (she/her) is a Los Angeles based Theater Maker and Artist in Residence at Thymele Arts. She is new member of The Kilroys, an activist artists group working for gender parity in the American Theater through guerilla actions. She has worked as an actor, director, choreographer and producer all over Los Angeles with many companies and spaces including, Open Fist, Sacred Fools, Evidence Room, John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, Greenway Court, Abundant Sugar, Occidental College, Atwater Village Theatre, Furious Theatre, Mine is Yours Theatre Co., B-Flat Productions, Center Theatre Group, Mutant Collective and Circle X. She has also had the pleasure of working with Anne Bogart and the SITI Co. as an actor at the Getty Villa twice. She has trained in Suzuki & Viewpoints since 2002. In June 2006 she co-founded Bootleg Theater and was the Producing & Managing Director through 2018.  Her focus as a freelance director & producer has been on new work development. Recent directing credits include: Lisa Dring's DEATH PLAY, for the Son of Semele Solo Creation Festival and Circle X Theatre (full production). NO HOMO, at Hollywood Fringe (Winner Best Director, Ensemble Theater, World Premiere and Golden Playwright), New York Fringe and Atwater Village Theatres, FOUR CHORDS AND A GUN by John Ross Bowie at Bootleg, I CARRY YOUR HEART by Georgette Kelly at Bootleg, PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT, the musical, at Celebration Theatre (Winner 2019 Ovation Award Best Production of a Musical, 7 Nominations), THE WILLOWS by Kerri-Ann McCalla and BLUE GOLD & BUTTERFLIES by Stephanie Batiste, both at Bootleg. Most recently she was at CalState University Long Beach guest directing Lauren Gunderson's THE REVOLUTIONISTS.

Find Jess on most social media @jessessa

photo credit for Jess's headshot: Peter Konerko

Host: Emily Stamets (@theemilystamets)

Original music: Jaclyn S. O'Connor

Graphics: Tiffany Spence