Jason J. Flannery (he/him/his) is a resident of Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he works in a variety of roles as a freelance theatre artist and educator. He is an alumnus of Grand Valley State University's theatre program (2013), and a recipient of a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Directing from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO (2017). With over a decade's experience in collegiate and professional theatre, he has developed and dedicated his skills across a range of disciplines in over 90 productions. Onstage, Jason has practiced an array of acting styles: exploring contemporary theatre, improvisation, stage combat, physical theatre, Shakespearean text, and experimental plays. Offstage, he builds his career directing differing pieces which span from full period productions to new plays and original adaptations; predominantly through his work teaching and facilitating productions as an adjunct for Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC), Aquinas College, and Grand Valley State University (GVSU). Presently, he works across Grand Rapids as an educator, director, actor, scenic artist, playwright, social media coordinator, and play selection committee member. |
Jason's directorial style is built from a marriage of the acting techniques of Sanford Meisner and physical theatre techniques meant to pull actors away from habitual tendencies to internalize performative choices, instead anchoring performance into the physical world shared with their scene partners and the audience. Through this approach, as well as the culture fostered throughout rehearsal, he aims to build a strong connection between members of a cast in order to give every production a framework of mutual trust, respect, and shared ownership of the work. |
As a professor and director of academic theatre, Jason guides the work of young artists in settings which range from undergraduate B.F.A. programs, to Community College productions and student-lead play projects.
In these settings, many young artists voice a strong affinity for working with Jason, as he provides the artistic freedom to safely take risks, make their own choices, explore the work, and share discoveries. He looks forward to building a lifetime in theatre as an artist that strives to foster empathy in artists and audiences, bring vitality to modern storytelling, and highlight the nuance and complexity of humanity. |