My experience can help you grow toward your next goal through coaching tailored to your individual strengths, needs, and goals.
In addition to working continuously in New York and across the country as a theater director for the past 20 years, I hold advanced degrees in acting and directing (University of the Arts and Yale School of Drama). Read more.
And I’m energized by projecting that multilayered experience forward through an ongoing formal teaching practice—e.g., at Yale, Williams, Brooklyn College, New School, Columbia, Fordham, Primary Stage ESPA, PlayPenn, Sarah Lawrence, and elsewhere--and through private coaching.
In addition to working continuously in New York and across the country as a theater director for the past 20 years, I hold advanced degrees in acting and directing (University of the Arts and Yale School of Drama). Read more.
And I’m energized by projecting that multilayered experience forward through an ongoing formal teaching practice—e.g., at Yale, Williams, Brooklyn College, New School, Columbia, Fordham, Primary Stage ESPA, PlayPenn, Sarah Lawrence, and elsewhere--and through private coaching.
For actors
Auditioning for TV, film, and theater (including generals, cold readings, and callbacks)
Prepping auditions for conservatory, college, and grad school admission
Scene study
Collaborating on new plays
Directing for actors
Dramaturgy for actors
And other topics
For directors
Navigating the business side of directing
Pitching to a theater or producer
Consulting on resolving challenges in a current project
Identifying—and then articulating—your project vision to get everyone passionately invested in telling a shared story
Developing new plays
Script analysis
Collaborative leadership: building generative artistic relationships with artistic and production teams
Time-tested rehearsal techniques and problem-solving tools
Preparing for the grad school admission process—including essay writing, interview advice, and strategies for nailing a directing audition
Brushing up on the basics: principles of collaboration, staging, composition, visual storytelling, time management, and working with actors
And other topics
Auditioning for TV, film, and theater (including generals, cold readings, and callbacks)
Prepping auditions for conservatory, college, and grad school admission
Scene study
Collaborating on new plays
Directing for actors
Dramaturgy for actors
And other topics
For directors
Navigating the business side of directing
Pitching to a theater or producer
Consulting on resolving challenges in a current project
Identifying—and then articulating—your project vision to get everyone passionately invested in telling a shared story
Developing new plays
Script analysis
Collaborative leadership: building generative artistic relationships with artistic and production teams
Time-tested rehearsal techniques and problem-solving tools
Preparing for the grad school admission process—including essay writing, interview advice, and strategies for nailing a directing audition
Brushing up on the basics: principles of collaboration, staging, composition, visual storytelling, time management, and working with actors
And other topics
Contact me for a complimentary 30-minute consultation to discuss your specific needs and goals.
Rates
1-hour Zoom session: $100
Prepurchased Zoom packages: 4 sessions, $300; 8 sessions, $500
1-hour in-person NYC session: $140
Prepurchased in-person NYC packages: 4 sessions, $450; 8 sessions, $800
Venmo: @Jackson-Gay
Sign up for Jackson's mailing list
Rates
1-hour Zoom session: $100
Prepurchased Zoom packages: 4 sessions, $300; 8 sessions, $500
1-hour in-person NYC session: $140
Prepurchased in-person NYC packages: 4 sessions, $450; 8 sessions, $800
Venmo: @Jackson-Gay
Sign up for Jackson's mailing list
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TESTIMONIALS
Marla Yost
Jackson has the rare ability to give specific, intelligent feedback while providing the actor with a safe space. She has an incredible knowledge of new plays and resourceful insights into finding great monologues. Doing scene work in her class was always a positive, curiosity-driven investigation of the material, and made me fall in love with acting and the theater all over again.
Jackson has the rare ability to give specific, intelligent feedback while providing the actor with a safe space. She has an incredible knowledge of new plays and resourceful insights into finding great monologues. Doing scene work in her class was always a positive, curiosity-driven investigation of the material, and made me fall in love with acting and the theater all over again.
Kevin Sherwin
I had the privilege of studying stage directing with Jackson Gay at Yale. Jackson has a remarkable way of bringing out students' individual artistic and creative sensibilities. In scene workshops, she gives highly practical advice for working with actors to shape an overall dramatic vision. She also reinforces this instruction by relating her own professional experiences, highlighting what has been effective. Her guidance in script analysis is very clear, and showed me how to fully understand characters' dramatic objectives before going into rehearsals with actors.
As well, Jackson incorporated invaluable practical career advice into the class, which is often hard to find. One of her exercises for this was to pair us with another student and have a mock "writer-director" meeting, where the writer was considering hiring the director. This was a really helpful window into the professional process, which has given me an important springboard to communicate my own ideas in the production of new work.
Jackson Gay’s teaching applies across theater disciplines — for instance, my work in theater is primarily as a composer and lyricist. She showed me how to look at the big picture of a play or musical, giving me the insight to write in a way that is dramatically cogent, engaging, and entertaining.
I had the privilege of studying stage directing with Jackson Gay at Yale. Jackson has a remarkable way of bringing out students' individual artistic and creative sensibilities. In scene workshops, she gives highly practical advice for working with actors to shape an overall dramatic vision. She also reinforces this instruction by relating her own professional experiences, highlighting what has been effective. Her guidance in script analysis is very clear, and showed me how to fully understand characters' dramatic objectives before going into rehearsals with actors.
As well, Jackson incorporated invaluable practical career advice into the class, which is often hard to find. One of her exercises for this was to pair us with another student and have a mock "writer-director" meeting, where the writer was considering hiring the director. This was a really helpful window into the professional process, which has given me an important springboard to communicate my own ideas in the production of new work.
Jackson Gay’s teaching applies across theater disciplines — for instance, my work in theater is primarily as a composer and lyricist. She showed me how to look at the big picture of a play or musical, giving me the insight to write in a way that is dramatically cogent, engaging, and entertaining.
Leah Nicole Raymond
Jackson is a great director/coach. When you are working, you can trust that Jackson is fully listening to you as you the actor and you the character. She knows how to push in a way that works for you and will get you where you need to be. I trust Jackson and highly recommend working with her.
Jackson is a great director/coach. When you are working, you can trust that Jackson is fully listening to you as you the actor and you the character. She knows how to push in a way that works for you and will get you where you need to be. I trust Jackson and highly recommend working with her.
Sheila-Joon Azim
Jackson Gay is masterful at guiding the actor to find their own authentic voice. She has a laser sharp focus imbued with empathy, that simultaneously put me at ease and helped me find my edge, in a way no other director has. More than anything, she helped empower me to make my own bold choices within a vast array of styles, so that my work was informed from a deep and genuine place (rather than an impersonation or a desire to please). I always feel safe to explore my edge with Jackson, but never humored if something isn't working. She's honest. It's rare to find guidance both so kind and so sharp. Jackson Gay understands and loves actors, and that love comes through in her work.
Jackson Gay is masterful at guiding the actor to find their own authentic voice. She has a laser sharp focus imbued with empathy, that simultaneously put me at ease and helped me find my edge, in a way no other director has. More than anything, she helped empower me to make my own bold choices within a vast array of styles, so that my work was informed from a deep and genuine place (rather than an impersonation or a desire to please). I always feel safe to explore my edge with Jackson, but never humored if something isn't working. She's honest. It's rare to find guidance both so kind and so sharp. Jackson Gay understands and loves actors, and that love comes through in her work.
Charity Schubert
Jackson's scene study class at ESPA was the first acting class I took after moving to NYC. I couldn't have landed in a more supportive, challenging, and just plain fun classroom. Jackson pushes you to look deeper into the text and yourself to find your way to your best performance. In her class, you are safe to take risks and fail but are never allowed to get away with "good enough." In our class, we had a variety of skill and experience levels and Jackson was able to communicate with and guide each actor in an effective, respectful, and inspiring way. Jackson meets you where you are and always brings you back to the text and the emotional truth of the scene. I would happily take a class with Jackson again.
Jackson's scene study class at ESPA was the first acting class I took after moving to NYC. I couldn't have landed in a more supportive, challenging, and just plain fun classroom. Jackson pushes you to look deeper into the text and yourself to find your way to your best performance. In her class, you are safe to take risks and fail but are never allowed to get away with "good enough." In our class, we had a variety of skill and experience levels and Jackson was able to communicate with and guide each actor in an effective, respectful, and inspiring way. Jackson meets you where you are and always brings you back to the text and the emotional truth of the scene. I would happily take a class with Jackson again.
Emma Went
Jackson is both a very practical and a wonderfully nurturing teacher, because she combines a clearheaded straightforwardness when approaching material with a real kindness and an ability to empower people to do their best work. She works in a way that is very un-precious, and feels designed to bring you closer to your own perspective and ideas, rather than to impose her own in any way. As a student of directing, a great lesson that I took from Jackson is the belief that empowering people to connect with their artistry and making them feel valued is its own fine art and is a huge part of the craft of directing, and this is something that Jackson herself really embodies as a teacher and as an artist.
Jackson is both a very practical and a wonderfully nurturing teacher, because she combines a clearheaded straightforwardness when approaching material with a real kindness and an ability to empower people to do their best work. She works in a way that is very un-precious, and feels designed to bring you closer to your own perspective and ideas, rather than to impose her own in any way. As a student of directing, a great lesson that I took from Jackson is the belief that empowering people to connect with their artistry and making them feel valued is its own fine art and is a huge part of the craft of directing, and this is something that Jackson herself really embodies as a teacher and as an artist.
Pietro
Jackson is a really great teacher. I took an acting class focusing on a modern American playwright with her, and she challenged me and my classmates to grow by honing in on what we needed to strengthen in ourselves as actors to play the scene and nail the role. Jackson emphasized listening to one another and on keeping the fun in it. I left with a better sense of myself as an actor and with a new confidence I could bring into parts I was working on and into my auditions. Jackson is an awesome acting teacher and coach. Highly recommend!
Jackson is a really great teacher. I took an acting class focusing on a modern American playwright with her, and she challenged me and my classmates to grow by honing in on what we needed to strengthen in ourselves as actors to play the scene and nail the role. Jackson emphasized listening to one another and on keeping the fun in it. I left with a better sense of myself as an actor and with a new confidence I could bring into parts I was working on and into my auditions. Jackson is an awesome acting teacher and coach. Highly recommend!
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Artwork for this site by Jessica Ford and Fabian F. Aquilar.
Site design by Jocelyn Kuritsky.
Artwork for this site by Jessica Ford and Fabian F. Aquilar.
Site design by Jocelyn Kuritsky.
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