DIRECTOR, CHOREOGRAPHER, & EDUCATOR
UP NEXT
SMJ will serve as a mentor for the inaugural The 24 Hour Plays: New Victory through the Speak Up Act Out: Celebrating Student Voices program this spring. The plays will debut at New Victory Theater on May 4, 2024. Tickets are free and can be secured here.
SMJ will return as a mentor for the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s 2024 Young Playwrights Festival. The festival is May 17 - 19, 2024.
SMJ is directing and collaborating with clown/writer Ania Upstill on their show, Transhumance. A performance will take place at Kennedy Center on June 13, 2024. Tickets are free and can be secured here.
SMJ will serve as the director for the second remounting of War and Play for the 2024 Queerly Festival in NYC. Ania Upstill and Mariko Iwasa return to Danielle Levsky’s play. More information will be revealed soon.
SMJ will return to Andy’s Summer Playhouse this summer to work with young theatermakers throughout the Summer of 2024. They will be teaching mime (June 24-28), writing for The 24 Hour Plays (July 12 & 13), teaching for the John C. Russell Playwriting Lab & presenting a reading of a new play (July 14-21), and assisting with the 48 Hour Plays (August 11-17).
For the last ten years, SMJ has served as a director, choreographer, teacher, mentor, and coach to students of all age groups from 5 to 35 years old at high schools, colleges, universities, professional theaters, and in Zoom rooms & on YouTube playlists throughout the United States. SMJ is committed to making everyone feel more comfortable in their bodies, advocating for the physical, mental, and emotional safety of young theatermakers, and bringing high-quality theater education to underserved communities. A mime of 17 years, SMJ began training at the School for Youth Mime Theatre at Kenyon College in 2007, SMJ has been taught by Gregg Goldston, Rick Wamer, Stephen Chipps, Lorie Heald, Dan Griffiths, Danielle Conover, Susan Wang, and Mike Wang.
SMJ’s highlights as a theatermaker and educator include directing the first high school production of Fun Home (Ohio EdTA), Once on This Island JR, the first joint production between all six high schools at the MLK Educational Complex (Lincoln Center Theater Education), War and Play: A Clown Odyssey of Survival (Lincoln Center / National Queer Theater as well as a production at the inaugural NYC PhysFest), No Mercy (workshop production at the DR2 Theater), Raccoon Play (workshop production for The Tank), Pastel Color Ripples (an audio drama for New Light Theater Project), and The Wolves (Westerville South HS), as well as choreographing Carrie the Musical (Ohio EdTA), Invention of Theater (World Premiere at Otterbein Summer Theater), and The Yellow Boat (Otterbein University). SMJ has been very active at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center (a Mentor, Dramaturg, & Director for the Young Playwrights Festival, a Mime Instructor, & Education Apprentice/Assistant), the Ohio Educational Theatre Association (Workshop Presenter, Adjudicator, & former Board Member), New York Thespians (Workshop Presenter & Adjudicator), Playdate Theater (Guest Artist), Life Jacket Theatre Company / Sam & Devorah Foundation for Trans Youth (Guest Artist) as well as high schools throughout the state of Ohio. SMJ currently teaches 7th grade Theater at East Side Community High School in New York City.
DIRECTING & CHOREOGRAPHY HIGHLIGHTS
Once On This Island JR. by Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty
DIRECTOR
Produced by Lincoln Center Theater for the Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex (April 2024)
FEATURING Students from all six high schools in the Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex in NYC
with Choreography by Danielle Criss & Music Direction by David Boyd.
War and Play: A Clown Odyssey of Survival by Danielle Levsky
DIRECTOR
2024 PhysFest at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, NYC (January 2024)
FEATURING Danielle Levsky, Ania Upstill, & Mariko Iwasa
with voiceover by Henri Sudy & stage management by Emily Bubeck
National Queer Theater’s 2023 Criminal Queerness Festival at Lincoln Center (June 2023)
FEATURING Danielle Levsky, Ania Upstill, & Lex Alston
with voiceover by Henri Sudy, intimacy direction by Ema Zivkovic, stage mangement by Katherine Bahena-Benitez, produced by Adam Odsess-Rubin, dramaturgy by Begum “Betsy” Inal, production management by Brittany Coyne, scenic & props design by Dan Daly, sound design by Tani Kahn, costume design by Jules Peiperi, lighting Design by Moneé Stamp, video design by Hannah Tran, & casting by Joseph Hayes
Photos by Lawrence Sumulong
Fun Home by Lisa Kron & Jeanine Tesori
DIRECTOR
FIRST U.S. HIGH SCHOOL PRODUCTION
2022 All-Ohio Show for the Ohio Educational Theatre Association
FEATURING Abbey Brinkhoff, Maren Rhoads, Lucy Robinson, Ren Gleason, Tenley Stitzer, Sammi Robinson, Cole Stellato, Mahad Yusuf, Payton Theile, Madison Yanichko, Bella Price, & Tyler Zwick
with choreography by Riley Bannister, musical direction by Nina Fisher, stage management by Grace Pruchnicki, Tara Gontkovic, & Rosemary Burmester, lighting design by Elise Selevaag, scenic design by William Blank, and props design by Grace French.
Photos by David Myers & Cherish Myers
CARRIE by Michael Gore, Dean Pitchford, and Lawrence D. Cohen / Directed by Luke Bovenizer
CHOREOGRAPHER
2019 ALL-OHIO SHOW for the Ohio Educational Theatre Association
FEATURING Delia Brennan, Riley McIntyre, Emma Fullen, Bella Glaser, Casey Merren, True Chin-Parker, Sophia Shai, Kelly Faherty, Oliver Runyon, Josiah Holloway, Jacob Weinheimer, Carson Shrader, Caleb Jingo, Justin Ly, Mac Christian, Molly Gallagher, Emma Murphy, Ellie Newman, Kandy Otchere-Boakye, & Emily Stowers
with musical direction by Ian LeRoy, technical direction by Derrick McPeak & Baylee Roberson, production management by Grant Perry, stage management by Ashley Bright, lighting design by Eli Suarez & Izzy Nichols, sound design by Tori Perdue, costume design by Claire Duncan & Lilah Benjamin, prps mastering by David Braden, publicity by Megan Masciola, and crewed by Meredith Bean, Grace Mayo, & Ethan Riehle.
Photos by David Myers
No Mercy
Co-Directed with Alex Might & Miranda Cornell with Fight & Intimacy Direction by Alex Might
Workshop Production at DR2 Theatre with Moxie Arts
FEATURING Kayla Zanakis, Chloé Lexia Worthington, Maya Musial, & Charlotte Vaughn Raines
with voiceover by Ollie Corchado, stage mangement by Aryn Geier & Ashley Milling, line producing by Natalie Rine & Angelica McEwan, dramaturgy by Julia “Juju” Nieto, lighting design by Elizabeth M. Stewart, set design by Kailey Hays-Lenihan, sound design by Sasha Hawkins, costume design by Aryn Geier, and executive producing by K. Hernandez Friend and Madelyn Paquette.
Photos by Danny Bristoll
Raccoon Play
Director with Intimacy Direction by Zoe Nebraska Feldman & Fight Direction by Daniel Kunkel
Workshop Production at The Tank
FEATURING Anne-Marie Pietersma, Daniel Kunkel, Zoe Nebraska Feldman, Henri Sudy, Madeleine Norton, & Abby Messina
with voiceover by Kayla Zanakis and stage mangement by Gracie Greggains
Photos by Marth Brown
Otterbein Summer Theater
The Invention of Theater
by Sean Murphy / Directed by Melissa Lusher
Choreography for the World Premiere at Otterbein Summer Theater
FEATURING Evan Moore-Coll & Ben Folts
The Fantasticks
by Harvey Schmidt & Tom Jones / Directed by David H. Caldwell
Mime Choreography
FEATURING Anthony Cason & Jeff Gise
The 39 Steps
by Sean Murphy / Directed by Christina Kirk
Movement Choreography
FEATURING Sam Ray, Anthony Cason, & Sean Murphy
Not The Truth We Seek
Choreography for Otterbein University
FEATURING Dana Cullinane, Olivia Crawford, Caroline Kane, Nicole Gaydos, Sally Clark, Kaylee Barrett, Kara Jobe, Olivia Crago, Grace Hoover, Daria Pilar Redus, Lauren DiMario, Claire Sinard, Kathryn Lee, & Amanda Sibert
Photos by Evan Moore-Coll
Otterbein University Department of Theater & Dance
You Go On
by Matthew Gittins
Director
FEATURING Emma Kate Lampe, Trevin Parker, Chase Pittman, Lori Kay Harvey, Payton Tevis, Desmond Fernandez, Rueben Reese, Maggie Ek, Noah Boger, Ethan Walker, & Abby Messina
Photos by Madeleine Norton
The Yellow Boat
by David Saar / Directed by Dr. John Stefano
Choreography for Otterbein University
FEATURING Kevin Thiel, Jeff Gise, Kay Rommel, Afton Welch, Mary Kate O’Neill, Kayla Ryan Walsh, Peter Moses, & Tori Hidalgo
Photos by Andrew Beers
2019 Master Class
Dance: Famously Yours… Forever
Directed by Stella Kane
Mime Choreography & Assistant to the Director
FEATURING Ben Folts, Dana Cullinane, Jacob Sundlie, & Connor Alston
Selected Credits from Westerville South High School (Ohio)
The Wolves
by Sarah DeLappe
Director
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
by Simon Stephens / Directed by Matthew Wolfe
Fight & Flight Director
Photos by David Myers
Catch Me If You Can
by Terrence McNally, Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman / Directed by Matthew Wolfe
Fight & Intimacy Coach
Photo by David Myers
Education
Newsies
Fight Choreographer at Dublin Scioto HS (Ohio)
Young Playwrights Festival
Eugene O’Neill Theater Center / Sophia Chapadjiev, Artistic Director
Master Class with New Albany High School (Ohio)
Trans Voices: A Storytelling Event for Trans & Nonbinary Young Adults
Life Jacket Theatre Company and Sam & Devorah Foundation for Transgender Youth
Photo by Kat Griffith
Mime Performance & Choreography
Very Strong Liking
The Chain Theater, NYC
FEATURING Olivia Crawford, Jessica Toltzis, Madalyn Baker, & Douglas Reitsma
Photos by Joaquin Silva
A Body of Contradictions
Studio 54, NYC
Photos by Evan Moore-Coll
TESTIMONIALS
“Working with SMJ over the past five years, they have always made me feel and genuinely believe that I was being supported and cared for while also being pushed to work harder and go further in my acting than I ever thought possible. This is a fine line that not many people can accomplish. Not only does SMJ become an impactful teacher in the lives of their students, but also a kind and compassionate mentor that will consistently help others reveal the pure greatness in themselves.”
“When studying with SMJ, I felt free to articulate at all times. Whether that be an opinion, a concern, or a discovery, they truly did everything in their power to make every single one of us students feel heard. They also challenged us to work outside of our comfort zones and to try new methods of working collaboratively. Working with SMJ was hands down one of the most fruitful artistic experiences I have had thus far!”
“I credit much of my success as a performer to the teachings and workshops of SMJ. From stage combat, to mime, to living and thriving in the theater world, SMJ has taught me the skills and techniques I needed to not only audition well, but to set me on a promising path for the future. When I was required to perform a dangerous hand-to-hand combat stunt while I was in high school, SMJ taught it in a way that was easy to learn, and it went flawlessly onstage every time. They’re fun, creative, and extremely talented.”
“SMJ has an ease and rapport that comes quickly with students! Over the span of just a few 45 minute class periods they were able to engage with students immediately on movement technique. Working with some unorthodox mimicry and movement exercises, SMJ had students open, active, and engaged. They had the perfect combination of lightheartedness and no nonsense that allowed the students to learn comfortably while enjoying their lessons with SMJ.”
“SMJ has this talent of making even the most foreign concepts seem within reach! Their passion encouraged me to learn, their talent inspired me to grow, and they’re a teacher that truly doesn’t rest until their students are thriving. I had so much fun in their classes, and felt so supported the entire time as well.”