Co-directed by Sarah Jacklin and Theresa Columbus- 8 Short Plays is a surreal vaudevillian variety show. The plot of this poetic dialogue is performed by an ensemble of 8 and held together with a wild emotional logic. These passionate stories explore relationships to memory, art, and song. A live experiment holding the audience responsible for absorbing a universe where frolic & logic exist together, the cast employs humor and storytelling to unfurl unexpected connections and the wonder of humans on stage. In the process traditional forms are celebrated, taken apart, and reinvented. Performed  for 3 weekends, 9 shows at the Mercury Theater in Baltimore, and performed in part at the Space Gallery in Pittsburgh and Rhizome in DC (2019)

Written by Theresa Columbus 

• with individual acts by Cliff Doby, Malaika Aminata Clements, Rae Red and Megan Livingston

The cast:

• Malaika Clements, Theresa Columbus, Cliff Doby, Sarah Jacklin,
• Elvis Karegeya, Megan Livingston, Parker Matthews and Rae Red
  
• Music by Allison Clendaniel
• Costumes by Nicolette LeFaye
• Set by Mika Nakano
• Lighting by Chris Allen
• Video shot by Andy Shenker and Tom Kessler

Trail in the Woods comissioned to be part of The Annex Theater's 2018 season, but after resigning from company in 2017, I made plans to self-produce at The Mercury Theater. 

Working with a limited budget, I made a calculated choice to lean into the school play, childlike, and naive with my production design, using paper masks, primary colors, and broad symbolic costuming to indicate animals identities. 

Written by Stephanie Barber, Trail in the Woods is one part crime procedural and one part fable.  But it's really a comedy about ethics, compassion, and the failures of punitive justice. The script, is poignant and funny, it has since been published by Plays Inverse. You can buy it here http://www.playsinverse.com/catalog/trial-in-the-woods.html or they often have it at Normals. 


About the script: 

"If Eugène Ionesco were commissioned to write a posthumanist spoof of The Stranger and wellness culture while on acid, the result might look something like Stephanie Barber's rollicking and thoroughly enjoyable Trial in the Woods" 

• Jackie Wang author of The Sunflower Cast A Spell To Save Us From The Void

In 2017 I adapted and directed Blood for Dracula from Paul Morrissey's Warhol produced art/sexploitation film for Psychic Readings late night theater series. 

Starring: 
Ishai Barnoy  Mike Smith
Marian Keramati
and Danni Tsuboi 

I co-wrote and directed this adaptation of Matthew Thurber's 1-800-MICE for  The Annex Theater 2016 season.

This ensemble cast of nine to play a revolving cast of screwball characters, in punk-rock, slap stick adventure story about finding yourself just in time for the Apoclaypse.

Reviews: 


"As with Anti-Klaus, Jacklin's dramaturgy cocktail is made of one part American wholesomeness, one part latent oblivion, and two parts holyfuckingshit... this play may be as close as some of us will ever come to seeing a Jack Smith performance in the flesh"

•  Brett McCabe  B-MORE ART

"It’s a risk to go all-in on bold, ​avant-garde​ projects  on that Jacklin taking on the challenge of adapting and staging a bizarre comic with a cult following like ​1-800-MICE​ (made) pay off beautifully. ​1-800-MICE is a smart, absurd comedy that manages to be thought-provoking and topical while hurtling you through space at the speed of a meteor headed straight for Earth. Loosen your grip on narrative realism and go take this ride."

• DC Metro Arts 

In 2015, I developed a concept for a director-less adaptation of Lord of the Flies. The show, The Lord of Flies, which was inspired by William Golding's novel was written and devised with the Annex Theater's 2014-2016 Resident Company which included Jake Budenz, Madison Coan, Ryan Kidwell, and Sarah Lamar. Ren Pepitone, Maura Dwyer, Dave Iden, and Maddy Scott filled out the cast and continued to develop the play over the rehearsal and production process.  

From 2013 to 2016 I was an active collaborator at The Annex Theater and Psychic Reading Company.  I joined The Annex Theater as a Company Member and remained one for four years, acting in 6 mainstage shows, and directing one.


Annex Theater Performances & Directing*:      
Macbeth (2013),  Two Suns Over Thebes (2013),  Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy (2014), Mary Hartman! Mary Hartman!  (2014) The Lord of Flies (2016)*, The Master and Margarita (2016), 1-800-MICE (2016)*

                                

EMP Collective Performances & Directing*
One Minute Plays (2013), One Minute Plays (2014)*, The Potatoes of August, Potato (2014), Behold the Man (2015), Anti-Klaus (2016)*

Psychic Readings Performances and Directing*:
Garbage, Death, and the City of Baltimore (2015), Miss Chthonic Dream Pageant (2015) , The Smallest Something, Not Quite Nothing (2016), Cleveland (2016), Not Today, Salome, (2016), Blood for Dracula (2016)*

In 2011-2013 I became a founding member of The Yellow Sign Theater. The Yellow Sign's mission was to exhault "low" forms of theater such as Grand Guignol, dinner theater, ghost tours, to create participatory and immersive experiences. In the roughly two years I was an active member, I acted in seven shows, Grand Gugnol (2011), This Bird has Flown (2012) Dark Spell (2012), Anti-Klaus(2012), and +1 (2013), participated in devising two, The Deadliest Feat (2012) and Harm City Murder Tour (2012), 

I've been so busy with theater I haven't much documented my continuing visual arts practice. Check back here for more samples to come!