Jarod Hanson's portfolio

Work samples

Vesper, a dream play

Teaser video released a self-produced theatrical production entitled Vesper, conceived of and directed by me and created with an incredible ensemble of artists as part of my Voxel Artist Residency. Videography and editing by Kiirstn Pagan.
FLIGHT Teaser

Teaser for FLIGHT
Commissioned by the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival in 2024.
Adapted from William's short story "Episodes in the Life of a Clerk"
Created with the MB ADAPTORS Company.
Flock of Dimes - Two [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

Music video for the song “Two” from the Flock of Dimes album "Head of Roses."
Overtime: Men at Work Teaser

Co-written/devised and co-directed by myself and Jonathan Beller. Originally workshopped at SUNY Schenectady and later presented at MN Fringe.

About Jarod

Jarod Hanson (he/they) is a Baltimore-based theatre artist and educator dedicated to actor-centered, ensemble theatre. He is a certified Margolis Method teacher and serves as Lead Faculty at the Margolis Method Center Int’l in upstate New York. He has an MFA in Theatre from Towson University where he focused on further developing his pedagogy and practice of creating empowering, embodied theatre. He has toured and taught internationally. Jarod has been a proud member of the… more

View Jarod's Resume

Vesper

A devised production conceived of and directed by myself created with and performed by an ensemble of artists as part of my Voxel Artist Residency.

Step into a realm of darkness and starlight, hope and fear, music and dreams. Join a cast of ethereal characters as they search for meaning amid wishes and nightmares in a dazzling dreamscape of morphing circumstances. Vesper is a surrealistic exploration of humanity’s relationship to the night and the rituals we invoke to heal, find peace, and ward off danger.

Vesper is an experimental, non-linear, devised theatrical performance. Created through several months of collaborative incubation, workshops, and refinement, Vesper harnesses the dialogue of training and creation to present visceral, ensemble-centered theatre. Created over 9 months of workshops, skill building, exploration, and refinement, Vesper is a testament to the cultivation of ensemble and the dialogue of the personal and universal in both creation and product.

Rich physicality, poetic text, atmospheric sound, live music, and multimedia weave a vivid, theatrical tapestry of ritual and revelation–prepare to lose your footing and find your light.

Vesper Teaser

A teaser video for Vesper including snippets of scenes, original music from the show, and quotes from reviews.
Video edited by Kiirstn Pagan.
Northlight

Theatrical still from Vesper.
Luu Pham as The Artist weaves a tale of a child's first experience of the night as the ensemble breathe life into stars/willowisps.
Photo by Kiirstn Pagan.
Fear

Theatrical still from Vesper.
An ensemble of characters fills the stage to create and orchestra of breath expressing different kinds of fear: dread, horror, terror, and paranoia.
Photo by Kiirstn Pagan.
Hell

Theatrical still from Vesper.
Hailey Withrow as The Wanderer expresses her frustration with others and self in a scene called "Hell." Here she reaches for Parker Matthews as The Magician. Soon she will decide that she will live without eyelids and never sleep again.
Photo by Chris Ashworth.
Moonologue

Theatrical still from Vesper.
Molly Margulies as The Weaver embodies the Moon, and writes a letter to humanity offering solace and compassion.
Photo by Chris Ashworth.
Vesper Witchual (CA).jpg

Theatrical still from Vesper.
From Left to Right Molly Margulies as The Weaver, Chelsea Thaler as The Explorer, Hailey Withrow as The Wanderer, and Ally Ibach as The Seeker enact a ritual of communion and primal femininity in a scene called "Witchual."
Photo by Chris Ashworth
Ship

Theatrical still from Vesper
Luu Pham as The Artist helms an abstract ship through a raging storm, recounting the final moments of the Titanic as a metaphor for confronting disaster and finding a way through it.
Photo by Chris Ashworth
Monster Under the Bed

Theatrical still from Vesper.
Luu Pham as The Poet embodies a monster under the bed, terrorizing the innocent Matthew Williams as The Artist.
Photo by Chris Ashworth
Slow Dance Romance

Theatrical still from Vesper.
Three couples confront differing expectations as they navigate potential breakup through a mix of text and abstract movement.
Photo by Chris Ashworth.
Sunrise

Theatrical still from Vesper.
The ensemble finds connection and mutual support in the ending moments of the show as the sun begins to rise.
Photo by Kiirstn Pagan.

Machinal

Machinal by Sophie Treadwell presented at Fells Point Corner Theatre

Depicting one woman's rebellion against her husband and society, this all-too-relevant expressionist drama explores the “machine” that oppresses women, societally and judicially. Sophie Treadwell was a Mexican American social-activist, suffragette, actor, playwright and international journalist; she covered World War I as a foreign correspondent and she was the only journalist to interview revolutionary Pancho Villa. As a journalist, Treadwell covered the sensationalized case of Ruth Snyder, who murdered her husband and was publicly executed in the electric chair. Although written almost a century ago, Machinal is a stark, magnetic play that chillingly shows how female criminality is depicted. Often included on historic lists of best American plays*, Machinal is frequently cited as a quintessential example of expressionist drama. It entered the public domain in January of 2024.

Directed by Deirdre McAllister
Movement Director: Jarod Hanson
Stage Manager: Benni Rose
Lighting Designer: Jaedyn Arrington
Costume Designer: Karen Saar
Set Designer: Justin Nepomucen
Intimacy Director: Shawna Potter
Projections: Chris Uehlinger
Assistant Stage Managers: Penelope Chan & Hannah Karnicki
Producers: Brad Norris, J Hargrove, Laura Malkus
Presented at Fells Point Corner Theatre

Featuring:
Autumn Koehnlein
Matthew Lindsay Payne
Will Beckstrom
Melissa Banister
Pablo Akira Richter
Adrian Bagaric
Eric Boelsche
Niki Jay
Brooke Kemph
Mae Philippe-Auguste
Andy Belt

Photos by Shaelyn Jae

Machinal Work

"Young Woman" questioned by her coworkers
Photo by Shaelyn Jae
Machinal Ma

"Young Woman" questions her mother about the meaning and implications of love and marriage
Photo by Shaelyn Jae
Machinal Honeymoon

"Young Woman" placates her new husband on their honeymoon.
Photo by Shaelyn Jae
Machinal Childbirth

"Young Woman" in the aftermath of giving birth to a child she's not sure she wants.
Photo by Shaelyn Jae
Machinal Freedom

"Young Woman" finds a taste of freedom in an illicit affair with another man.
Photo by Shaelyn Jae
Machinal Murder Weapon

"Young Girl" is confronted with the weapon she used to kill her husband.
Photo by Shaelyn Jae
Machinal Repentance?

Young Woman in her final moments with a priest who offers her empty "redemption."
Photo by Shaelyn Jae
Machinal Execution

"Young Woman" pays the ultimate price.
Photo by Shaelyn Jae

Flight

FLIGHT, adapted by the MB ADAPTORS from Tennessee Williams’ short story “Episodes in the Life of a Clerk”

This highly visual solo show starring Jarod Hanson delves deep into the dreams and desires of a secret poet who yearns for creative freedom amidst the machinations of a soul-crushing job and a toxic upbringing. The discovery of a hidden door leads him to the roof of the twenty-five-story Continental Shoe Factory, where open space and the energy of the free-flowing Mississippi infuse him with the power to take a leap of faith.

FLIGHT was commissioned to me and the MB ADAPTORS Company by the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival. It's an adaptation of an obscure short story by Williams about a shunned factory clerk who is a secret poet. Our adaptation took full advantage of the text to create and intensely theatrical experience full of original sound and multimedia, deft object puppetry, and dynamic physicality. The show's solo actor (me--Jarod Hanson) embodies multiple characters with remarkable specificity: Schiller, the misunderstood clerk, his tyrannical mother, a stern and unforgiving boss, a devious coworker, a sadistic police officer, and more.

Directed by Kari Margolis
Co-created with Jarod Hanson
Stage Manager: Angela Kiser
Lighting Designer: Angela Kiser
Sound & Multimedia Designer: Tony Brown
Presented at the 2024 Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival

Featuring:
Jarod Hanson

Photos by Eyva Fotografi and Angela Kiser

Flight Teaser

Teaser for FLIGHT
Video edited by Angela Kiser
Schiller Closeup

Closeup of Schiller (played by myself) from FLIGHT.
Photo by Angela Kiser.
Climbing the Roof

Theatrical still from FLIGHT.
Schiller would often sneak up to the roof and dream of a life beyond the confines of the city.
Photo by Angela Kiser
Schiller Dream Poem

Theatrical still from FLIGHT.
Schiller dreams of escaping from the drudgery of his work to write poetry.
Photo by Eyva Fotografi
A Simpler Time

Theatrical still from FLIGHT.
Schiller embodies his childhood self to imagine a simpler time when he felt free
Photo by Angela Kiser
Lessons Hard Learned

Theatrical still from FLIGHT.
Schiller embodies his childhood English teacher, who snubbed him for his fanciful writing and insisted he write of reality, lest his creativity be "wasted."
Photo by Eyva Fotografi
Flying or Falling?

Theatrical still from FLIGHT.
When confronted by his oppressive boss and coworker about his poetry, Schiller is driven to the roof where he falls to his death.

The Lights Went Out Because of a Problem

Position: Co-director

The Acme Corporation, Baltimore’s premiere experimental theatre company, has created a stunning new piece under the co-direction of Jarod Hanson and Lola B. Pierson. The Lights Went Out Because of a Problem is a three-act opera, which comprises found text and original writing. The opera is about learning to sing. It is also about goofing off, meditating, hanging out, healing from trauma, and the pandemic. Featuring music composed by Allison Clendaniel with the libretto found, arranged, and written by Lola B. Pierson, The Lights Went Out Because of a Problem is The Acme Corporation's first show since their pandemic piece, a play in a box called The Institute for Counterfeit Memory. This culmination of 3 years of slow and steady work is going to be a weird one you won't want to miss.

Directed by Jarod Hanson & Lola B. Pierson
Libretto found, arranged, and written by Lola B. Pierson
Music by Allison Clendaniel
Cast: Alix Fenhagen, Britt Olsen-Ecker, Hailey Withrow, Heather Morrison, Julia Creutzer, Kaya
Vision, Megan Livingston, Meghan Stanton, and Molly Margulies
Production team:
Set design: Lola B. Pierson,
Lighting design: Eric Nightengale.
Props design: Jarod Hanson & Kateri Pelton.
Costumes: Kitt Crescenzo

Act 1 Scene 1

Harriet and Philip have a moment of connection.
Act 1 Clue Scene

The cast has a moment of surreal connection.
Act 1 Scene 6

Characters have a moment of reverie before chaos ensues.
Act 2 Dear Mom & Dad

Sorting through our pasts to find new answers.
Act 2 Dear the Whole World

This one is for all of you watching us in the dark with a hand to your heart. Dear the whole world, did you hear? The lights went out because of a problem.
Act 2 Dear Bodies

A letter about human fragility.
Act 3 Boundaryless Moment

We are one, connected and indistinguishable before we find ourselves.
Act 3 Individuation

Through ritual we find ourselves.
Act 3 Cleansing

Reflection allows us to cleanse and move forward.
Act 3 Finale

Once we self-actualize, we can see the light and be interdependent.

Paradise Lost

Position: Co-director

Production at Towson University

“The biggest mistake any of us could make would be to underestimate Satan.”

The seventeenth century and present day are seamlessly intertwined as Satan vents to an audience about her frustration at being cast out of Heaven and her thoughts on oppression. When she finds out that God has created delicate new creatures called “humans,” she crafts a plan for revenge and betrayal on the Almighty.

Erin Shields turns Heaven and Hell upside down in this witty, modern, feminist retelling of John Milton’s epic poem about the first battle between good and evil. Shields’s wickedly smart and funny script questions the reasons of the universe, the slow process of evolution and the freedom of knowledge. The debate over right and wrong has never been so satisfying.

Directed by Stephen Nunns & Jarod Hanson
Songs by Stephen Nunns & Erin Shields
Musical Direction by Molly Shayna Cohen
Choreography by Jarod Hanson & Ruben Del Valle, Jr.
Lighting Design by Jay Herzog
Set Design by Daniel Ettinger & Natalie Bolander
Costume Design by Julie Potter
Sound Design, Mixing, and Music Composition by Alexander MacSween
Stage Managed by Olivia Dibble

Featuring:
KP
Conor Harris
Jeremiah Catoe
Jovan Brooks
Hailey Withrow
Gina Mattucci
Max Ramsay
Max Stover
Cyan Jackson
Lela Woodward
Julia Creutzer
Kieran Newell
Brooke Donald
David Norris
Eddie Stockman
Serena Walker
EJ Roeder
Frankie Marsh

Photos by Katie Simmons-Barth, www.katiesimmonsbarth.com

Satan's Plan

Satan inspires the denizens of hell with her plan to despoil Eden.
Moloch

Moloch cautions his fellow demons.
Angel Training

The angels train and prepare for Satan's schemes.
Raphael's Play

Raphael directs a play with his fellow angels to remind Adam & Eve of the rules and dangers that face them.
Satan Temps Eve

Satan convinces Eve to sample the forbidden fruit.
Eve Contemplates

Eve reflects on her newfound knowledge and feelings.
Adam & Eve

Adam and Eve from Paradise Lost discover physical love.
Adam & Eve Evicted

Adam & Eve are expelled from Eden.
Ending

Satan and the cast address the audience as the show comes to a close.

Minor Character: Six Translations of Uncle Vanya at the Same Time

As Movement Director and Assistant Director, I helped bring this innovative piece to life. "A joyful and music-filled comedic kaleidoscope. A band of actors come together to perform a warm-hearted yet bittersweet look at love, longing, and the limitations of language." Originally created by by New Saloon.
The Wilma Theater
Director: Yury Urnov
Assistant Director & Movement Director: Jarod Hanson
Full production credits at: https://wilmatheater.org/event/minor-character/
photos by Johanna Austin, www.AustinArt.org

The Wilma Theater presents "Minor Character," on stage Oct. 5-24

Teaser for "Minor Character" at the Wilma Theater.
Minor Character, "Trees"

The characters introduce the production with a song, "Trees."
Minor Character, "Pickles"

Three Vanyas lament their lives as they make pickles.
Minor Character, "Party Nap"

Vanyas and Astrovs get sauced late into the night as Sonya crashes the party.
Minor Character, "I'm Boring"

Yelenas sing about their existence as "minor characters" in life.
Minor Character, "Midnight Snack"

Sonyas prepare a midnight snack for Astrovs, hoping to connect.
Minor Character, "Vanya Mourns His Life"

Yelenas and Vanyas grapple with the tension of unrequited love.
Minor Character, "Friends"

Yelenas confront Sonyas about their relationship and their love for the doctor.

Two

As a collaborator, I helped solidify concepts and imagery with special focus on "Gesture Choreography" in this music video for the song "Two" from the Flock of Dimes album "Head of Roses." Per one of the co-creators/directors, Lola Pierson: "The video explores nagivating a sovereign self while in relationship with others. Filmed in January of 2021 "Two" is an attempt to honor the vital importance and joy of connection at a time when we are extremely isolated."

Flock of Dimes - Two [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

Music video for the song “Two” from the Flock of Dimes album "Head of Roses."

The First Thing That Happens

Movement Director for this innovative opera written by Lola Pierson and music by the band Horse Lords.
Photos by Britt Olsen-Ecker

The First Thing That Happens, Singers Presenting

Singers Present
The First Thing That Happens, Actors Reaching

Actors Reaching
The First Thing That Happens Singers Addressing Us

Singer addresses the audience
The First Thing That Happens, Singers Express the Dilemma of Communication

Singers Express the Dilemma of Communication
The First Thing That Happens, Actors Confide

Actors confide in the worry of creation, performance, and sharing
The First Thing That Happens, The Cast Appears

The cast appears in a sort of introduction
The First Thing That Happens, Singers' Denouement

Singers' denouement

Putin On Ice

Movement Director for this collaboration between Single Carrot and Acme Corporation. Directed by Yury Urnov, written by Lola Pierson. This play examined authoritarian mythos and liberty.
Photos by Britt Olsen-Ecker

Putin On Ice, Bees

A fable of Zsa Zsa Gabor and bees!
Putin On Ice, Hamlet

Ophelia confronts Hamlet, Putin was definitely involved.
Putin on Ice, Romeo & Juliet

Romeo courts Juliet, though Putin was there in the form of the nurse!
Putin On Ice, Omnipresent

Putin is all around us

Overtime: Men at Work

Co-written/devised and co-directed with Jonathan Beller. Workshopped at SUNY Schenectady College and later presented at the MN Fringe.
Three desperate desk workers struggle to meet the demands of the office space rat race. Can they climb the corporate ladder, or will they lose their footing and slip, rung by rung, to the depths of depravity? Navigating their way through the monotony of the workday, these everymen face stark questions about their goals, motivations, scruples, and camaraderie.

Overtime: Men at Work explores issues relating to workplace gender roles and capitalist exploitation, and themes of thwarted ambition, individuality, disillusionment, and the American Dream-Turned-Nightmare. It’s a surreal romp with familiar iconography, quirky comedy, and a troubling undercurrent of struggles facing the typical working stiff.
Photos by Jarod Hanson.

Overtime: Men at Work Teaser

Co-written/devised and co-directed by myself and Jonathan Beller. Originally workshopped at SUNY Schenectady and later presented at MN Fringe.
Overtime Men at Work, Crunching Numbers

The workers try to crunch the numbers, but the bottom line doesn't look good!
Overtime Men at Work, Objectification

Office romances are best to be avoided, and objectification is strictly prohibited!
Overtime Men at Work, Stand-up Routine

Have you heard the one about the glass ceiling? It's in poor taste.
Overtime Men at Work, Deadline

Nothing gets me going like a goooood DEADLINE!
Overtime Men at Work, Sales Call

We'll go to any length to seal the deal!
Overtime Men at Work, Rise and Shine

The early bird gets the worm!
Overtime Men at Work, Keep Going

When you're going through hell, keep going!
Overtime Men at Work, Paperwork

Was it the TPS or the PO?!
Overtime Men at Work, Work

A twist on Beckett's "Play," we present "Work."