Jessica Jahn
Jessica Jahn A graduate of Rutgers University, with degrees in both Dance and Psychology, Jessica Jahn danced professionally in NYC before beginning a career in design. She has had the opportunity to work with directors such as Tina Landau, Tommy Kail, Francesca Zambello, Charles Randolph Wright, Tazewell Thompson, Leisel Tommy, Diane Paulus and Jessica Blank, as well as writers/composers Charles Fuller, Norah Ephron, Andrea Davis Pinkney, Kevin Puts, Jake Heggie, Steve Earle, Tracy K. Smith, Mark Campbell and Charles Busch. Known for her work in the traditional repertoire, she is also dedicated to innovative work within her field. Jessica collaborated on one of the earliest performances of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s In The Red and Brown Water, directed by Tina Landau. She designed Blue, written by Tazewell Thompson and composed by Jeanine Tesori, winner of the MCANA Award for Best New Opera, and worked with Jessica Blank, Eric Jensen and Steve Earle on The Public’s world premiere of Coal Country. She was awarded both the Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk for her design of Charles Busch’s The Confession of Lily Dare. Jessica’s dedication to racial and social justice is based on her lived experience as a black woman, and she takes a holistic approach to her work through the lens of equity. Currently, she is a member of the steering committees of Opera America’s Women’s Opera Network (WON) and Racial Justice Opera Network (RJON), as well as the Opera America Board’s Membership Committee. She served as the inaugural chair to the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) committee at the Glimmerglass Festival and was the coordinator for their equity initiatives. She finds particular enthusiasm for her work with The Open Stage Project and Children of Promise NYC, organizations that provide mentorships and empower young people. Jessica is also an Adjunct Costume Design Professor with Brandeis University’s Theatre Arts Department, as well as Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts, and New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
