We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jacole Kitchen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jacole, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with a fun one – what’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?

I strongly believe we have the power to change the landscape of the American Theatre. Who’s stories are being told, who is hired to tell those stories, and who is invited to view them. I am not the only one who holds this belief. I have faith that change is not only possible but inevitable. There are many folks who are uninterested and even resistant to change, but like any good revolution, resistance is futile.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am a multifaceted theatre professional with a background in casting, directing, producing, teaching and artist management. I have deep roots in the San Diego theatre community, but I started my career in Los Angeles as a bicoastal talent agent, representing theatre actors, directors and choreographers. I came to San Diego in 2012 as the casting director and artistic associate for San Diego Repertory Theatre, and since have been provided opportunities for leadership within this community in a myriad of ways. I am currently the Director of Arts Engagement and In-House Casting at La Jolla Playhouse, and I also work closely with the UCSD MFA acting program. Additionally, I teach individualized instruction in acting, audition prep, and professional development. I am also a freelance director, with a play currently in production with Roustabouts Theatre Company called, IRON. It runs through June 25. IRON is an amazing journey of self-exploration of two women – one is serving a life sentence in prison for having killed her husband, the other is the daughter who she hasn’t seen the twenty years since the murder. It’s a thrilling story in itself, but in this production, the two women playing these characters are an actual mother and daughter. It’s been a wild ride, and the result is absolutely stunning. I’m so excited for people to experience this play with us.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I am more than fifteen years into my career in professional theatre. I have worked at numerous organizations, either as an employee, or a contracted artist, and in just about every one of those spaces, I was the only, or one of few black women, much less black person, who worked there. In any capacity. And in the spaces where that wasn’t the case, it was because we intentionally created that space for ourselves and each other to have a safe place to do the work. My goal, my duty as a leader in this community and in this industry is to change the make up of who is in the room and who has a voice in the decision making.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

As theatre artists, over the past two years we have had to rethink so much of what we do. The COVID pandemic shut down live theatre – full stop. And then the social reckoning that came to a full head with the death of George Floyd and so many others that spring and summer, brought about a document that is not well known outside of the theatre community called, We See You White American Theatre (WSYWAT). This document forced predominately white theatres (PWT’s) and all theatre makers to reflect on their practices and reconsider the treatment and representation of theatre artists – especially artists of color, and specifically Black artists. As an institution we had to unlearn a whole heap of notions and practices that we will continue to unpack and unlearn, but personally, I have had to unlearn my silence – my acceptance of unjust practices. There are practices that have long been accepted in the theatre industry because they always been there. Long hours, eccentric personalities, egos, racial inequality, low pay, predominately white casts, creative teams and audience members. The thing that I have had to unlearn is that just because something always has been, doesn’t mean it always should be. We have the power to change things. And that power starts with our voice. Raising a hand and saying, something about this doesn’t feel right. Not just noticing something isn’t right, but speaking it into the room to try to figure out how to make it more just. It isn’t always easy, but it is necessary. We are taught as young professionals, especially as women and specifically as women of color, to stay in our lane. Only speak when we have something relevant to our expertise to add. But as a woman of color, my personal experience of being systemically left out of conversations and seeing the end result is part of my expertise, so it is an area in which I greatly have something to contribute. The road has been a little bumpy in my unlearning. I’ve also had to learn a bit of tact, but the results have been pretty astonishing. Advocacy builds allyship, and it all starts with a single voice.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacole.kitchen/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacole-kitchen-a171386a/