We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jennifer Jackson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jennifer below.

Jennifer, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

I help run two companies that synergistically connect — The Classic Theatre and Legacy Plaza.

The Classic Theatre was inspired by the author’s intent given in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma”…it describes a radiant morning “focusing to keep alive a loveliness that may pass away.” We employ the lost model of old-school repertory theatre where the emphasis is investing in a group of artists, nurturing the expressive relationship between the artists, the art, and the local area it serves.

The name of Legacy Plaza, the venue upstairs of Oliver’s in downtown Lincoln, has a great name story. The “legacy” part came from my Dad and Uncle Gene and who are always asking my very large family (family gatherings are 50+ people) “what is the legacy of our family”? This question leads me forward always in service of others. The “plaza” part of the name came from my adventures last summer while vacationing in NY. My sister Dena was out to visit me because I was overwhelmed from recent heartache and loss. For the first time in my life, I couldn’t dream. Then, one rainy day, she and I and my nephew Judah in a stroller, ended up in The Plaza Hotel in NYC and eventually on a random private tour of the ballrooms at The Plaza. Underneath a chandelier, tears began to fall down my face and suddenly…I could dream again. From that point on, the vision of what The Classic and a space where we could host meaningful theatre and events as well as serve as a venue for others came raging forward.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I got my Bachelors in Theatre at Azusa Pacific University and my MFA in Acting from Regent University. From there, I went on a wild pathway of bi-coastal actor performing the gambit from Pirate Dinner Adventure, a stunt show in L.A., Virginia Musical Theatre, Virginia Rep, Sacramento Theatre Company, Cap Stage, Theatre for Humanity NYC, and so on…In addition, I enjoyed a brief stint as a talent agent and casting director at Studio Center (Virginia Beach, VA), acting teacher at Governor’s School for the Arts (Norfolk, VA), Associate Artistic Director and Producing Director at Americana Theatre Company (Plymouth, MA) for 10 years, and now theatre professor at Jessup University, and Founder/Producing Artistic Director at The Classic Theatre and Legacy Plaza.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

I believe that process informs product. The old adage, “It’s not personal, it’s business” I find to be deeply flawed. Every part of business run by people is personal because people are spending a good part of their lives doing business. Therefore, it is critical to understand the way that we do business can affect people’s lives forever. I know that I have, and will continue to make big mistakes, but my faith prompts me to begin and end with cherishing everyone with blatant disregard to status.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The Classic Theatre produced “The Gifts of the Magi” at the beautiful venue upstairs Oliver’s in downtown Lincoln, CA in 2021. We were set to perform again in 2022, but lost our funding in June. Through a series of pivots, possibilities, then closed doors, we realized we were not going to be able to do “The Gifts of the Magi” again in 2022. Weary from the hustle, I had almost raised the white flag, but then a member of The Classic, Kayla Johnston, came to me and said, “I’m ready…can we do something?” We decided on a cabaret, secured all the artists, then the space fell through. “You have got to be kidding me,” I thought. Now riled up enough to rebel against defeat, we threw a grand party for key stakeholders in the company and an artist party afterward at a secret location. 30 days from that party, we had half of our fundraising goal and are now running the venue upstairs Oliver’s under the name “Legacy Plaza”. I have since solidified my belief in the power of a good party, great people, and a shared dream.

Contact Info:

• Website: theclassictheatre.com, legacy-plaza.com
• Instagram: @the_classic_theatre @legacyplazalincoln
• Facebook: @theclassictheatre @legacyplaza

Image Credits
for The Classic Theatre’s production of “Gifts of the Magi” (pictured with Andy Phillips. PC: Lori Quinzon.). Americana Theatre Company’s production of “Boeing Boeing” (pictured with Kelly Dunn, Payton Gobeille. PC: Jesse Winton).  Red carpet premiere from Dinosaurs and Bumblebees film (PC: Kaitlin Jean Photography). Headshot (PC: Victoria Bradley)