The 2024-26 New Georges Jam

Artist-led and collaboration-based, The Jam was founded in 2010 as a group for early-career playwrights and directors, and it’s sure been a kick to see it evolve to reflect how artists create now. This cycle, we ecstatically welcome a crowd of intergenerational iconoclasts making work in a multitude of theatrical disciplines. Meet them below and consider the mini-bios a teaser… click on their websites or give ’em a Google to see just how accomplished they all are.

You can stay in The Jam for as long as it serves you, and our 12 new Jammers join 15 who return (some as active collaborators, some as community members): Liz Appel, Lyndsey Bourne, Ellarose Chary, Amina Henry, Kimille Howard, Charlene Jean, Alex Keegan, Katelynn Kenney, Divya Magwani, Eli Nixon, Nadira Simone, Ashley Olivea Teague and of course brilliant Jam co-facilitators Thalia Sablon, Dina Vovsi, and Deepali Mattoo Gupta Zeer. Learn more about them here!

EMILY ABRAMS is a director of theatre, circus, and vibes. Her work is heavily influenced by the Theatre-of-the-Ridiculous movement, camp, parody, clown, and midnight-cult-classic movies. She is super weird. But also nice. she/her EmilyAbramsDirects.com

NJ AGWUNA is a director of stage and screen and accomplished voice actor. She’s worked nationally/internationally exploring classics, developing and devising theatrical experiences through spectacle. Drama League Alum, Tectonic Theatre Project Member. Directing MFA- Columbia; SDC. she/they njagwuna.com

HYOJEONG CHOI I am a writer who likes to write – or think about writing – about physics, women, existential crises, myths, democracy, colonialism, psychological disorders, sex, and love. I may have a penchant for tragedy. she/her hyojeongchoi.com

ABIGAIL GAMPEL in the present. Bringing her worlds into theatrical union–an exploration of care giving and drawing the human body, learned shame sung into sacred rage, walking the precipice of longing into belonging, as mortality nears and re-membering is joyous. she/her

CARSEN JOENK is a director, sound designer, co-AD of Rat Queen Theatre Company, co-founder of interactive media company Sour Milk, former Clubbed Thumb Directing Fellow, lover of fancy dress, and hater of cooked carrots. she/her carsen-joenk.com

ANN KREITMAN writes, directs, and clowns their way through plays and non-plays with queer archives as their favorite collaborator. In 2020, Ann co-founded the LGBTQ Iowa Archives & Library to preserve and share Iowa’s queer history. any pronouns annkreitman.com

CATE McCREA is a scenographer specializing in collaborative development of new works. Recent design credits: The Keep Going Songs (LCT3), Uncle! (The Kitchen), The Good John Proctor (Bedlam), Corsicana (Playwrights Horizons, co-design). she/her catemccrea.com

LIZ MORGAN is a Caribbean-American actor, writer, deviser, cultural worker and Theatre of the Oppressed Joker. She can direct and produce in a pinch. MFA: Brown/Trinity Rep. she/her lizmorganonline.com

GRACE OBERHOFER is a Tacoma, WA, native and a composer, writer, performer, sound designer, educator, and occasional mime who often tells stories about women who are not perfect, but rather, amazing. she/her graceoberhofer.com

VIOLETA PICAYO is a bilingual Cuban-American director, choreographer, and actor. She believes the imagination is our greatest tool for compassion and social change, and the theater is where we gather to practice this together. she/her/ella VioletaPicayo.com

SOPHIE SAGAN-GUTHERZ’s practice involves writing, producing, acting and singing across stage and screen. They’ve applied to The Jam since 2020–don’t give up! And put disabled people in leadership positions! they/them sophiesagangutherz.com.

MARISSA JOYCE STAMPS is a Black, Haitian-American, NYC-born + based writer, director, choreographer, performer, and educator who creates vortexes centering Black folks through an Afrosurrealist lens, often in dialogue with kinetics and landscape dramaturgy. she/her marissajoycestamps.com