Who is this clown?
(No, really: she started as a clown)
Jesica Garrou was born to be a director. But to become a director, you have to start from the bottom. As a child, there was nothing she enjoyed more than going to the movies or the theatre. She worked as one of the children's entertainers at a local amusement park during high school, painting kid's faces and clowning around outside the tea cup ride.
In college, Jesica studied stage management and performance at Franklin Pierce University in southwestern New Hampshire as well as the Richmond International College in London and the National Theatre Institute in Waterford, Connecticut, and Stratford-upon-Avon, England.
She holds a B.A. in Mass Communications from Franklin Pierce, a Theatre Certificate from NTI, and professional certifications related to her work in online training and instructional design.
And she still knows how to paint a pretty convincing cat on a child's face.
"Creating Something From Nothing"
Jesica's Directing Philosophy
In this short video essay, Jesica explains her directing philosophy and how it informs her decisions both on and off stage.
CV
Skills & Accomplishments
These are some of the highlights from Jesica's storied career in the arts.
Director
Prologue from Bullet Points the Musical
Summer 2021
Video for a Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund full production of Bullet Points the Musical, a new work by Larry Daggett
Director
Tiny Empty Nest
June 2021
Streaming video production of a new work by David Beardsley
Director
TruSpeaks... Hear Our Voices Virtual Happy Hour
Spring 2021
Original musical recorded and presented on Zoom starring Broadway actress Lauren Molina and Skivvies bandmate Nick Cearly
Produced by James Rocco and Bob Ost
Director
Narnia, A Musical
January 2020
Featured acrobats, aerialists, 2 fight scenes with weapons and 56 actors of all ages
Director
Alice! An Original Musical
January 2019
Oversaw the writing and composing of the project as well as the direction.
Accolades from local press for costume and set design (including a table that lifted out of the stage).
Artistic Director
Stroll Haunted Yarmouth
2018 - 2020
This "traditional worth attending" began in just 2018 but is now a vital part of Yarmouth's Halloween celebrations.
Turned a historic meeting house, cemetery, and residence into a performance space.
Education Designer & Leader
Ogunquit Playhouse
Summer 2020
Hired to direct 2 shows as part of the education portion of the summer series,due to COVID-19 we made a rapid shift from the standard season of summer stock to online classes.
Wrote and ran classes for kids ages 5-7 to take over Zoom
Director
Maine Coast Waldorf Academy
Spring 2017
Directed the school's entry, The Complaint Department, for the Maine One Act Festival. This student-driven production was well-received, with two students receiving an all-cast award and the student sound engineer receiving the festival's only sound design award.
Training Development & Design
Aha Moments, LLC
2007 - Present
Specializing in online delivery of corporate training and performances. Highly-regarded and sought after, with frequent re-hires for additional projects.