I grew up in the suburbs about an hour north of New York City. It was an absolutely beautiful place to grow up in; it was very picturesque and heavily wooded. I often tell people that there are more deer than people where I live (however I can't swear by the veracity in this statement). I'm the baby of my family and whether I was chasing my brother around the house trying to get him to play video games, or putting up a comedic play  with my cousins at Thanksgiving, I was known as the "energizer bunny". In an attempt to focus this energy, my parents entered me into, what I like to call, the short-lived sports phase of my life. From soccer to lacrosse to baseball I tried many a sport, but nothing gave me that 'home run' feeling.  Finally my mom decided to put me in a tap dance class. I was a little suspicious when I entered the room and found only one other boy my age there. But when my tap teacher told me I could stomp around the room as loudly as I wanted to, all of my energy was suddenly laser focused. I'll never forget my first tap recital (dancing to "Shook Me All Night Long" by ACDC, fully decked out in a studded, rock n' roll themed costume). I felt free and alive on the stage in a way that I hadn't been able to express before discovering dance.

 

After this first experience I immediately wanted to try more, so I joined jazz and ballet classes, which then led me to theater. The first production I remember being in was "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" at Camp Walt Whitman. As a third grader, I felt blessed that I was cast as Willy Wonka. I sang "Pure Imagination" with an intense sense of pride and happiness.

As cheesy as it sounds, being in the theater world opened up a whole new universe of imagination for me. It was so exciting to find a group of friends who shared the same passion for telling stories. Theater illuminated the spark I wish to share with other story tellers, artists, and audience members.

Besides performing, I'm interested in writing and creating my own sketch comedy material. I'm currently taking classes at Upright Citizens Brigade.

 

The first rule in comedy and improv is to say yes. I'm an artist unafraid to embrace this rule in all aspects of my life. If you're someone who also loves to say yes, this focused, self-proclamed "energerizer bunny" would love to work with you. 

 

 

 

 

About Jake