His experience abounds:
Young is the Head of the Professional Actor Training Program at The University of Houston where he is a Professor of Acting and Movement (and the recipient of the University of Houston Alumni Association Distinguished Teaching Award). He is currently the Artistic Director of the Houston Shakespeare Festival. Prior to HSF, he served as Executive and Artistic Director for other successful theaters across the country, has worked with 10 different Shakespeare Festivals, is a Certified Teacher and Fight Director for the Society of American Fight Directors, has choreographed violence for over 100 productions, has Directed over 120 productions, and is a celebrated actor in his own right.
He is also happens to be the director of Titan Theatre Company's final production of the 2015/16 season, Julius Caesar.
With such a prolific professional resume, I was curious to talk to Jack Young about his personal thoughts on the theatre. He graciously obliged.
Check out his interview below!
Theatre is where I can blend my love of history, art, music, people, language, logistics and transformation.
- Let's start at the beginning: what lead you to a life in the theatre?
Southern upbringing blended with Irish gift of the gab--family gatherings were telling family stories--add in, as a kid, listening to comedy recordings, creating "haunted houses" in neighborhood garages to scare the younger kids, being lousy at sports in a neighborhood full of All-Stars (made me work harder in movement classes), playing piano competitions and flute in the school band, and working in a high school drama group that raised $ for our shows by serving as the tech/production team for a ballet company--theatre is where I can blend my love of history, art, music, people, language, logistics and transformation
- So - what was your first experience with Shakespeare?
The first I can remember is my mom dragging my siblings and I in to watch the Bill Ball TAMING OF THE SHREW that was broadcast on PBS--none of us had any interest in coming indoors to watch some dumb play, but then the language and the physicality grabbed us all--
I didn't get to perform any until way late into graduate training--I spent much of my early time doing new plays (apprentice at Actors Theatre of Louisville) but working with living playwrights gave me insights into the crafting of dialogue, character and structure. I figure BillyBard must have brought the same attention and drive to his work.