KCACTF Region 1 Conference 57

Jess Wilson (they/she) is a former C-level executive leader with extensive experience as an actor, director, playwright, intimacy director, stage manager, tech, designer, and producer, and is the Managing and Artistic Director of the WatermelonAlligator Theatre Company. They are an accomplished author, consultant, executive coach, teaching artist, and speaker who conducts classes and workshops on culture transformation, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B), public speaking, leadership, empathy, and a wide range of theatre disciplines, and frequently speaks across the globe on a variety of healthcare, leadership, and humanitarian topics.

An experienced actor-combatant, Jess works as an Intimacy Director/Coordinator, Fight Captain, and Safety Coordinator for stage and film productions nationwide. They have directed for stage and films with many professional, community, and academic performing arts organizations in addition to WatermelonAlligator, including Helltown Players, the Eugene O’Neill New Works Festival in Provincetown, Danu Pictures, Midsummer Shakespeare, and Cape Cod Community College. Most recent directorial credits include the world premiere of Dreamsville (by Susan Lumenello; WATC), Karen (by Fermin Rojas) and Twist of Lemon (by Lynda Sturner, both with Helltown Players), and the New England premiere of The Way It Is (by Donna Hoke, WATC).

Notable past stage roles include Ruth (Miracle On South Division Street; WATC), Alex Klein (Church & State; WATC), Laurie (Lopsided; WATC), Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing; Midsummer Shakespeare/GHP), Helen (Fat Pig; WATC), Macbeth (Macbeth; Glass Horse Project), Titania (A Midsummer Night's Dream; Shakespeare on Vacation), M’Lynn (Steel Magnolias; Plymouth Community Theatre), Lenny (Crimes of the Heart; Bay Players), Dogberry (Much Ado About Nothing; PCT), and Megan in the world premiere of EA Kafkalas’ Lopsided (CCTC, PA).