JERRELL L. HENDERSON
EDUCATION UNIVERSITY TRAINING: Northwestern University M.F.A., Directing, September 2012 - December 2015 The Pennsylvania State University B.A., Theatre Arts, July 1999 - August 2003
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING: A Miniature Universe: Intro to Toy Theatre Table top toy theatre puppetry workshop with Blair Thomas, August 2020 Experiments in Light and Shadow: Shadow Puppetry Table top shadow puppetry workshop with Tom Lee, August 2020 Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center: National Puppetry Conference Week long immersive puppetry workshop with special focus on shadow puppetry, June 2020 The Puppet and its Double: Workshop with Blair Thomas Puppet Workshop with Blair Thomas, November 2019 Shadowlight Productions Cinematic Shadow Theatre Masterclass with Larry Reed, July 2019 Directors Gathering of Philadelphia Avant-Garde Theatre Masterclass with Liz Diamond, February 2017 Lincoln Center Theater Directors Laboratory Participating Director, July 2012 - August 2012 Walnut Street Theatre The Actor/Director Collective, Seth Rozin & Ellen Tobie-Instructors, Participating Director, Fall 2006 The Actor/Director Collective, Seth Rozin & Ellen Tobie-Instructors, Participating Actor, Fall 2003 Dorothy Haas Acting Apprenticeship, Actor, September 2003 - June 2004
UNIVERSITY TEACHING & MENTORING CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY: Assistant Professor CMAT 2030: Basic Speech Comm CMAT 2310: African American Cinema CMAT 2040: Intro to Theatre
ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF THEATRE AND DANCE: Guest Lecture THE 152: Intro to Theatre, History of Blackface, November 13, 2017 & April 9, 2018
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY: Adjunct Professor 341-3 Sec. 21: Acting II: Realism, March 2017 – June 2017 349-3: Senior Acting Class, March 2017 – June 2017
FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE: Visiting Assistant Professor TDF 186: Acting I: Building The Creative Imagination, August 2016 – December 2016 TDF 495: Senior Seminar: Bridge To The Next, August 2016 – December 2016 TDF 271: African American Drama: Defining the Struggle, January 2016 – May 2016 TDF 285: Acting 2: Greek Theatre & Beyond, January 2016 – May 2016
FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE: Undergraduate Directing Mentor TDF 490: Independent Study: The Skriker, August 2016 – December 2016
FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE: Guest Lecture ENG 207: American Literature 2, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, March 10, 2016
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS, IRA BRIND SCHOOL OF THEATRE ARTS: Guest Lecture THEA 352: Theatre History, August Wilson, April 22, 2016
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY: Graduate Instructor Fundamentals of Directing, March 2015 – June 2015
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY: Graduate Teaching Assistant Fundamentals of Directing, March 2014 – June 2014
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY: Graduate Mentor Good People by David Lindsay-Abaire, Fall 2014
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY: Mentoring Various Courses, Fall 2012 - Fall 2015
PROFESSIONAL TEACHING Actors Training Center, February 2018 – August 2020 Served as a weekly instructor for the class, The Power of “IF.”
Court Theatre, October 2017 – December 2017 Served as a weekly monologue coach at Dyett High School for the August Wilson Monologue Competition.
Chicago Shakespeare Theater, October 2017 Served as an instructor for two workshops focusing on character and story development through staging.
The National High School Institute: Northwestern University, June 2017 – July 2018 Served as an instructor and director for NHSI 2017 & 2018.
McCarter Theatre Center, November 2011 – June 2012 Served as an instructor for a weekly after-school theatrical development program dedicated to introducing middle school students to the fundamentals of theatrical storytelling.
George Street Playhouse, October 2011 – May 2012 Served as an instructor for a weekly after-school theatrical development program dedicated to introducing 3rd & 4th grade students to the fundamentals of theatrical storytelling.
Walnut Street Theatre, September 2003 – April 2016** (September 2003 – April 2012) Served as an instructor for weekly youth and teen acting classes dedicated to introducing predominantly first time students to the beginning principals of theatrical performance techniques.
(January 2009 – August 2016) Served as an instructor for weekly classes introducing primarily first time adult students to the beginning principals of theatrical performance techniques.
(2003 – 2016) Served as instructor and director for Camp Walnut. ** 2007 Philadelphia Theatre Barrymore Award for Teaching Artist of the Year
TEACHING INTERESTS Theatrical Directing Acting: American Realism Acting: Heightened Texts – Classical & Contemporary African American Drama & Theatre History African American Cinema History of Minstrelsy: Discovering the American Minstrel Show African American Female Playwrights – Angelina Weld Grimké to Danai Gurira Staging Black Protest World Myths in Contemporary Theatre Audition Technique: A Class for Actors and Directors Improvisation, Ensemble Building & The Creative Imagination Storytelling Shadow Puppetry & The Blues Memory
PUPPET FILM SHORTS Production Producer Year I Am The Bear Chicago International Puppet Festival 2021 Diamond’s Dream Chicago Children’s Theatre 2021 Hamlin Handmade Puppet Dreams 2021
On-Site Puppet/Spectacle Performances: Production Director Producer Year The Welcome Table: Juneteenth JLH/Jessica Thebus Art of Spontaneous Spectacle 2020 Black Butterfly: A Tribute Jerrell L. Henderson Art of Spontaneous Spectacle 2020 Black Butterfly (Educational Component) JLH/Tria Smith AOSS/Urban Growers Coll. 2020 I Am The Bear Blair Thomas ChiPuppetFest 2021
DIRECTING Production Playwright Producer Year CSU Theatre 2021 NPF (Virtual) Various Chicago State University/CMAT 2021 Cell Surface (Virtual) Dominick Taylor Black Lives, Black Words 2020 Mlima’s Tale* Lynn Nottage Griffin Theatre 2020 Thurgood George Stevens Jr. Walnut Street Theatre: St. 3 2020 CSU Theatre/Enter the Theatre Zone Various Chicago State University/CMAT 2020 The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show Jonathan Rockefeller Chicago Children’s Theatre 2019 The River Jez Butterworth BoHo Theatre 2019 Untitled** Inua Ellams Inis Nua Theatre 2019 The Dark at the Top of the Stairs William Inge Eclipse Theatre 2018 Salt Pepper Ketchup Josh Wilder Passage/InterAct Theatre 2018 Curious Incident… Simon Stephens NHSI/Northwestern University 2018 Caged NJ Prison Cooperative Passage Theatre 2018 Decision Day Abigail Henkin Pegasus Thea. Yng. Playwrights 2018 In The Red And Brown Water Tarell Alvin McCraney Northwestern University 2017 3 American Myths… Jerrell L. Henderson NHSI/Northwestern University 2017 Bud, Not Buddy Reginald A. Jackson Children’s Theatre of Charlotte 2017 The Caucasian Chalk Circle Bertolt Brecht Franklin & Marshall College 2016 The 24 Hour Plays: Living Dead Girl John Reshetar Creative Works of Lancaster 2016 Trouble In Mind Alice Childress Franklin & Marshall College 2016 A Year With Frog & Toad Willie Reale Imagine U: Northwestern U. 2015 The Biltmore Academy Jeffrey James Keyes Prologue: Landmark Festival 2015 Fabulation or, The Re-Education of Undine Lynn Nottage Northwestern University 2015 The Little Foxes Lillian Hellman Northwestern University 2014 Marisol Jose Rivera Northwestern University 2013 The Boy Who Cried Bully Tom Quinn Walnut St. Theatre Outreach 2011 Back To The 80’s*** Neil Gooding West Catholic High School 2011 Young Voices Monologue Festival Various PYP/InterAct Theatre 2011 West Side Story*** Arthur Laurents West Catholic High School 2010 In The Blood*** Suzan-Lori Parks Allens Lane Art Center 2010 If You Take A Mouse To School Ernie Nolan Walnut St. Theatre Outreach 2010 Young Voices Monologue Festival Various PYP/InterAct Theatre 2010 I Never Saw Another Butterfly Celeste Raspanti Walnut St. Theatre Outreach 2010 The Wiz*** William F. Brown West Catholic High School 2009 Zooman and the Sign Charles Fuller Allens Lane Art Center 2009 Martin & Malcolm Tom Quinn Walnut St. Theatre Outreach 2009 Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters*** Karen Abbot Walnut St. Theatre Outreach 2008 The Ugly Princess Brandi Riley Omoba Art and Theatre 2007 Stuart Little Joseph Robinette Walnut St. Theatre Outreach 2007 * Jeff Award Nomination for Direction and Best Play ** Philadelphia Theatre Barrymore Nomination for Outstanding Direction of a Play *** Served as Choreographer
ASSISTANT DIRECTING Production Director Producer Year Short Shakes: Macbeth Marti Lyons Chicago Shakespeare Theater 2019 Feathers and Teeth Henry Godinez Goodman Theatre 2015 Hushabye Yasen Peyankov Steppenwolf Theatre 2014 This Is Our Youth Anna D. Shapiro Steppenwolf Theatre 2014 In The Garden: A Darwinian Love Story Jessica Thebus Lookingglass Theatre 2014 The Jungle Book Mary Zimmerman Goodman Theatre 2013 Holiday Jubilee Rick Sordelet Crossroads Theatre 2012 Sizwe Bansi Is Dead Peter DeLaurier Lantern Theater 2009
READINGS/WORKSHOP PRODUCTIONS Production Producer Year Something Like A War 11th Hour Theatre 2019 Red Summer MPAACT/Fleetwood-Jordain Theatre 2018 Elegy for Miss Lucy Tsehaye Geralyn Hebert 2017 The Freaks of Mercy Chicago Dramatists: The Saturday Series 2017 Dan From Brazil MFA Playwright-Director Seminar/Northwestern U. 2017 Dead of Night & I Get the Blues… Black Lives, Black Words Festival 2015 The Healer: A Workshop Production Pegasus Theatre Chicago/Spring Muse Festival 2015 The Earth Under Our Feet MFA Playwright-Director Seminar/Northwestern U. 2015 Zoo Burger Masterclash/Northwestern U. 2015 Coma Masterclash/Northwestern U. 2014 My Corgi is a Costume MFA Playwright Showcase/Northwestern U. 2014 Truth Tuesday MFA Playwright Showcase/Northwestern U. 2014 Quit Masterclash/Northwestern U. 2013
PERFORMING Role Production Producer Director Year Butterfly Black Butterfly: A Tribute Art of Spontaneous Spectacle Jerrell L. Henderson 2020 Puppeteer/The Bear I Am The Bear ChiPuppetFest Blair Thomas 2021 Ancestor The Welcome Table Art of Spontaneous Spectacle Jerrell L. Henderson 2020 Various I Am The Bear O’Neill Puppetry Conference ‘20 Jerrell L. Henderson 2020 Various I Am The Bear POCI Puppet Cabaret Jerrell L. Henderson 2019 Doctor/Trouble In The Blood Allens Lane Art Center Jerrell L. Henderson 2010 Greer In Arabia We’d All Be,... Secret Room Productions C. R. Domingues 2009 Storyteller Once Upon A Nation Historic Philadelphia, Inc. Geoffrey Berwind 2009 Lydia Languish The Rivals: A Drag Comedy To The Wall Productions Christiana Molldrem 2008 Moses Herschel The Handless Cardboard Box Collective Mindy A. Beers 2008 Boy Willie (u/s) The Piano Lesson Arden Theatre Company Walter Dallas 2008 Acaste The Misanthrope Mauckingbird Theatre Peter Reynolds 2008 Sebastian The Ugly Princess Omoba Art and Theatre Jerrell L. Henderson 2007 Ens. (u/s perf.) The Living News National Constitution Center David Bradley 2007 Principal Blandsworth Miss Nelson…Field Day Walnut St. Theatre Susan N. Quinn 2007 Tonton Julian Once On This Island Theatre Horizon Matt Decker 2007 Jason Medea The Pros From Dover John Kozempel 2007 George Gibbs Our Town Ritz Theatre Bruce A. Curless 2007 Caterpillar/Ens. Alice in Wonderland Curio Theatre Gay Carducci 2006 Player King/Osric/Ens. Hamlet PA Shakes. Will Power Erin Hurley Sheffield 2006 Ensemble Love Unpunished Pig Iron Theatre Dan Rothenberg 2006 Honey Camden Brown Member of the Wedding People’s Light & Theatre Abigail Adams 2005 Cobweb A Midsummer Night’s Dr. People’s Light & Theatre Nick Olcott 2005 Ebenezer Scrooge A Christmas Carol Theatre IV Joy Williams 2004 Gus the Horse The Little Red Hen Theatre IV Joy Williams 2004 Thomas (u/s perf.) The Philadelphia Story Walnut St. Theatre Malcolm Black 2004 Ens. (u/s perf.) Annie Walnut St. Theatre Charles Abbott 2003 Ghost of X-mas Pres. A Christmas Carol Walnut St. Theatre Bill Felty 2003 W.E.B Dubois/Ens. Freedom Riders Walnut St. Theatre Outreach Doug Durlacher 2003 The Boxman Boxheads Walnut St. Theatre Outreach Bill Van Horn 2003 Wolf Red vs. The Wolf Walnut St. Theatre Outreach Jackie Turner 2003 Demetrius/Beatrice Shakespeare’s Women Walnut St. Theatre Outreach Doug Durlacher 2003 Cheshire Cat/Ens. Six Impossible Things… Next Stage, Inc. Susan Riddiford 2003 Sebastian The Tempest PSU School of Theatre Robert Vernon 2002 Rashad The Meeting Loaves and Fishes Rep. Charles Dumas 2002 Performer Various NJ State Aquarium Jim Murtha 2001 Fred Bailey The Skin of Our Teeth PSU School of Theatre Robert Leonard 1999