about | Jay Owen Eisenberg

Jay Owen Eisenberg (he/him) is an actor, theatre-maker, and arts educator based in Minneapolis.

Onstage, he has performed at renowned regional gems like the Guthrie Theater, Penumbra Theatre, Mixed Blood, Jungle Theater, and Theater Latté Da, as well as Off-Broadway favorites like Ars Nova, The Public, Atlantic Theater Company, and the Gym at Judson. In 2016, he was one of the first openly transgender actors to join Actors' Equity Association. Known for his strong ensemble work, dynamic physical comedy and vocal versatility, Jay's favorite roles are multi-character chameleons.

A devoted champion of new works, Jay has supported the developmental processes of over 75 new plays and musicals as a creative producer, dramaturg, and director. From 2021 to 2024, he ran new works incubator WeAreMarried with co-founder Shelby Richardson. Jay loves working with solo artists, clowns, form-defying playwrights, big ensembles, established actors who are new to making their own work, and artists who do not self-identify as artists. He is here to help your work become more you.

As a playwright, Jay specializes in writing comedic, collaborative, heart-forward works that are tailored to the unique voices of young actors. These include BOO LA LA (Children's Theatre Company), a clown show about death, dying, and the afterlife, and FAB-U-LAND (Hamline University), a play that follows the descendants of a famous gay architect as they contend with the sudden discovery of their late grandfather's former partner (a demon). His next new play commission for young people involves a group of teenagers trapped on a cruise ship. He also writes plays for adults.

Jay is a nationally sought-after story advisor and casting consultant for theatre, film, and television, most notably for Grey's Anatomy. As an arts educator, he has taught for K-12 schools, universities, and arts organizations across the country, and he leads professional development sessions for teaching artists. In addition to teaching a wide range of acting and devising classes, Jay developed his Wellness for Artists curriculum for pre-professional artists in training.

He holds a BFA in Theatre from NYU Tisch School of the Arts (Experimental Theatre Wing), and he is a grad school dropout.

Current projects include:

Creating and directing FAB-U-LAND, a new play for Hamline University's Department of Performance, Production, and Community in April '25
Assistant directing Addie Gorlin-Han's production of FUN HOME at Theater Latté Da in April '25
Performing in the world premiere of WOAH, NELLIE! The Outlaw King of the Wild Middle West at History Theatre in Spring '25
Cultural consulting for CABARET at the Guthrie Theater in Spring '25.
Cultural consulting for SIGNIFICANT OTHER at Lyric Arts in Spring '25

Upcoming projects include:

Co-producing the second Edinburgh Festival Fringe run of Madeleine Rowe's smash hit solo show KNIGHT, KNIGHT in Summer '25
Directing a reading of reid tang's Work Hard, Have Fun, Make History at the Jungle Theater in Summer '25
Dramaturging a new play for History Theatre's RAW STAGES series in Fall '25
Co-creating and performing TWO BEAUTIFUL MERMAIDS with Madeleine Rowe at Open Eye Figure Theatre in Winter '26.
A new play commission for high schoolers in Winter '26
Making peace with the squirrels who live in his windowsill