bio
Born and raised in New York, Jay Owen Eisenberg has been deftly facilitating challenging conversations from a young age. This is a natural consequence of growing up with a mom from Flatbush and a dad from Inwood, in a boisterous, Jewish, Sicilian-American household. When dinner table debates feature passionate opinions shouted in English, Yiddish and Italian, you learn the value of picking your battles.
Jay holds a BFA in Acting from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he studied in the Experimental Theatre Wing. Since 2011, he has focused on performing and practicing applied theatre in educational and community settings in New York City, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis.
Although both his argument-based upbringing and his conservatory-based actor training have equipped Jay with ample projection skills, he is at his best when he can bring an understated, steady power to the room: one that is characterized by deep listening, deep presence, and deep engagement. His approach to his artistry and his work has been described as "quietly charismatic," "fearless" and "startlingly tuned in." He believes there is time enough to go slow.
Jay thrives in collaboration, and he is passionate about facilitating and sustaining creative partnerships. He is committed to connecting artists with the people and resources they need in order to to flourish. Jay's experience as a multidisciplinary theatre artist, educator, and consultant has supported him in building a diverse, robust network of collaborators across the country and the globe. If you've got a role to fill, chances are he can connect you with the collaborator of your dreams.
All that said, Jay maintains that he "is not his work" and is in fact "just some guy." When he isn't working, he can usually be found researching the history of musical theatre, lifting weights and people-watching at the YWCA, and reading old gay pulp novels.
He currently splits his time between Minneapolis and NYC.
Wherever he is, you can also find his wonderful cat, Louis.