Born and raised in New York at the tail end of the 1980s, Jay Owen Eisenberg (he/him/his) has been deftly facilitating conversations from a young age. This is a natural consequence of growing up in a boisterous, Jewish, Sicilian-American household, with a mom from Flatbush (South Brooklyn) and a dad from Inwood (the tip of Manhattan).

 

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 and Stonestreet Screen Acting Studios. He was a first generation college student, and being one of the first in his family to attend college was an honor only slightly undermined by his choice to go to acting school.

 

Since 2011, he has worked in professional theater in New York City, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis.

​

Although both his kvetching-based upbringing and his conservatory-based actor training have equipped Jay with ample projection skills and the ability to quickly shift tactics, he is at his best when he can bring an understated, steady presence to the room: one that is characterized by deep listening, deep openness, and deep engagement. With an expert balance of levity, gravity, and humility, Jay's approach to 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, places, and resources they need in order to to flourish. Jay's experience as a multidisciplinary 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 perfect person for the job.

 

When he isn't working, Jay can usually be found singing his way through the American musical theatre canon, busting out his watercolors, and fantasizing about owning every fictional product in the ACME catalog.​

​

He lives in Northeast Minneapolis with his cat, Louis, and his guest room is always open to visiting artists.