Hi, I’m Jacob.
About Me
I’m a theatre artist based in chicago, il.
My work spans contemporary theatre, devised performance, and musicals. I am most drawn to projects that push formalistic and cultural boundaries.
Most recently, I presented a public reading of Daybreak - my new play with songs inspired by the research on awe - through the Chicago Cultural Center’s new play development residency. My recent acting work includes developing and performing roles in two world-premiere rock musicals, for which I also recorded original cast albums.
Originally from the Boston area, I now call the midwest home. I've worked with theaters such as Lyric Opera, The Artistic Home, Theatre Unspeakable, Metropolis Performing Arts Center, Piven Theatre, and Albany Park Theatre Project.
Alongside my performance work, I write and present about arts-based learning, cultural participation, and how creative practices shape the ways we think and work.
Over the years I've worked as an actor, director, producer, scenic designer, sex educator, researcher, strategist, facilitator, curriculum designer, organizational consultant, teaching artist, nonprofit leader, and playwright. At the core of all my work is an insatiable curiosity and a belief in the enduring power of the human spirit.
I hold a B.A. in Theatre from Northwestern University and an Ed.M. in Arts in Education from Harvard University.
If you’re looking for a collaborator, performer, facilitator, or creative partner—I’d love to connect.
Selected PRESS
“…noteworthy performances include Watson as Andarin, who makes a smarmy antagonist”
- Chicago Tribune, Prospera“Jacob Watson’s scenic design emphasizes otherworldly beauty”
— Chicago Critic, Melancholy Play“The production elements (by set designer Jacob Watson…) work well together to create a claustrophobic, post-apocalyptic world…”
— Arte y Vida Chicago, F*cking A“…a superb cast that had as much fun performing this long production as we had watching it”
- Around the Town Chicago, Twihard"Finely acted and evocatively staged…this one-hour play asks some of the hard questions we encounter in the course of growing up and growing old."
- Chicago Reader, Tell Me What You Remember“Strikingly authentic… the show’s greatest strength is its emotional honesty and ability to let queer people speak for themselves.”
— Splash Magazine, Sofa King Queer