Producer, Director, and Facilitator.
Jenny Lavery is an Austin-based director with over 20 years of experience.
Producer
The stories we tell carry incredible weight in our society. It shapes how we think, feel, dream, and perceive other places and people. I delight most in working on and developing new plays that center on the underrepresented conversations of our time. As a storyteller, I use all of the resources at my disposal to tell a clear, cohesive, and engaging story that asks something of an audience.
Director
I've been told that I'm "an actor's director". Directing is a collaborative, iterative process where I discern what someone is bringing to the table and scaffold what the next steps are to get them to our ultimate goal. I shepherd all of the seemingly disparate elements of a project towards a singular, clear story.
Facilitator
I value and believe in curiosity, the power of shared experiences, and open communication. As a producer / director / moderator, I've seen how a well-curated shared experience can catalyze tremendously personal, authentic conversation that cuts deeper than polite dinner table talk. When we talk to people, we simultaneously unpack our thoughts and beliefs, while getting a keyhole into someone else's perceptions based on their lived experience. There's so much to learn, and know, and do.
Working With Jenny
“Jenny Lavery is both a powerhouse director and insightful dramaturg. As a writer of new works, Jenny’s deft and thoughtful notes challenged me to go deeper in my rewrites. As a performer of new works, I’ve witnessed Jenny direct actors back to the words on the page to honor the writer’s intention. Jenny doesn’t let you off the hook. She pushes you as hard as she pushes herself. The result is an elevated, honest, and powerful script and performance. Together with Jenny, you create more beauty in the world.”
“As a director and collaborator, Jenny is thoughtful, dedicated, curious and determined. She applies her gifts and her rigor to every element of production and her investment challenges and motivates the entire creative team. Her hard work combined with unabashed insight inspires deep engagement from artists and audiences, moving a play from the page to the stage in a wholly unique way.”
“Jenny brings into the room an unwavering trust of the process. We look at the story from every angle, and I have never felt more supported as an actor to fail with soaring colors. The works I created with Jenny are unforgettable, and truly some of the most special moments I’ve shared in a theater. ”
