In the News: Victory Gardens appoints Geoffrey Jackson Scott as its Director of New Play Development

Victory Gardens appoints Geoffrey Jackson Scott as its Director of New Play Development

Geoffrey Jackson Scott

Today Victory Gardens Theater announces the appointment of Director of New Play Development Geoffrey Jackson Scott.  In this newly-created position, Geoffrey Jackson Scott will serve to further develop Victory Gardens as the home to bold voices of world premiere theater.  He will be responsible for the cultivation, development and production of new plays and theater work, and dramaturgy.  He will also manage the literary office.  His position is within the VG Artistic Department, which also includes Artistic Director Chay Yew, Associate Artistic Director Sandy Shinner and Associate Producer Will Rogers.

“We are extremely pleased to have Geoffrey complete our artistic staff and return to his hometown of Chicago. I've loved working and collaborating with him on new plays for many years. I know he will bring his immeasurable experience, commitment and passion for new theatre work to VictoryGardens,” comments Chay Yew.

Geoffrey Jackson Scott has spent the last decade supporting the development of some of the field's most exciting contemporary theater makers.  Most recently, he spent eight seasons at New York Theatre Workshop under the leadership of Artistic Director James C. Nicola, first as Literary Fellow through its Emerging Artist Fellowship program from 2004-2006 and subsequently as Literary Associate from 2006-2012.  At NYTW, Jackson Scott supported the development and/or production of new work from companies, playwrights and directors such as Elevator Repair Service, UNIVERSES, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Edith Freni, Jordan Seavey, Thomas Bradshaw, Betty Shamieh, Matthew Lopez, Jackie Sibblies Drury, Christopher Oscar Peña, May Adrales, Andrew Ondrecjak and Julin Mesri. 

From 2007-2009, Jackson Scott served as co-curator of The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center’s Prelude Festival.  During his tenure, the festival expanded to more directly foster an environment in which artists and audiences could gather and engage with those issues and concerns that motivate contemporary creative work.  As Prelude co-curator, Jackson Scott presented the work of artists such as Judith Malina/The Living Theatre, Aaron Landsman, John Jesurun, Dan Safer/Witness Relocation, Phil Soltanoff/Mad Dog Experimental, National Theatre of the United States of America, David Levine, Richard Foreman and Marina Abramovic. 

Prior to New York, Jackson Scott resided in Chicago where he spent a season in residence with Roadworks Productions as Associate Artistic Director.  He holds a BA in Theatre with a Concentration in Directing from Columbia College Chicago and an MA in Media Studies with a dual concentration in Technology and Society and Visual Culture and Cultural Studies from New York University.

Soleil's To-Dos welcomes you home, Geoffrey!