Ross Jackson is a Thespian alum from Troupe 1699, Lake Hamilton High School in Pearcy, Arkansas. He is AEA Stage Manager and Instructor of Stage Management at Irvine Valley College, one of only 10 working black male AEA stage managers currently.
Jackson earned a B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and an MFA in Stage Management from the University of California, Irvine.
He gives credit to this Thespian experience for helping him achieve his current success. Jackson recalls, “At my second Thespian conference in Mena, Arkansas in 2007-08 school year I received the Thespian Spirit Award simply because I took the time to smile and say hello to everyone I met. I never forgot that. I was being recognized for something I did naturally and took for granted. Now, it’s a conscious part of how I approach my craft—with kindness and respect. We all deserve humanity, regardless of our backgrounds. I believe that my experience in ITS was an early indicator of how important that’s become to me at this time.”
