JACOB G. PADRÓN

Jacob G. Padrón is the Founder and Co-Artistic Director of The Sol Project. 

 

He was previously on the artistic staff of The Public Theater in NYC as the Senior Line Producer where he worked on new plays, new musicals, Shakespeare in the Park, and Public Works. At The Public he supported the work of Tarell Alvin McCraney "Head of Passes," Zell Williams "Urban Retreat," Mary Kathryn Nagle "Manahatta," Universes "Party People," Stew & Heidi Rodewald "The Total Bent," Tracey Scott Wilson "Buzzer," Lemon Andersen "Toast," Richard Nelson "The Gabriels" Suzan-Lori Parks "Father Comes Home From the Wars, Parts 1, 2 and 3," Anna Deavere Smith "A Rap on Race", Shaina Taub & Kwame Kwei-Armah "Twelfth Night", and Daniel Sullivan’s production of "Troilus & Cressida," among others.

 

Prior to his post at The Public, Jacob was the Producer at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago where he supported the artistic programming in the Garage, Steppenwolf's second stage dedicated to new work, new artists and new audiences. In the Garage he produced new plays by Ike Holter ("Hit the Wall"), Christina Anderson ("Man in Love"), Janine Nabers ("Annie Bosh Is Missing"), Edith Freni ("Buena Vista"), and Aaron Carter ("The Gospel of Franklin"), among others. From 2008 to 2011, he was an Associate Producer at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Jacob was instrumental in producing all shows in the 11-play repertory. He was also a part of the producing team that transferred OSF productions to Seattle Rep, Berkeley Rep, Arena Stage and Brooklyn Academy of Music (Throne of Blood, Next Wave Festival). He was the producer of Suzan-Lori Parks "365 Days/365 Plays" for Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles under the guidance of Emilie Beck and his late mentor, Diane Rodriguez.

 

In addition to his leadership with The Sol Project, Jacob is the Artistic Director of the Tony Award-winning Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut. At Long Wharf he has commissioned, developed, and championed dozens of artists in the creation of new work including world premieres by Ricardo Pérez González ("On the Grounds of Belonging") and Eliana Pipes ("Dream Hou$e"). During his tenure, Jacob has supported several new programs, including Black Trans Women at the Center, a new play festival curated by Dane Figueroa Edidi and Play On My Block, which brought the musical, Passing Strange, to local neighborhoods. During the pandemic he launched One City, Many Stages – a year of emergent virtual programming that featured play readings, curated panels, and an online convening called “The Artistic Congress.” In the 2021 season, Long Wharf Theatre was honored with 19 Connecticut Critics Circle Award nominations, including for best production, "The Chinese Lady" by Lloyd Suh.

 

Jacob is on faculty at Yale School of Drama where he teaches artistic producing in the MFA theater management program. He has spoken on artistic leadership and cultural equity at universities across the country and was formerly on staff at Time Warner Inc. (HBO, Warner Bros., and Turner) in Cultural Investments where he supported the theater and film portfolios and identified storytellers for future media projects. He is an organizer with Elm City UROC and the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, and a member of the artistic council with People’s Theatre Project based in Washington Heights. He’s a proud alum of the SPARK leadership program administered by Theatre Communications Group.

 

A graduate of Loyola Marymount University (BA) and Yale School of Drama (MFA), Jacob’s first artistic home was El Teatro Campesino in San Juan Bautista, California.​ He dedicates the work of The Sol Project to Diane Rodriguez and Lisa Garcia Quiroz, whose support and guidance made our initiative possible.