Jaysen Wright ’09 Visits Grinnell

The audition workshop focuses on techniques for staging monologues and scenes, giving students the opportunity to work with Jaysen on preparing for professional post-Grinnell auditions.

Jaysen Wright is an actor and teaching artist based in Washington, DC. In his Suzuki workshop, Wright introduces Suzuki movement, a technique that was developed by Japanese director Tadashi Suzuki. His technique emphasizes an extremely physical regime, which trains actors to work from their core and builds discipline, strength, and focus.

The rigorous practice draws on martial arts influences and those of Japanese Noh, Kabuki, and the ancient Greek chorus.

Suzuki teaches that acting “begins and ends with the feet”; numerous exercises include controlled (and repetitive) forms of stomping and squatting that create a connected center and bring the body to the brink of exhaustion.

Wright has worked on The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Studio Theatre, Adventure Theatre, 1st Stage, The Welders, and The Inkwell. At Indiana University, Wright was recognized three times by the National Society of Arts and Letters for his work, ultimately earning a Career Chapter Award. He was also a cast member of The Rocky Horror Show, nominated in 2012 for a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Resident Musical. In addition to his acting career, Wright has taught courses for all ages in scene study, acting, playwriting, movement, Shakespeare, improv, and ensemble building at Indiana University, The Shakespeare Theatre, Arena Stage, and the Young Playwrights Theatre. He received his bachelor's in theatre at Grinnell College and his master's of fine arts in acting from Indiana University.