Originally from Houston, TX, and based in NYC for almost two decades, Jesse Jou is an award-winning freelance theater director who works primarily on new or contemporary plays. Favorite projects include SAY YOU HEARD MY ECHO with spoken word artist Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai (HERE); THE BETROTHED by Dipika Guha and NEIGHBORHOOD 3: REQUISITION OF DOOM by Jennifer Haley (Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, Cape Cod, MA); THE NETFLIX PLAYS (Ars Nova); and HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE (FSU/Asolo Conservatory, Sarasota, FL). His work has also been seen at the Lark Play Development Center; the New York International Fringe Festival; The Kitchen Theatre Co. (Ithaca, NY); and the Yale Cabaret. He was the Artistic Director of the 2010 Yale Summer Cabaret and served as the Staff Repertory Director of The Acting Company. He is an alumnus of the Cherry Lane Mentor Project, the Drama League’s Directors Project, the Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab, and the Civilians R&D Group. MFA, Yale School of Drama.He is currently tenured faculty in the School of Theatre & Dance at Texas Tech University, where he teaches directing and acting for the theatre.In addition, Jesse has extensive experience as a writer/editor, having worked for many years in medical writing and editing and grant writing, both as a freelancer and in an academic medical setting.Specialties: Collaborative leader and manager, new play development, editorial and project management, event production.