About   J.Y.T.

Jean Yvonne (Jay) Tyson is a multidisciplinary storyteller based in Washington State.

While earning a B.A. in theatre and film & media studies at Whitman College, they have worked on over 15 season and student productions, gaining experience as a scenic designer, projection designer, and props master while also doing some work with costume design, acting, and sound design. Their passion for theatre revolves largely around the process of collaborating in order to unlock the world of a script, and they have a particular interest in exploring the relationship between psychology and design.

Jay has won several awards from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival including the National Award for Excellence in Scenic Design for their scenic/projection work on Whitman College's production of Ripe Frenzy, as well as awards for their contributions within Whitman's theatre department. In 2020 they were selected to be the Francis Starr Todd design fellow with the Seven Devil's Playwrights Conference, after which they began to work with the design team for square product theatre's production of Dance Nation, which was cancelled mid-development because of COVID-19. In 2021, they attended the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas' 8-week virtual program to continue expanding their breadth of knowledge in as many ways as possible.

(For more specification, see the resume on this page, or examples of theatrical work displayed here.)

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Outside of the theatre, Jay has put many hours into various styles of photography for personal interest and commissioned work. As a freelance photographer, they have conducted photoshoots for rising musicians and models, documented community and private events, had photographs published online, and sold prints from personal photographic experiments. They have also traveled locally and nationally to photograph concerts of well-known musicians (such as Joan Jett, Dr. John, Joss Stone, Michael Franti & The Spearheads, JD McPherson, and more), chronicle adventures (from transatlantic sails to African wildlife reserves), explore cultures, and further develop their photographic styles.

Other interests include: filmmaking, dabbling with music, researching random subjects, hunting for the world's best cannoli, studying the brain, and wondering how many times stop motion animators have had to restart a project because someone's sneeze accidentally uprooted a tiny garden.

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