Jayson serves as an adjunct Lighting Designer and Production Manager for Niagara University Theatre, designing several shows each season, as well as serving as Production Manager for the Short Play Festival every season. As part of his duties, he overseas student lighting crews and student stage managers for the Short Play Festival, and provides hands on training and instruction in the areas of Lighting and Production Management. He is also responsible for instructing the Lighting Design course, offering students an in-depth exploration of Lighting Design and execution.
NU Theatre
Jayson has professionally designed lighting for over 15 productions for Niagara University Theatre, including Urinetown the Musical, Bat Boy: The Musical, The Wrestling Season, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Pajama Game, The House of Bernarda Alba, The Wolves, Is He Dead?, The Firebugs, and The Short Play Festival (from 2013 to present). Jayson has also served as a faculty advisor to several student design capstone projects, including Little Shop of Horrors and Freaky Friday. He, along with his wife Katie, were also heard as the musical accompaniment to Niagara University Theatre’s production of Mother Hicks.
Professional Experience
As a lighting designer, Jayson has worked with numerous Buffalo theaters. Recent design credits include Sea Marks and ‘Tis a Pity She’s a Whore (Irish Classical Theatre Company), He Who Gets Slapped, Uncle Vanya, and Detour (Torn Space Theater), and Accidental Death on an Anarchist (Subversive Theatre). Jayson also served as the Technical Director for Torn Space Theater from 2013-2017, specializing in coordination of site-specific experimental installation theatrical performances.
Jayson has also served as a lighting and sound technician for concerts and theatre, working with numerous national touring acts such as OAR, Alice Cooper, Celtic Women, Rob Zombie, The Steve Miller Band, We the Kings, Cute is What We Aim For, and Grammy Award Winner Walter Whitman Jr. Jayson also served as a technician Off-Broadway with Epic Theatre Ensemble on their production of A More Perfect Union in NYC.
Jayson can additionally be seen on stages around Buffalo as a musician and actor, most recently in MusicalFare Theatre’s productions of Once and Pump Boys and Dinettes. He can also be found playing music at venues all over Western New York with several of his musical projects, including the 2016 Best of Buffalo Best New Band award winning Bluegrass group, The Rear View Ramblers.
Current Projects/Research
Jayson has most recently designed lighting for Irish Classical Theatre Company’s production of The Year of Magical Thinking.
Professional Affiliations
- American Federation of Musicians
Training
- B.F.A. – Theatre Design & Technology, Niagara University