| Jay Tilley is a non-union actor who has appeared in nearly 50 stage productions throughout the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area since making his theatrical debut in July 1999. A two-time WATCH award nominee, Jay has performed with numerous community, dinner and professional theatres in the Potomac Region in productions ranging from musicals and light operas to contemporary comedies and dramas to classical. He has played a variety of characters including a warlock, ghosts, gamblers, faithful sidekicks, a beast, men of the cloth, kings, cops, an assassin, members of the Continental Congress, a creepy flasher, a samurai master, a vainglorious Roman, a mentally handicapped man, Elvis, Marcus Brutus, an obnoxious radio personality, an evil female cook, a Jewish moneylender, the legendary Orson Welles and even God. In addition to his stage experience, Jay has dabbled in some local film, television and photo shoot work. He has also studied acting locally with Helen Hayes award winner Rick Foucheux as well as classical voice locally with Peggy Molinaro. Jay also studied classical voice at the University of South Carolina with Dr. Richard Conant while a member of Dr. Conant's nationally recognized show choir, Carolina Alive! Jay began his "career" in his hometown of Bristol, VA as a shy but eager child singing solos in grade school productions and church as well as junior high and high school chorus, eventually earning spots in the all-region, all-state and honors choirs. As a member of Carolina Alive!, Jay had the privilege of performing at a variety of state events, including the South Carolina State Fair and the 1994 South Carolina Republican Convention, as well as appearing onstage with the Beach Boys on the Disney cruise ship, The Big Red Boat, in The Bahamas in 1995. After receiving his B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications, Jay headed west to Sedona, AZ to pursue a sports writing career. Unhappy, poor, restless and unsatisfied with his career choice, Jay sought solace in an acting workshop at the Sedona Arts Center with San Diego acting instructor Florene Villane and Roy Werner - who has since made appearances in TV shows, such as Profiler, Alias, CSI: Miami, Veronica Mars and Commander in Chief - and it was official; the acting bug had bitten him. Just months after moving to the DC area, Jay went to his first audition and was cast in the ensemble of a community theatre production of Oklahoma! with C.A.S.T. in McLean. Since then, he has had the pleasure and privilege of working with some of the finest actors and directors from the Potomac Region and beyond. In 2004, for example, Jay worked with well-known New York actor, writer and director John Driver on his original samurai musical, Ride The Winds, as the lead character of Tokusan at the Laurel Mill Playhouse in 2004. Another highlight in Jay's growing career came during a run of 1776 at the now defunct West End Dinner Theatre in Alexandria, VA. While playing Edward Rutledge of South Carolina, Jay got to share the stage during two performances with special guest star Fred Grandy, former Congressman and star of TV's The Love Boat. Yet another memorable moment came on December 10, 2005. While playing The Ghost of Christmas Present and one of the charitable gentlemen in A Christmas Carol with Vpstart Crow Productions in Manassas, VA, Jay and the entire cast and crew got the chance to perform for a direct descendant of Charles Dickens himself. Gerald Charles Dickens, the great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens and a well-known British actor, director and producer, was in attendance and absolutely loved the show. "It's a great story," he said after the performance. "I wouldn't have missed this for the world. You all did the old boy (Charles Dickens) proud." By day, Jay is a recruiting coordinator for The Dominion Group, a healthcare research firm in Reston, VA, but he continues to pursue his passion with the hopes that one day it will become his full-time job. Jay has been active offstage in the theatre community as well. He previously served Vpstart Crow, a professional theatre company in residence at The Cramer Center in Manassas, VA, as a member of the Board of Directors, an Artistic Associate and as Director of Communications between November 2004 and December 2006. He also served as Director of Communications for Theatre For The Community, another professional troupe at The Cramer Center, from October 2004 to November 2005. Jay still volunteers his time to various theatre companies as a public relations consultant. In addition, Jay is a member of The Actors' Center and founder and moderator of The Green Room, a Yahoo! group designed for Washington, DC and Baltimore metro area actors to keep each other informed of upcoming performances, auditions, rehearsals, staged readings, workshops, classes and other related events. |
| Cadmus/Messenger Shylock Orson Welles (one-man show) Superintendent/Beggar/Cook Wayne/Sheriff/Isadore Wayne/Earl/Ensemble Henry VIIII Brutus Xmas Present/Gentleman 1 Nickyy Lenniee Petruchio Friar Laurence Marley/Xmas Present Stage Manager Herod Edward Rutledge Walter Schwartzbuckle The Beast King Richard Willie Jack Office Drone Otto Toews/Franz Bartsch Poker Player Tailgater Mental Patient Present/Tom Jenkins Ross Buckingham/Monk Officer Lockstock Clay Spencer Sheridan Whiteside Miles Gloriosus Tokusan Car Hiker/Trucker/Fireman Father Mr. Vanislaw/Voice #3 Leon Czolgosz Benny Southstreet Richard Henry Lee A Visitor (Elvis) A Visitor (Elvis) Grez Bishop of Basingstoke Tiger Brown Bishop of Basingstoke Jud Fry Nephew Mark Smeaton Caiaphas Old Adam Goodheart Harry the Horse Juror No. 12 Ensemble Ensemble |
| The Rebellious Players, VA Vpstart Crow Productions, VA Zemfira Stage, VA Vpstart Crow Productions, VA The American Century Theatre, VA The American Century Theatre, VA Vpstart Crow Productions, VA Vpstart Crow Productions, VA Vpstart Crow Productions, VA Vpstart Crow Productions, VA Vpstart Crow Productions, VA Vpstart Crow Productions, VA Vpstart Crow Productions, VA Vpstart Crow Productions, VA Theatre For The Community, VA Open Circle Theatre, DC West End Dinner Theatre, VA Riverside Dinner Theatre, VA Riverside Dinner Theatre, VA American Music Stage, VA Mythic Films, DC Traynor Films, MD Cable Channel 8, VA Walter Ratliff, VA Jon Feingersh Photography, MD Jon Feingersh Photography, MD Natl. Inst. of Mental Health, DC Potomac Theatre Company, MD CCT w/ 2nd Flight Theatre Co., VA Tapestry Theatre Company, VA Reston Community Players, VA Prince William Little Theatre, VA Castaways Repertory Theatre, VA C.A.S.T. in McLean, VA Laurel Mill Playhouse, MD Reston Community Players, VA Prince William Little Theatre, VA Laurel Mill Playhouse, MD Laurel Mill Playhouse, MD Potomac Theatre Company, MD Reston Community Players, VA Columbia Community Players, MD Silver Spring Stage, MD Elden Street Players, VA The Arlington Players, VA Elden Street Players, VA Tantallon Community Players, MD Damascus Theatre Company, MD American Music Stage, VA British Embassy Players, DC St. Mark's Catholic Church, VA Victorian Lyric Opera Co., MD American Music Stage, VA Reston Community Players, VA American Music Stage, VA C.A.S.T. in McLean, VA |
| Professional Theatre The Bacchae (Capital Fringe Festival) The Merchant of Venice Lost Eden: The Magnificent Welles The Ghost Sonata Drama Under The Influence MacBird! Anne of the Thousand Days Julius Caesar A Christmas Carol Bell, Book and Candle Of Mice and Men The Taming of the Shrew Romeo and Juliet A Christmas Carol Our Town Jesus Christ Superstar 1776 Let Your Hair Down, Rapunzel The Enchantment of Beauty and the Beast Forever Is: Legend of Sleeping Beauty Film / Television The Good Seed The Basement Stalker Original Pancake House Commercial Voice-Overs / Photo Shoots Through The Desert Goes Our Journey Poker Buddies Photo Shoot Tailgaiting Photo Shoot Act For Science Photo Shoot Community Theatre Scrooge The Elephant Man Richard III Urinetown (WATCH Nomination) The Homecoming The Man Who Came To Dinner A Funny Thing ... Forum Ride The Winds Working Children of Eden Betty's Summer Vacation Assassins Guys & Dolls 1776 (WATCH Nomination) Picasso at the Lapin Agile Picasso at the Lapin Agile Red Noses Jekyll & Hyde The Threepenny Opera Jekyll & Hyde Oklahoma! A Christmas Carol Anne of the Thousand Days Jesus Christ Superstar Ruddigore Guys & Dolls Twelve Angry Men Little Shop of Horrors Oklahoma! |
| Biography |
| Resume |
| Contact Jay: performer@jaytilley.net |
| Jay as the mentally-handicapped Lennie with Paul Rubenstein as George in Of Mice and Men with Vpstart Crow Productions in July 2005. |
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| Jay as The Cook in The Ghost Sonata with Vpstart Crow Productions in May 2007. |
| Jay as Shylock in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice with Vpstart Crow Productions in October 2007. |
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| Events Prince William Chorale: Invited narrator for 2007 summer concert. Comcast Local Edition: As himself promoting Vpstart Crow Productions in a local cable TV interview with host Tony Hill. Talkbacks: As himself hosting talkbacks with the audience for Vpstart Crow's productions of The Merchant of Venice, The Seagull, Anne of the Thousand Days, and A Christmas Carol as well as Theatre For The Community's Our Town. 2005 5th Annual WATCH Awards: Performed "If I Could've Been" from Working with the Reston Community Players. 2004 Reston Founder's Day: Performed "Luck Be A Lady" from Guys & Dolls with the Reston Community Players. 1995 Big Red Boat Cruise Ship: Performed as part of Carolina Alive! with The Beach Boys. 1994 South Carolina Republican Convention: Performed with Carolina Alive! 1994 South Carolina State Fair: Performed with Carolina Alive! Honors WATCH Nominations: 2002 Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical - Richard Henry Lee - 1776 - Reston Community Players 2008 Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical - Officer Lockstock - Urinetown - Reston Community Players Training Classical Voice - Peggy Molinaro, Dr. Richard Conant; Acting - Rick Foucheux; Samurai Combat - Eric Eaton; Stage Combat - John Gerske, Steve Lada, Eric Eaton, Geoff Thompson; Sword Combat - Steve Thompson; Show Choir - Carolina Alive! (University of South Carolina). Workshops Acting Shakespeare: George Grant, The Actors' Center, VA The Folios of Shakespeare: The Actors' Center, VA Cold Readings: The Actors' Center, VA Creating Your Headshot and Resume: The Actors' Center, VA Auditions, Monologues and Cold Readings: Roy Werner and Florene Villane, Sedona Arts Center, AZ Skills and Experience Singing (bass/bartione), writing (news, sports, features, creative), reporting (on and off camera training), reptile handling (ball pythons, kingsnakes, bearded dragons and red tail boas), stick shift driving, swimming, rod and reel and fly fishing, soccer, Greco Roman and Freestyle wrestling, and telemarketing and customer service. Miscellaneous The Actors' Center - Member since 1999. Director of Communications - Vpstart Crow Productions - Manassas, VA - Nov. 2004 - Dec. 2006 Director of Communications - Theatre For The Community - Manassas, VA - Oct. 2004 - Nov. 2005 Board of Directors Member - Vpstart Crow Productions - Manassas, VA - Sept. 2005 - Dec. 2006 Artistic Associate - Vpstart Crow Productions - Manassas, VA - Sept. 2005 - June 2006 The Green Room - Founder and Moderator - Nov. 2004 - Present - Yahoo! group designed for Washington, DC and Baltimore metro area actors to keep each other informed on upcoming performances, auditions, rehearsals, staged readings, workshops, classes and other related events. |