Jacob is a director & arts leader.

Jacob is a theatre director, producer, and new play developer committed to building arts institutions that function as both artistic incubators and civic gathering spaces. He is dedicated to advancing the role of regional theatre as a force for cultural vitality—investing in new stories, new artists, and new audiences to build a more inclusive and resonant American stage.

In 2021, Jacob was appointed Artistic Director of Third Avenue PlayWorks (TAP) in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Under his leadership, TAP has achieved record-breaking seasons marked by sustained audience growth, expanded contributed revenue, and increased public access. He launched the company’s first formal New Play Development Program, establishing a clear pathway for playwrights to develop and premiere original work in rural Wisconsin. Guided by a commitment to community-centered practice, he also created a Community Arts Access Program in partnership with the Door County Library System, reducing financial and social barriers to participation and strengthening TAP’s role as a cultural anchor in the region.

In 2023, he directed the world premiere of Jennifer Blackmer’s I Carry Your Heart With Me, later recognized by the American Theatre Critics Association as one of the three best new plays produced outside New York City that year. The production exemplified Jacob’s commitment to pairing rigorous artistic standards with meaningful audience engagement.

Prior to TAP, Jacob served as Artistic Producer at The COOP, a New York–based theatre and film collective founded with Andrus Nichols and Kate Hamill. During the pandemic, he launched a new works initiative, The ClusterFK that has supported the development of more than sixteen playwrights and their work, which continues to this day.

As a director and producer, Jacob has collaborated with major regional and national theatres including The Old Globe, The Goodman Theatre, Writers Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, Studio Theatre, Signature Theatre, Folger Theatre, and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, among others. His work spans classical reinterpretation and contemporary premieres, reflecting a sustained investment in both the theatrical canon and the creation of new American plays.

A native of Wisconsin, Jacob holds an MFA in Directing from The Theatre School at DePaul University.