Jay Hayden

Work Horse, Show Pony.

at Great Plains Theatre Conference

About

Jay Hayden (they/them) is a Los Angeles–based artist, educator, and Theatre of the Oppressed practitioner. An alumnus Emerging Leader Fellow with Theatre for Young Audiences/USA, they founded Trans Futures on Stage— an annual call to action for TYA organizations to produce plays by TGNC artists about TGNC youth, now in its inaugural year. Jay serves on the Trans Rights Advisory Board for ACLU Nebraska and on the board of Pedagogy/Theatre of the Oppressed. They have worked as as a performer & educator with the Omaha Theatre Company, Theatre SilCo, Nebraska Thespians, Circle Theatre, Vermont Fairy Tale, and the American Alliance of Theatre & Education. They hold a license to teach English (Grades 7–12) and can barely do a kickflip.

(more recent) Acting

As You Like It Rosalind | Old School Shakespeare Omaha | 2025
Twelfth Night Sir Toby Belch | Old School Shakespeare Omaha | 2025
Coraline The Cat (u/s Coraline) | The Rose Theater | 2024

(more recent) Directing

Morris Micklewhite & the Tangerine Dress The Rose Theater | 2026
Romeo & Juliet The Rose Theater | 2025
Pride Players (Project #27) The Rose Theater | 2025

(more recent) Writing

TYA/USA Article A reflection on my trip to NYC as part of my fellowship with Theatre for Young Audiences/USA.
Macbeth A 65 minute adaptation of Shakespeare's Tragedy, on tour in Omaha, Nebraska High Schools in Spring 2026.
Ode to Toy A 45 Minute Theatre for the Very Young piece about three toys in a toy-chest - centered in disability justice - who learn how important it is to understand how others move.

Upcoming

February 2026: Newspaper Theater Workshop I hosted a workshop on Newspaper Theater at the Benson Library in Omaha, NE on 2/2/26! Many thanks to folks who came out to talk about combatting misinformation in the age of AI and social media.
May 2026: TYA/USA Workshop I'll be hosting a session on Theatre of the Oppressed as a Tool for Youth Liberation at the TYA/USA Conference in Atlanta, GA!
July 2026: P/TO Conference As a board member of Pedagogy/Theatre of the Oppressed, I'm preparing for our annual conference at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, MN. You should come!

my CV!!

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