Amy Jones
From Kat: I met Amy back in, you guessed it, my Flat Rock Playhouse days! She was choreographing 'Hairspray' that summer and I was lucky enough to stand in for my understudy role of Penny during the first week of rehearsals. I remember being so nervous in front of THE Amy Jones. Not only was she incredible at her job, she was so fun to work with. All of the actors naturally loved Amy. She humanized the experience (something we LOVE here at The Obvious Path). She showed me nothing but love and support during that rehearsal process and embraced me as an equal.
Amy continued to teach me voice lessons, prep me for auditions, and was a great listening ear during my early days as an actress. Fast forward years later, a year after coming back to the city, we went to see Alice Ripley's one-woman performance, The Pink Unicorn. Who's the director? Amy Jones. Is there anything she CAN'T do?
Amy's story is unique in the fact that she never had a 'master plan' of how her career was going to go. She found the magic of theatre at a young age, and by following that magic, has found success in many facets of the industry. Amy is special, and but you'll discover that in the first few sentences of her feature. It's my pleasure to introduce you to my friend, Amy Jones.
Amy Jones- Director, Choreographer, and Music Director! My voice teacher from my days as a performer! You are such an inspiration and we are so happy to have you. Can you please introduce yourself to our readers?
Hi there! Well, I was born in Kansas City, but grew up in Oklahoma City. Music was always a huge part of my family; my grandmother and great-grandmother on my dad’s side were both piano teachers (and got college degrees in music, which was pretty rare for women at that time!). My sisters are 10 and 12 years older than I am, and when I would listen to them play, I wanted to be like them so much that I pestered everyone to let me take lessons too. My sisters taught me something to play for their teacher, and she took me on at 5 years old even though she usually didn’t start students until 8 years old. Then I started bugging everyone to let me take ballet too, and so on, and so on ad nauseum ....I have no doubt that I drove my parents insane! Oddly, we really didn’t see any theatre, so everything was sort of separate in my mind until my freshman year in high school. I had a “work” scholarship at a Catholic school in OKC, so I had to dust mop the classrooms and the theatre after school. The theatre was the only place with air-conditioning, which may have had something to do with it(!), but after I finished my work I would lay on the stage to cool off, and I remember feeling a palpable magic there. I had done some small plays in middle school, but Bye Bye Birdie freshman year got me hooked. I switched schools for the rest of high school, and continued to do the shows, dance concerts, and music both in school and extracurricularly.
You majored in Piano Performance at the University of Oklahoma and were a company member of a professional ballet company as well. When you finished school, what was your dream job setting out in the industry? Did you always have your sights on being on the creative team side vs the acting route?
I wish I could say that I had a grand master plan, but honestly, I had no idea what I wanted to do. Even though I had done shows, I still thought of everything sort of separately. There were no musical theatre programs then, so the combo of music, dance, and acting as a degree didn’t really exist, or at least not that I knew of. Even though I was a classical piano major, since I was paying my own way, I just started taking acting and ballet classes because I wanted to. Now that I’m saying this I guess the theme just continued from childhood……I actually started grad school in music, but after teaching some undergrads piano lessons, I realized that was definitely NOT what I wanted to do.
You also went back to grad school and mastered an interdisciplinary program in Dance, Drama, and Music. What were the things that led you to grad school? How did having your Masters impact your career?
So, continuing from the last question, since I knew the faculty from the drama and dance departments as well, they helped me create my own interdisciplinary master's program. I think on some level I realized that I needed more training; I had also become interested in choreography and directing and wanted to learn more about that. Again, it’s kind of embarrassing to admit, but I truly was just kind of going with the flow and continuing to pursue my interests. I had NO idea how any of it was going to contribute to an actual career and was also being encouraged by my mom and dad to have a “backup” plan, so I took some accounting classes on the side. Oh my god, can you imagine me being an accountant? I mean, I do love math but ugh. But to answer your question, I definitely needed the training that I got in grad school. I had some amazing teachers in all areas and became really intrigued by the idea of applying music theory principles to dramatic form, and THAT is what really led me to what I do now.
Where did you land your first non-performing industry gig? What was the most important thing you did in your first year starting out?
My ballet teacher got me a gig choreographing Pump Boys and Dinettes and Nunsense in Arizona one summer while I was still in grad school. I had been choreographing/directing in grad school as well as performing, so at that point I didn’t really differentiate---I just wanted to work. Oddly, one of the actors in Nunsense hurt her knee, so I ended up playing Hubert as well…Then, the head of the drama department encouraged me to visit NY. I was completely terrified of it, but I went. I had some friends that had moved up here the previous year, so I stayed with them. It had snowed literally for two months straight and all the cars on the streets were buried in snow. I’d never seen anything like it. I fell in love immediately and moved here 9 months later. I guess the most important thing I did that first year was to get some friends together and do a show. I was in it, directed it, and played piano for a couple of the songs as well. We just did it for fun, but the lighting designer recommended me to a director she knew who needed an MD for his show at Tribeca Lab. Then he got me an audition for a show in which the performers were also the band(yeah, not such a new idea!), and that’s how I got my Equity card. So, I accidentally made connections that led to good things by just doing what I loved with my friends. I do think that I always knew I wanted to be on “the other side” of things, but I was getting work as a performer, so I just went with that. Honestly, that degree in piano was my “in” for so many other opportunities.
You recently directed The Pink Unicorn by Elise Forier Edie here in NYC starring Tony Award winner, Alice Ripley. What was that collaboration like?
It was and continues to be one of the most fulfilling, satisfying, and challenging-in-the-best-way collaborations I’ve had to date. I think what I appreciate most about the work with Alice, Elise, and Liz(producing AD of OOTB Theatrics) is a), our complete unabashed commitment to our artistic vision as strong women and b), our faith and acceptance of that quality in each other. Alice is one of the most giving and thoughtful actors I’ve had the pleasure of working with, and I love fostering her creativity and truly bouncing off of each other to come to a better place than either of us could have alone. She is a powerhouse and I love it! More about this in the next question….
What has been the most difficult time in this career for you? Looking back, how has that shaped you to who you are now?
Strangely, just when everyone is looking to me to mentor/do things like this(!), these recent years have actually been the most difficult in many ways. I’m very lucky to be working a lot regionally and love that work. I’m also very happily married and have been trying to commit to working in NYC more so I can be with my lovenugget more consistently. After making most of my connections/fostering relationships around the country, when I really tried to stay here I felt(and still feel sometimes) like I can’t get arrested in this town. You know? And all of this comes at a time when I feel the absolute STRONGEST about my artistic vision, so it can definitely be frustrating. The connection with the Pink Unicorn came from a regional connection(Charlie Johnson, FRP former apprentice just like you!) and the fact that that then led to working with Alice, Liz and Elise has really given me a boost when I really needed it. Sometimes you need the reassurance from new people that you really respect and admire for their stellar NY careers to remind you what you already knew. Does that even make sense? I hope so….I think the struggle to balance between regional work/new work here has made me realize a couple of things that I’m trying to apply now: I love my regional theatre families and will ALWAYS do that work; I love to teach and will ALWAYS do that work; I am ready and open to seek out new opportunities to tell stories I believe in in the way I want to tell them with people with whom I want to tell them. Good people on the inside. I used to beat myself up for not being more ambitious, but these recent revelations have made me really appreciate what I feel to be the most important part of the work for ME. And that in turn has attracted kindred spirits.
What’s something you wish you had done or wish you had known earlier?
How to post on Instagram. Just kidding! Sorta…
I wish I had been better when I was younger about fostering relationships through connections. Maybe it was from growing up in Oklahoma, or growing up lower-middle class or something, but I always felt like “networking” meant being a self-serving jerk instead of just looking at it as developing friendships. I think I’m still working on it. I made some big ole, honkin’ mistakes letting my insecurity about being worthy of hanging out with people in the “big leagues” deter me from just getting to know them. I blew some big opportunities. So I guess I would say to anyone starting out to do whatever you can (therapy, reading, work on self) to get fear out of your way so you can be your best self and be truly present even in intimidating situations.
Where are you on your mountain?
Still pushing up there, and still taking a few scenic detours along the way…I think I’m about 2/3 of the way up? Still have a TON I want to do…
RAPID FIRE!
Favorite Broadway show of all time: Gypsy
TV show that you love: The Watchmen
Favorite music on your commute: Prince---OLD Prince.
Any other obsessions?: cooking! Come over for dinner!
Favorite part about teaching: figuring out how to make the light bulb go on for the student---also my favorite part about working with actors too
Social media is: annoying but necessary
Religious, Spiritual, or nah?: Philosophy covers it all for me…
Biggest beef with the business: I don’t really have one; I tend to blame myself when I have problems! Can you say “Italian guilt?”
Underrated skill you think more actors should have: confidence/ownership in their uniqueness/weirdness---that’s where the good stuff comes from!
Favorite ‘hat’ you get to wear in this industry?: I really love it when all the cylinders are firing at the same time, i.e., moments when ALL the skills converge to create a moment.
I get inspired when: I see a beautiful story being told in a unique way
Social media handles: Insta: amyejones10, FB: Amy Jones Twitter: don’t even bother…
Anything you’d like to promote?: Well fingers crossed for Pink Unicorn this year! We have two performances in Holmdel, NJ in anticipation of an NYC run to follow…keep your eyes peeled!
Photo Credits:
Blog Feature Photo
Liz Flemming (Producing Artistic Director OOTB Theatrics, Amy, Alice Ripley) Pink Unicorn party
Laura Marie Duncan; “Me and my best person aka husband aka lovenugget” -Amy