JASMINE SIMMERS
My
Story
Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, technical theatre was not a strong career-driven passion of mine. The artistic community is incredibly diverse in Memphis, spanning across theatre, music, and visual arts, so I had the opportunity to explore without much specialization. My artistic outlet had always been more akin to music, having a mother, Holly, who sang often and a father, Bill, who was the drummer in the church I grew up in. I eventually took up cello, which I continued to practice for the next 10 years of my life. My father worked as an audio engineer in much of the Memphis area and always loved to teach me the inner workings of live sound and lighting. That was my first look into the technical elements of live theatre and event performances.
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In 2016, I began my journey as a stage manager. A high school performance of Much Ado About Nothing was being put on in my senior year, so I had decided to audition, having moved on from a dream of being a professional cellist. "If not cast, would you be interested in stage managing?" the audition form had read, and I responded, "sure, why not?" without having much background in what stage management really was. It was a breath of fresh air. Once I joined the University of Memphis as a film student, I was recommended to a friend of a friend as an Assistant Stage Manager for their production of She Kills Monsters. This was the show that sealed the deal for me, seeing how stage management fits into professional-level production processes. I transferred into the Department of Theatre and Dance the next semester, Spring of 2018. After that, the rest is history. I continued to expand my knowledge and background by Stage Managing shows almost every semester and working as a Performance Technician with Conference & Event Services on campus. I continue jumping on every opportunity to learn new skills and teach others those skills.
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Recently, I have been Production Stage Manager at Tennessee Shakspeare Company. I'm looking to expand my career into Event Coordination and Production, where I thrive in the detail-oriented and fast-paced environment.
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In the navigation bar, you can download my resume or a digital copy of my portfolio, and if you'd like to join my network or reach out, please fill out the form below or email me!
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