News

Nonsense and Beauty, and the closure of Theatre22

In September of 2022, I performed the role of May Buckingham in Scott C. Sickles’ romantic drama, Nonsense and Beauty, based on the true love story of famed English author E.M. Forster’s affair with Bob Buckingham, and Forster’s decades-long “muddle” and friendship with Bob, and his wife May.

Sadly, it was also Theatre22’s last production as a company, due to a loss of viable performance space in the city. For more on the closure, you can read Theatre22’s statement here, or the feature in the Seattle Times.

I have had the distinct privilege and pleasure of working with Theatre22 since 2014. In 2017, I was invited to be a member of the T22 family as Associate Producer and Resident Scenic Artist. Within the last 8 years, they have trusted me to perform, produce, direct, paint, dramaturg, dialect coach, facilitate, organize, create, learn, think critically, feel deeply, dream, and hope.

The immense amount of love, gratitude, respect, admiration I have for the incredible people that make up this company is impossible to truly communicate. Corey McDaniel, Julie Beckman, Alber Sucupira, Katie McKellar- my theater family - I would not be the artist and professional I am today without all of them. I'm having a hard time imagining what my artistic life will look and feel like in the future, but I know in my heart and deepest intuition that, though it will not be under the T22 moniker, we will collaborate together again, and we will still be family. Thank you for challenging me when I needed it, trusting me when I didn't trust myself, for loving me, and for giving me space and tools to grow as an artist and person. I'm so proud of the strides T22 has made in the last decade, and I'm grateful to have been a part of it.

“He felt that nonsense and beauty have close connections – closer connections than Art will allow – and that both would remain when his own heaviness and his own ugliness had perished.”
— E.M. Forster, The Longest Journey

All photos courtesy of Truman Buffett Photography

Cast and crew of Nonsense and Beauty, with playwright Scott C. Sickles
Back Row (L,R): Alison Kozar, Kyle Thompson, Jennifer Ewing, Russell Matthews, Eric Mulholland, Ahren Buhmann, Hisam Goueli
Front Row (L, R): Alber Sucupira, Marty Mukhalian, Corey McDaniel, Scott C. Sickles, Megan Wright, Anahita Sepehri

2020

Well, 2020 was a year.

Hello dear visitor, Jennifer here. Thank you for visiting my website! You may be wondering, “Jennifer hasn’t updated her website since May 2, 2019, what happened? Is she okay? Has she quit the business? Did the business quit her?” And to respond I will say, “Yes, I’m okay - no, I haven’t quit - and no it didn’t quit me.”

Twenty Twenty was a profoundly affecting year for every person on the planet. I was extremely lucky to stay safe, housed, and even partially employed, though not in the performing arts until late 2020. I threw myself into keeping the cafe I assistant manage alive and open through the pandemic, but also found artistic solace in producing a few paintings and drawings for friends, family, and even some new acquaintances.

In the fall of 2020, I reentered the performing arts arena, and was delighted to work with Harlequin Productions on their radio play production of Dracula, directed by Corey D. McDaniel, from the Orson Welles adaptation.

In spring of 2021, I joined Theatre22’s cast of their radio play adaption of E.M. Forster’s short story, The Celestial Omnibus, directed and adapted by Julie Beckman.

Theatre22 retained my painting services to create original artwork for their Season 7 poster art, and I reentered in-person theater work by painting their set and scenic elements for their outdoor summer production of Alice in Wonderland. ArtsWest then took me on as Scenic Charge for their 2021 production of We’ve Battled Monsters Before with book, music, and lyrics by Justin Huertas.

Thanks for keeping in touch, more news to come soon.

All the best, Jennifer

Gallery Show at Salon Amfora

Jennifer is the featured artist for the spring quarter at Salon Amfora in Seattle, WA. Her work is on display March 3 through early June 2019. Inquiries about pricing can be made either to Salon Amfora by phone, (206) 743-8498, or in person at 1318 North 45th Street in Seattle, Washington or through Jennifer’s Contact page.

Artist’s Statement:

Every landscape I create is a journey. It is a technical journey: from blank paper to a completed work and all that goes in between. It is a journey in skill: with every drawing I learn to look deeper, be braver. It is also the journey within the image: exploring the world opens my mind, engages my imagination, and excites my desire to create. Art is my way to express that journey and share the world that I see and feel. In this collection are my journeys to the Llangollen Canal in Wales, the highlands of Scotland, the waters of Puget Sound and Salish Sea, gardens of Langley, London, and Wrexham.


Thank you for journeying here today. 

Scenic Painting at Seattle Public Theatre

Jennifer assisted on the scenic painting for Fire Season, directed by Kelly Kitchens at Seattle Public Theatre at the end of 2018. Here are a some photographs of the completed set!

Scenic Charge: Stephanie Charas
Photos: Stephanie Charas

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Scenic Art at ArtsWest

Jennifer recently completed a scenic painting project for ArtsWest’s production of Jane Eyre: The Musical. Jennifer was the lead painter of the landscape mural backdrop and also assisted with the texturing of the grass, sand pathway, deck, and rock-facing.

Photos courtesy of John McLellan and Siri Nelson. Set Design by Lex Marcos.