Jess Slaght (she/her) is a New York City based director and arts leader currently serving as Head of Artistic Planning at The Public Theater. Her work responds to the social questions of today through transportive, community-centered storytelling and heightened theatrical worlds.​

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Jess is an alumnus of the Paul A. Kaplan Program in Artistic Producing at Manhattan Theatre Club and has developed work with The Public Theater, NYU, Playwrights Horizons Theater School, The Tank, The Bushwick Starr and more.

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Jess also serves as Administrative Director of the Professional Non-Profit Theater Coalition, a network of artistic and executive leaders from more than 150 non-profit theater companies across all 50 states. Through advocacy and coalition-building, PNTC works to influence federal policy and expand relief and recovery funding for the field.

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Jess is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley where she studied Theater and Performance Studies & Media Studies.

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