Life & Work with Jess Barbour of Raleigh

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jess Barbour

Hi Jess, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Raleigh, NC in the theatre starting in preschool when I played the “Little Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe” and was hooked. In school, I was the president of my International Thespian Society troop and in college, at Elon University, I was the Vice President of the theatre fraternity, Alpha Psi Omega. To say theatre has shaped my life would be an understatement. I got my BFA in Theatre at Elon and then pursued further education at the Bill Esper Studio in NYC. After several years of traveling and performing in film and professional theatre, I became the Artistic Director for North Raleigh Arts and Creative Theatre. During those years, we started applying for grants, removed the ceiling in the theatre space, and produced a new and more edgy offering of productions in the community. Not ready to settle down and leave performing, I found a new love in Standardized Patient work. My job was to act as the patient for students at Duke Medical School while also giving clear and specific feedback about how I felt during the encounter. Eventually, I would become a Standardized Patient Trainer for the American Board of Anesthesiology and continue to feel passionate about patient centered care and communication in the medical field. Standardized patient work afforded me the opportunity to continue to work in film. I played leads in the independent movies, “Oh Crappy Day” and “Most Wonderful Time”. Through the years, I have choreographed or directed over 50 productions in the Raleigh-Durham area. I look forward to what the future holds and what’s next.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Defining a career in the arts is always difficult. You have an idea of what you think being a successful artist will look like and you learn quickly that everyone has a different idea of what success looks like to them. I knew that I didn’t want to be famous, but I wanted to have a long career. Two things that I’ve always believed were that you worked in the arts until it isn’t fun anymore and that you may go on 20 auditions and land one and it might not have anything to do with you as a person and everything to do with what they are looking for in the project. Be someone outside of being an actor and never take the bookings or the rejections personally. These two rules have kept me moving forward during the highs and the lows.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
The people I’ve had the chance to meet and work with (and work with again) make what I get to do for a living special. What might set me apart is I love to collaborate on new projects. Getting to see someone’s film, play, or research project come to life from the beginning is an incredible gift. I love working on production teams where we can play and experiment with ideas.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I first started choreographing because a friend needed a choreographer on his school show and asked if I could help. It was a scary idea to take on something I had never done before, but I felt like I could do it and I knew I could ask questions. I wasn’t afraid of failing. As an actor, you’re taught to make bold choices and see if they work. If they don’t, you problem solve and make a different choice. You don’t beat yourself up for that choice, you move forward. I try to take that into the opportunities that present themselves.
I also love to teach. I’ve taught at NCT Conservatory, North Raleigh Arts and Creative Theatre, Raleigh Little Theatre, Peace University, NC State University, and many high schools. I’ve learned so much from my own teachers and the those I’ve taught alongside. I think I will always be a student and I will always have something to learn. I hope my students of all ages take away that they are always learning as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jessbarbour.com
• Instagram: @jessbarbour0