Jennifer Blair: Student of the Master Artist
“What would it be like to be a student of the Master Artist?”
That is the question that Jennifer Blair heard from the LORD that forever changed the direction of her life. Today, Blair serves as Program Director of Theatre at Jessup University, leading a program known for artistic excellence, deep faith integration and graduates who are exceptionally employable. But her journey into theatre did not begin under stage lights. It began in the stillness and quiet of her living room.
“One night, everyone had gone to bed,” Blair recalls. “I turned off the TV, and I heard the voice of God ask me that question. That was the day I got my call.”
Growing up, Blair loved the arts and was shaped by church communities that valued storytelling, but she had not planned to pursue it professionally. Already enrolled in college as a communications major, she switched to theatre after hearing that defining question—stepping into her calling with intention, passion, and a determination to explore what it truly means to be a student of the Master Artist, God, the One who created the heavens and the earth.
After completing her educational journey, Blair launched a professional theatre career where she gained experience in all areas, from on stage to behind the scenes. It is that all-encompassing training that she now uses to give her students their own hands-on experience as they construct each aspect of their productions at Jessup. Her approach is shaped by a conviction that excellence in theatre should deepen, not dilute, one’s faith. “There were so many approaches to learning theatre that felt in direct opposition to the character and nature of God,” Blair explains. “I wanted to bridge that dissonance and ask why mastering the craft should require stepping away from what is right and good.”
For Blair, theatre is not about avoiding hard stories, but about telling the truth. “Every story has sin—most biblical stories do,” she explains. “The question is: does the story tell the truth? Does it show the consequences? I won’t participate in stories where sin is positioned as good.”
This conviction is central to Jessup Theatre, where students are trained to approach storytelling with honesty, care and moral clarity. At Jessup, Jesus remains at the center of everything, including the vibrant performances and hands-on training of theatre students. Blair teaches that storytelling has two sacred purposes: pointing toward what is good and revealing what is broken. She references the story of Hagar in Genesis, describing it as a defining metaphor for her work. “Hagar says, ‘You are the God who sees me,’” Blair explains. “That is the theatre person’s charter—to see people. To say, ‘You are seen. You are known. I am listening.’”
At Jessup, this philosophy becomes practice. From the first day of rehearsal, theatre students pray for their audiences. “We understand that when students step on stage, they are ushering the presence of God to the people—and the people to the presence of God,” Blair says. “They are intercessors.”
Jessup’s theatre program is built around what Blair calls “Theatre 360,” giving students hands-on experience in every aspect of production—from acting and directing to costumes, marketing and stage management. This broad training is paired with professional rigor. “We reverse-engineer our curriculum,” she explains. “We ask: what does the industry demand? And how do we prepare students for that right now?”
That commitment has produced results. Blair holds the program to one defining standard: “If our students are not working, our program is not working.” The goal is for at least 90 percent of graduates to leave with a job in hand—and many do, working across theatre, film, entertainment and creative industries nationwide.
Not only do Jessup theatre students graduate prepared to enter the workforce, but they experience extraordinary success while still in the program. Jessup Theatre’s Fall 2025 production of Mary Poppins the Musical drew an audience of more than 4,800—an all-time attendance record for Jessup productions. The show’s success reflected not only strong community trust in the program, but the students’ ability to execute large-scale, professional-level storytelling. For Blair, the milestone affirmed what she sees every day: when students are trained with excellence, purpose and care, audiences respond.
Jessup’s roots as a Christ-centered university create an environment where innovation thrives. “Jessup gives permission to dream God-sized dreams,” Blair says. “I can make a wild pitch, and leadership says, ‘Let’s go.’ That freedom allows students to run, dream and build something new.”
Ultimately, Blair sees herself first and always as a student. “My main assignment is to keep learning,” she says. “My students teach me all the time.”
Years after hearing that life-altering question, Jennifer Blair continues to live it out—inviting her students into the same calling. To study theatre at Jessup is not merely to learn a craft, but to become, alongside her, a student of the Master Artist.
Jessup Theatre by the Numbers
Community at the Core
• 5–10 community members (ages 9+) cast in Fall productions
• Students from multiple majors perform onstage and behind the scenes
• Faculty, parents, and grandparents actively serve in productions
What It Takes to Raise the Curtain
• 50+ volunteers support each show across the full run
• 20+ dedicated community artists help build each production
• 68 people per performance, including cast, crew, front-of-house, and event staff
A Program Built Together
• Founded in 2012
• First production: Little Women
• Known for immersive, show-specific pre-show experiences
Want to experience Jessup Theatre for yourself?
Attend our upcoming performance of Newsies the Musical from April 17-26, 2026. Tickets are available now at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/jessup/6746
Are you an aspiring artist?
Your education in theatre just got more accessible with the Christian Youth Theatre (CYT) scholarship! Learn more at Jessup.edu/theatre
