Ybañez graduates from Yale School of Drama


Jecamiah M. Ybañez

Jecamiah M. Ybañez

Jecamiah M. Ybañez graduated on Monday, May 20, 2019 from the Yale University School of Drama in New Haven, Connecticut.

Jecamiah was the 2007 Valedictorian from Poteet High School and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre from Texas State University in 2012, where he graduated Cum Laude.

Before attending The School of Drama, Jecamiah obtained prolific “real world” experiences by nurturing a freelance career and winning numerous competitive fellowships. Jecamiah served as a company manager for the Kennedy Center’s World Stages Festival and the IBERIAN SUITE: A Global Arts Remix Festival under the direction of Alicia B. Adams and Gilda Almeida.

As a winner of the Mellon Foundation’s Young Artistic Leadership Fellowship, Jecamiah worked on the Encuentro Festival as a line producer for two theatre companies, including one from Puerto Rico. In 2014 he joined the Latinx Theatre Commons, where he served as a member of the National Steering Committee for two years. Later, he was assistant to the artistic director at Wooly Mammoth Theatre in Washington D.C., and the winner of the Allen Lee Hughes Directing Fellowship at Arena Stage. In addition, he was awarded the FAIR Directing Assistantship at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Besides all of these accomplishments, Jecamiah is an alumnus of the Lincoln Center Director’s Lab.

Jecamiah was one of three applicants, from over 100 who apply annually, to be selected for the Directing program at The School of Drama.

Following his graduation in May, Jecamiah was awarded the prestigious Taymor World Theater Fellowship. This highly competitive fellowship was created by the Tony Award winning director Julie Taymor, who is best known for her Broadway production of “The Lion King.” The fellowship enables Jecamiah to travel for a year throughout Central and South America observing and absorbing unique cultures. This once-in-alifetime experience also allows Jecamiah to both cultivate and deepen his own craft as a director.

Jecamiah attributes his success to a “village” of mentors. He especially credits Rebecca Allen and George Massey for their guidance and inspiration when he attended Poteet High School, as well as Laura Lane and the late Jeremy Torres, professors at Texas State University in San Marcos. Most importantly, Jecamiah is grateful to his many generous and supportive family members, especially his great aunt Stella Vargas, his sister Sr. Airman Naomi Jo Ybañez (USAF), his grandparents Johnny Joe Olivares and Virginia V. Olivares from Poteet and his beloved mother Ruth Ann Olivares, art teacher at Poteet High School.

Jecamiah considers his recent graduation as the springboard to more adventures. He looks forward to developing his skills as a director and producer and to cultivating his sense of play. As Jecamiah revealed to his mother recently, “I have you to thank for my successes because when I was a child you made playtime a priority. And guess what? I’m still playing!”

One response to “Ybañez graduates from Yale School of Drama”

  1. Mary Bell, Nicholas Weeks Grandma says:

    Jake ,we are so proud of you. Wish Nick had your ambition. You have been amazing. God bless you
    .

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