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Jacob John Bressers ’13

Class of 2013, BA in Theatre Performance, Musical Theatre minor

  • Jacob Bressers at the 2019 Tony Awards

“The beauty of a liberal arts education is that it’s so well-rounded. Although my focus was on theatre, in addition to performance training, I was able to build social, cultural and ethical awareness. In doing so, I made connections across many different fields that have been invaluable to my life’s journey.”

As a young, self-proclaimed theatre nerd in a small town in Wisconsin, Jacob Bressers ’13 jumped on any opportunity he had to see productions of Broadway tours. As his senior year of high school approached, he knew he wanted to study theatre in college. For research, Bressers flipped through his collection of Playbills to look at where some of his favorite performers had trained. “I was fortunate enough to see Annaleigh Ashford in the national tour of Wicked,” he says. “It was from her bio that I discovered MMC – which, after doing some research, made its way high up on my list of potential schools.” He auditioned in Chicago and knew as soon as he received his acceptance letter and toured the school, that MMC was it

Right off the bat, it was clear that life in the city came at a cost. There was a point when Bressers was a full-time student and working two jobs. When his hectic work schedule allowed, he participated in several of Musical Theater Association’s and Club Fierce’s cabarets and productions. His fondest MMC memory was performing in the Theatre department’s mainstage production of Sweet Charity – directed and choreographed by Jeff Shade. “Doing a jump-split center stage during ‘Big Spender’ in 6 inch heels is something I won’t soon forget,” he says.

Bressers came to the city with the dream to “make it big” like so many others, but MMC’s liberal arts education allowed his curiosity and passions to grow in a number of areas. One of his jobs during college was working as an executive assistant to a retired business woman and author, and then later worked in the fashion industry for Harper’s Bazaar magazine. He then started work in the entertainment sector with Emmy-Award winning choreographer Mia Michaels while she directed and choreographed Radio City Music Hall’s Rockette’s New York Spectacular. “I have been blessed to have the opportunity to work at a rather high level in many different industries,” explains Bressers. “All of which I credit to the strong networking connections I made during my college years – and hard work, of course.”

Most recently, Bressers has accepted the position of Executive and Administrative Support Manager at the American Theatre Wing. Apart from being the founder of the Tony Awards and home of the Obie Awards, the Wing provides grants and scholarships, connects talent at all stages with educational and professional opportunities, and fosters artistry by providing a platform for strong and fearless voices in the American theatre. “To be apart of an organization that does so much for a community that I love dearly, is honor and a privilege,” he adds.

For the current MMC student, Bressers believes you will get out of MMC what you put into it. “The guidelines are laid out for you, but success will only be yours if you work for it,” he shares. Patience and faith – sometimes the path you start isn’t always the one you will continue on. And that is okay! If you are able to stay patient, keep the faith and put in the work – undoubtedly you will end up where you are meant to be.”

Class Year and Major

Class of 2013, BA in Theatre Performance, Musical Theatre minor

Testimonial

“The beauty of a liberal arts education is that it’s so well-rounded. Although my focus was on theatre, in addition to performance training, I was able to build social, cultural and ethical awareness. In doing so, I made connections across many different fields that have been invaluable to my life’s journey.”

Theatre Arts