Jason Kobielus

Born in Washington, D.C., Jason Kobielus first fell in love with performing at the age of 13, after receiving high praise in an English class project for his portrayal of Malvolio in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night." Also, following in the footsteps of his father, a freelance writer, journalist, and poet, Jason began taking to dramatic writing after enrolling in a summer playwriting seminar in Charlottesville, Virginia. There, he wrote two works that were chosen for staging, one a 10-minute comedy exploring differing ideas of American values between policemen and criminals, the other a monologue about the life of a concept. Deciding to further explore acting in high school, Kobielus performed in every production available to him at the Edison High School Department of Drama in Alexandria, Virginia. A well-awarded public speaker in high school, Kobielus received two Virginia state championship medals for short story interpretation and original speech delivery, national recognition for his speech delivery and dramatic interpretation, and regional awards for poetry interpretation and impromptu speaking. At the University of Virginia's Department of Drama, Kobielus was one of its most frequent performers in his four-year tenure, with stage roles including Woof in "Hair," Clive and Cathy in "Cloud Nine," and a reprisal of Malvolio in "Twelfth Night." Finding more playwriting opportunities at UVA, Kobielus wrote numerous works chosen for staging, including several 10-minute scripts, a reading of a full-length play, and a one-act produced at the iconic University of Virginia Chapel. Kobielus also served as executive producer of Spectrum Theatre, UVA's foremost venue for new student theatre. He oversaw productions of three full-length plays and two one-acts, including "The Vagina Monologues," "The Last Five Years," "I Love You Because" and "Voices of the Class," resulting in an unprecedented doubling of organizational revenue by the end of his year-long tenure. After receiving his B.A. in drama with a concentration in performance and playwriting, Jason relocated to the Cherokee Indian Reservation in Western North Carolina. There, he served as narrator and lead eagle dancer at the world-famous outdoor drama "Unto These Hills...A Retelling," a story about the Cherokee Nation and the Trail of Tears. Also in Cherokee, Jason acted, wrote, directed, and produced plays for the Oconaluftee Little Symphonic Society, including staging a reading of another of his full-length plays. He also continues to passionately advocate for American Indian and minority issues. Since leaving North Carolina in 2011 to begin his career in Los Angeles' entertainment industry, Kobielus continues to further his resume in film, television, webisodes, and theatre. A company member of North Hollywood's SkyPilot Theatre Company, Jason's stage roles have received ongoing critical acclaim. Kobielus has studied improvisation at the renowned Groundlings Theatre, and film acting at the L.A. On-Camera Training Center. He has also studied at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, The Theatre Lab in Washington, D.C., and with such teachers as Andrew Wade, Richard Warner, Bob Chapel, and Bill Coelius.