Janet Bentley

Janet (Jan) Bentley (they/them/theirs) is a director, dramaturg, writer, actor, film editor, sound designer, graphic designer, and composer. They hold an MFA in dramaturgy from the University of Iowa, a BA in theatre from the University of South Florida, and have multiple years training and experience in piano, dance, voice (opera and musical theatre), acting, and teaching theatre. Janet made their international debut as a director/deviser, theatre instructor, and sound designer at Ashtar Theatre's International Youth Festival in Ramallah, Palestine, winning an award for their co-direction of THE WAITING ROOM with Co-op Theatre East, NYC. Virtual projects include: Jewish Plays Project 2020 and 2021 – Editor and Sound Designer, Denizen's Theatre Company's production of MOTHERFUCKER WITH...

Janet (Jan) Bentley (they/them/theirs) is a director, dramaturg, writer, actor, film editor, sound designer, graphic designer, and composer. They hold an MFA in dramaturgy from the University of Iowa, a BA in theatre from the University of South Florida, and have multiple years training and experience in piano, dance, voice (opera and musical theatre), acting, and teaching theatre. Janet made their international debut as a director/deviser, theatre instructor, and sound designer at Ashtar Theatre's International Youth Festival in Ramallah, Palestine, winning an award for their co-direction of THE WAITING ROOM with Co-op Theatre East, NYC. Virtual projects include: Jewish Plays Project 2020 and 2021 – Editor and Sound Designer, Denizen's Theatre Company's production of MOTHERFUCKER WITH THE HAT directed by John Fico, Director/editor/composer for PANGEA and THE KNOWN UNIVERSE by Scott C. Sickles. Some pre-COVID New York credits include world premieres of THE DARK and OUR FANTASIA by John Patrick Shanley (Director; Nylon Fusion Theatre Company/Tada!), A MEASURE OF DOUBT by Paul Schwartz (Director; Hudson Theatre Guild), The Brecht Project (Assistant Sound Designer; New Light Theatre Project), EVERYTHING IS SUPER GREAT by Stephan Brown, directed by Sarah Norris (Sound Designer; NLTP/59E59), ray gun say0nara by Steven Mark Tenney (Directing/Co-Video Design; NFTC/The New Ohio Theatre), (a)loft modulation by Jaymes Jorsling (Asst. Sound Design/Off Broadway; the american vicarious/Mezzanine Theatre-ArtNY), ROUND WENT THE WHEEL by Frank Ceruzzi (Director/Sound & Video Co-Design; The Lion Theatre/Theatre Row), BASEMENT by Michael Hagins (Director; Roly Poly Productions--Nominated for two New York Innovative Theatre Awards), GUNS AND AMMUNITION (Writer; The Kraine Theatre - directed by David Adam Gill), FRIENDLY'S FIRE by John Patrick Bray (Original Music/Sound Design; Rising Sun/The 14th Street Y Theatre), CC: YOU IN HELL! by Mark Levy (Directing/Sound Design; The Kraine Theatre), LIFE X 3 by Yasmine Reza (Original Music/Sound Design @ NLTP/Urban Stages), DETROIT '67 by Dominique Morriseau (Sound Designer; Kingsborough-CUNY), EXPERIMENTING WITH KATZ by David Adam Gill (Sound Designer; Theatre Lab/NATC), an original dance-play called HORSE (Director/Writer; Planet Connections Theatre Festivity 2017), BROOKLYN (CAIN'S ADVENTURE) by Mario Fratti (Director/Original Music by The Roly Polys; Theatre For The New City), MR. CHEKHOV AND MR. PORTER (Director/Development/Scenic Designer; Medicine Show Theatre), LILA ON THE WALL by Edward Allen Baker (Director; Pica/The Bridge Theatre-Shetler Studios), ABU CASEM'S SLIPPERS by August Strindberg (Director; The Gene Frankel Theatre), THE TROUBADOUR STRUCK BY LIGHTNING by Ed Malin (Director; FringeNYC), BLANKETS AND BEDTIME: 3 RESTLESS PLAYS by Erik Champney (Director/Producer; Planet Connections Theatre Festivity), AFTER TARTUFFE by Judy Klass (Director; The Wild Project), QUEERS FOR FEARS by Ed Malin (Director/Video Design; F*ckfest @ The Brick), THE ADDICTS by Ed Malin (Director; Theatre for the New City), THE BIG FUNK by John Patrick Shanley (Live Original Music; NFTC/La Tea), INCENDIARY AGENTS by Jack Karp (Dramaturg/SM; NFTC/The New Ohio Theatre), "This Round's On Us" (director/playwright in multiple festivals with NFTC – 2013 – 2020), and COVENTRY CAROL by James McLindon (Emerging Artists Theatre), down in the holler by Val Dunn (Sound Designer; Stella Adler Studio). Regional directing credits include AS YOU LIKE IT, THE PILLOWMAN, BAAL, THE WOMAN FROM THE SEA, TIME ON FIRE, PARALLEL LIVES, WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?, and Randy Noojin’s THE KNIFE TRICK. Upcoming: "Delicacy", a film by Bruce Jones (Director/Editor), ACCORDING TO THE CHORUS by Arlene Hutton (Co-Sound Designer/NLTC), LE PETITE CHARTREUSE by Ed Malin, directed by Lori Kee (Actor/Temerity Theatre). Film/TV: Stage Left: A digital documentary series about theatre (Director/Editor/DP/Sound - available on Brooklyn On-Demand). Janet has served as venue director for FringeNYC, venue manager & technical director for the 2019 SoFi Festival, and producing director at T. Schreiber Studio. Janet is a member of New Light Theatre Project (NLTP), Actors Studio Playwright Directors Unit (director member), Nylon Fusion Theatre Company (NFTC), New York Madness, and New Ambassadors Theatre Co (NATC). They are listed in Parity Productions Online Database. Janet is co-artistic director and founding partner at Roly Poly Productions.

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  • Only Scott can take this huge idea of careening towards environmental oblivion and hold it gently in the experiences of vividly complex characters. It asks a hard question that many are asking now: should we have children if the world could end? But in the end, there are no regrets. The Known Universe will hurt you in a way that great art should hurt. Its agony is an epic, rich, loving agony that makes you appreciate the specific quirkiness of these beloved characters. This play goes beyond representation. It is a sanctification of the queer, atypical family.

    Only Scott can take this huge idea of careening towards environmental oblivion and hold it gently in the experiences of vividly complex characters. It asks a hard question that many are asking now: should we have children if the world could end? But in the end, there are no regrets. The Known Universe will hurt you in a way that great art should hurt. Its agony is an epic, rich, loving agony that makes you appreciate the specific quirkiness of these beloved characters. This play goes beyond representation. It is a sanctification of the queer, atypical family.

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    My first reading of Pangea after working on Marianas Trench with Scott was EPIC. ‘Trench sets up this poetic image of Teddy reaching from the bottom of the ocean upwards to the sky, waiting for his heroic Anzor to rescue him and I could feel the agonizing power of that image pulsing in my heart as I got into Pangea’s first scene, where, in quintessential Scott fashion, we go from what looks like a simple hookup to the discovery of long-lost love. I love to see Lincoln and Andy experience the "submersible" and we get to see penguins!

    My first reading of Pangea after working on Marianas Trench with Scott was EPIC. ‘Trench sets up this poetic image of Teddy reaching from the bottom of the ocean upwards to the sky, waiting for his heroic Anzor to rescue him and I could feel the agonizing power of that image pulsing in my heart as I got into Pangea’s first scene, where, in quintessential Scott fashion, we go from what looks like a simple hookup to the discovery of long-lost love. I love to see Lincoln and Andy experience the "submersible" and we get to see penguins!

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    Finally, we have a play that celebrates the unique love that two nerdy prepubescent boys can have for one another brilliantly drawn against a terrifyingly prescient backdrop of a fractured America. Scott's ability to have pen pals bring letters to life and also use a vast amount of scientific information in active, character-specific, and even quirkily romantic ways is just breathtaking. All while the characters are animated by the real threat of persecution from MAGA-inspired secessionists. You will definitely laugh and cry...and you will be on the edge of your seat. I love this play with...

    Finally, we have a play that celebrates the unique love that two nerdy prepubescent boys can have for one another brilliantly drawn against a terrifyingly prescient backdrop of a fractured America. Scott's ability to have pen pals bring letters to life and also use a vast amount of scientific information in active, character-specific, and even quirkily romantic ways is just breathtaking. All while the characters are animated by the real threat of persecution from MAGA-inspired secessionists. You will definitely laugh and cry...and you will be on the edge of your seat. I love this play with all my heart.

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  • This play is crucial and extremely relevant. It is a boldly honest examination of police culture and its violent and racist tradition. Hagins sets up the perfect situation where a cop, an innocent young African American, and a "woke" white activist are thrown together by the circumstances of a protest that has erupted into chaos. They are forced to confront crucial issues together in a high stakes and edge-of-your-seat situation. I love that all perspectives are drawn with great complexity and balance.

    This play is crucial and extremely relevant. It is a boldly honest examination of police culture and its violent and racist tradition. Hagins sets up the perfect situation where a cop, an innocent young African American, and a "woke" white activist are thrown together by the circumstances of a protest that has erupted into chaos. They are forced to confront crucial issues together in a high stakes and edge-of-your-seat situation. I love that all perspectives are drawn with great complexity and balance.