Jack is a queer, multi-hyphenate, happily gay married Manhattan-based artist with a double BA in Communications: Media Production and Dramatic Art from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Jack has been a working artist in New York since 2014. Before that, he worked as an actor with Playmaker's Repertory Company, Carolina Actors Studio Theater, and Discovery Place in North Carolina. He has worked in Television, Regional Theater, Off-Broadway, Off-Off Broadway, and abroad. As a puppeteer, Jack originated the role of "Chase" in the "Paw Patrol Live: Race to the Rescue," premiere national tour in both the US and Canada. Jack also runs his own LLC, "Utrata By Design," which provides clients with video, editing, and social media services nationwide. In 2020, Jack and his husband, fellow creative Nathaniel P. Claridad won best film at the "Katonah Classic Stage Film Festival" for their Covid-19 short film "Shakespeare in Quarantine." As a writer, Jack is co-developing a highly awarded script for his television show "11 Blocks To Go" and in 2023 Jack ans his co-creator Ashley Alexander won an artist grant from Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) and will produce a proof of concept for their show in October 2023.
WHO? WHAT? WHERE? WHEN? WHY? - a bit longer play-by-play
Jack Utrata is the handsome, goofy, fun-loving boy next door.
A cross between Andrew Rannells, Seth MacFarlane and James Marsden. You know him?
Jack Utrata is an actor and filmmaker based in New York City. Jack was born in Lakewood, Ohio and began his lustrous acting career by telling tall tales in and around his neighborhood. His first on-stage production was in the 1st grade in Stone Soup. Always seeking out adventure and opportunity for further learning, Jack became involved with extracurricular theatre as early as it was offered to him, in middle school. By the age of eight, Jack's family had relocated to sunny Charlotte, North Carolina where he eventually attended Providence High School and was introduced to the world of musical theatre. In Jack's four years there he was a part of the cast of Footloose, Beauty and the Beast, he played "Captain Von Trapp" in The Sound of Music, and "Tony" in West Side Story. Though "Tony" was among his dream roles, Jack had never imagined the joy of playing the role of the "Captain" who contrasted very much from his own instinctual jovial nature.
Jack enjoyed the contrast of playing others so much he decided to major in it during college. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in Dramatic Art and Communication Studies. Immediately, Jack began searching out his next on-stage experience which led him to be cast in LAB! Theatre's production of From Up Here by Liz Flahive. Jack went on to perform in numerous local theatre projects with student led LAB! Theatre, Pauper Players and the Department of Dramatic Art (DDA). While in school, Jack booked the roles of "Pip/Theo" with the New York based Ground UP Productions in their staging of Richard Greenberg's Three Days of Rain. In his last year, Jack worked with Playmakers Repertory Company in their production of Cabaret and portrayed the role of "Big Stone" in the DDA production of Sarah Ruhl's Eurydice, directed by Professional Actor Training Program graduate student Nathaniel P. Claridad. Though theatre is Jack's main passion, he also enjoys film acting. While at UNC he took part in several student productions including his role as "Jack James," editor of the campus newspaper in season 7 of General College, a campus soap opera. In addition to acting, Jack also enjoys filmmaking and film editing and started his own business in 2016 called Utrata By Design.
A cross between Andrew Rannells, Seth MacFarlane and James Marsden. You know him?
Jack Utrata is an actor and filmmaker based in New York City. Jack was born in Lakewood, Ohio and began his lustrous acting career by telling tall tales in and around his neighborhood. His first on-stage production was in the 1st grade in Stone Soup. Always seeking out adventure and opportunity for further learning, Jack became involved with extracurricular theatre as early as it was offered to him, in middle school. By the age of eight, Jack's family had relocated to sunny Charlotte, North Carolina where he eventually attended Providence High School and was introduced to the world of musical theatre. In Jack's four years there he was a part of the cast of Footloose, Beauty and the Beast, he played "Captain Von Trapp" in The Sound of Music, and "Tony" in West Side Story. Though "Tony" was among his dream roles, Jack had never imagined the joy of playing the role of the "Captain" who contrasted very much from his own instinctual jovial nature.
Jack enjoyed the contrast of playing others so much he decided to major in it during college. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in Dramatic Art and Communication Studies. Immediately, Jack began searching out his next on-stage experience which led him to be cast in LAB! Theatre's production of From Up Here by Liz Flahive. Jack went on to perform in numerous local theatre projects with student led LAB! Theatre, Pauper Players and the Department of Dramatic Art (DDA). While in school, Jack booked the roles of "Pip/Theo" with the New York based Ground UP Productions in their staging of Richard Greenberg's Three Days of Rain. In his last year, Jack worked with Playmakers Repertory Company in their production of Cabaret and portrayed the role of "Big Stone" in the DDA production of Sarah Ruhl's Eurydice, directed by Professional Actor Training Program graduate student Nathaniel P. Claridad. Though theatre is Jack's main passion, he also enjoys film acting. While at UNC he took part in several student productions including his role as "Jack James," editor of the campus newspaper in season 7 of General College, a campus soap opera. In addition to acting, Jack also enjoys filmmaking and film editing and started his own business in 2016 called Utrata By Design.
After graduation, Jack moved back to Charlotte, NC accepting the role of "Andrew" in Craig Wright's Recent Tragic Events at the Carolina Actors Studio Theatre (C.A.S.T.) which ran from September 12-October 12, 2013. Immediately following Recent, Jack took on 11 characters in the Christmas classic A Tuna Christmas at C.A.S.T. Following his work at CAST, Jack was contracted to play several characters including "Nikola Tesla" and "Theo Van Gogh" in traveling exhibits at Discovery Place, also landing him a gig in his first short interactive film called Zapped: An Electrifying Experience.
Jack moved to New York City in June 2014 and had his NYC debut at Dixon Place in North: A New Play playing poet "Percy Shelly" and politician "John Cam Hobhouse." Spring of 2015, Jack starred in his first short film, My Father in the role of "Pablo." In the summer of 2015 Jack was featured as the lead in a new musical comedy called The Bipartisan at the Thespis Festival and followed that up with July House and the International Fringe Festival. In April 2016, Jack made his Off-Broadway debut at Theatre Row in the new Jerry Polner Comedy Like Money in the Bank directed by Shana Solomon followed by Pillars of New York at the St. Lukes Theater.
Jack moved to New York City in June 2014 and had his NYC debut at Dixon Place in North: A New Play playing poet "Percy Shelly" and politician "John Cam Hobhouse." Spring of 2015, Jack starred in his first short film, My Father in the role of "Pablo." In the summer of 2015 Jack was featured as the lead in a new musical comedy called The Bipartisan at the Thespis Festival and followed that up with July House and the International Fringe Festival. In April 2016, Jack made his Off-Broadway debut at Theatre Row in the new Jerry Polner Comedy Like Money in the Bank directed by Shana Solomon followed by Pillars of New York at the St. Lukes Theater.
After playing Off-Broadway, the next logical step was a National Tour! Jack toured the US for 10 months originating the role of "Chase" and "Jake" in Nickelodeon's and VStar Production's Paw Patrol Live: Race to The Rescue. Jack also signed on for the Canadian Tour reprising his roles during the winter months.
Between contracts of Paw Patrol, Jack headed down under to Australia to assist Taylor Mac as a "Dandy Minion" in Taylor's 24- Decade History of Popular Music. Upon returning to the US, Jack was offered the role of "Kevin" in The Schoolhouse Theater production of The Dog in The Dressing Room by Deborah Savadge and directed by artistic director Bram Lewis. Jack was subsequently offered his Equity Card for his performance and is now a proud member of The Actors Equity Association.
In October of 2018, Jack played the supporting role of "Rob" in Michael Kampa's latest film Law of Attraction, due out in 2020 and filmed an episode of the revamped Deadline Crime with Tamron Hall. Jack can also be seen on ID in Diabolical (1'09).
Early 2019 saw Jack behind the scene as editor for the short film Man Versus Vibrator as well as Director of Photography, Editor and Producer of Lullaby, a short film about the unjust murder of a homeless woman in NYC.
Early 2019 saw Jack behind the scene as editor for the short film Man Versus Vibrator as well as Director of Photography, Editor and Producer of Lullaby, a short film about the unjust murder of a homeless woman in NYC.
In March of 2019, after becoming an ordained minister to officiate his brother's wedding, Jack was serendipitously offered the role of "Father Louis Rayssiguier" in The Schoolhouse Theater production of The Color of Light by Jesse Kornbluth which ran from April 4th-28th. Jack spent most of 2019 taking Improv at THE PIT in NYC and growing his videography and editing business and has been the editor behind two short films and a 7-part comedic web series called "Characteristically" helmed by his Color of Light co-star Dominique Salerno. As a producer, Jack won "Best Short Suspense Film" at the Culver City Film Festival 2020 for his short film Lullaby that is currently making the festival circuit.
In 2020, after some travels and global lockdown due to Covid-19 (and a proposal,) Jack, alongside his fiancé Nathaniel P. Claridad, created "Shakespeare in Quarantine," a collection of Shakespearean characters in some form of isolation reflecting on times amidst quarantine. The film version of this series went on to win "Best Film" at The Katonah Classic Stage Film Festival in August.
Between 2021 and 2022, Jack and his collaborator Ashley Alexander won several awards at film festivals all around the country for their TV show "11 Blocks To Go," which follows the trials of tribulations of NY best friends Samantha and Drew on their mutual journal to self betterment. In 2023, the pair were named grant recipients and NoMAA fellows (Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance) for the show and will be filming a proof of concept in October of 2023.
Between 2021 and 2022, Jack and his collaborator Ashley Alexander won several awards at film festivals all around the country for their TV show "11 Blocks To Go," which follows the trials of tribulations of NY best friends Samantha and Drew on their mutual journal to self betterment. In 2023, the pair were named grant recipients and NoMAA fellows (Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance) for the show and will be filming a proof of concept in October of 2023.
Jack currently lives and works in New York City with his husband.
Since he may not always be able to put it in a program, he wishes to thank those that support and inspire him daily: thank you Lynn, Jim, Lindsey, Jamie and Nathaniel.
Since he may not always be able to put it in a program, he wishes to thank those that support and inspire him daily: thank you Lynn, Jim, Lindsey, Jamie and Nathaniel.
