Arts Alumni: Jack Alcott, actor

Recent alumnus, Jack Alcott, is in the middle of a breakout year in his young acting career. Upon graduating from Ensworth, Jack won a coveted spot in the acting program at University of North Carolina School of the Arts, from which he graduated last spring.

Jack Alcott

While at Ensworth, Jack took full advantage of the diversity and depth offered by the Ensworth Arts Department. In addition to taking the full range of Theatre classes (from Introduction to the Stage to Acting 3), Jack also spent four years as a member of the Jazz Band ensemble, as well as a semester in the dance studio where he quickly became a featured dancer in Tap and Hip Hop. Jack also took advantage of the Capstone Program to create a 45-minute silent theatre/mask piece inspired in part by the work of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. The piece was developed in collaboration with his Acting 3 cohort and performed for the community in May of his senior year.

Reflecting on the role Ensworth played in his development as an artist, Jack says: “I think I really made the decision to be ‘an actor’ while I was at Ensworth. The training I received from David Berry was instrumental in my growth as an actor and my acceptance into UNCSA. But on top of that, the time I spent in the arts building all four years of high school shaped who I am as an artist, creator, and person. From Jazz Band, to ‘Music Video Dance,’ to my senior Capstone project, I found inspiration and joy in the opportunity to make stuff up. To create art and share it with friends. That inspiration and joy still drive me today.”

Jack has been busy in the few short months since his college graduation. Not only was he signed by the prestigious Gersh Agency, but he also landed a lead role in the upcoming Showtime Limited Series, The Good Lord Bird, which premieres early this year. The show is executive produced, co-written by, and stars Ethan Hawke, who cast Alcott after seeing a single audition tape--a flattering vote of confidence for a young actor at the start of a promising career.