Andre Jones

Associate Director of Education & Program Services
Contact: [email protected]
​

Andre N. Jones is a native of Philadelphia. He has been writing poetry since he was in Jr. High School in 1982. He was turned on to poetry through his exposure to Hip-Hop. His poetic interests soon multiplied as he started to correlate Bible metaphors and Shakespeare as similar. From eighth grade on he sought to increase his vocabulary and use his pen to make word paintings on paper. Andre served as the 2013 Emerging Artist in Playwriting for the Delaware Division of the Arts in Wilmington, DE, where he now lives. He has produced/ directed/ and acted in plays all over the Delaware valley and beyond. To his credit he has numerous nominations and awards, including, The 2016 Temple University Dean’s Grant for Creative Development and Research. A lifelong visual artist, Andre has always attempted to make subjects have, an immediacy about them. So it is with his pen. Andre seeks to expand the minds of those who read his works with intelligent wordplay and vivid imagery, verbal color with highlight shadow and texture that feels alive and yet freezes the reader/audience in the moment. That is Mr. Jones’ trademark.

Having over seventeen years experience in various areas of theater, including Acting, Scene Design, Lighting, Directing and Stage Management, He decided to challenge himself with writing. Andre has written several plays yet to be discovered that explore the question of what it is to be human and yet rendered invisible. Some of his plays include: Management, Exhibited, Verbalized Ink, The Alien Ones and A Nation of Millions, (which is an adaptation of the lyrics from Public Enemy's It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Album.) Aside from his work as a playwright and performer, Andre has cherished the last decade and change working in different capacities as a Teaching Artist. Teaching his artistry actually defines legacy for Andre. It is extremely important to him that young people feel empowered to become positive contributors to society. If their contributions should happen to be artistic, that would be icing on a well prepared and masterfully baked cake. Seven words define Andre’s life quest. Live, love, learn, laugh, forgive, forget and be free.