Jessie Howe is the kind of woman whose presence brings a room to life. Her vitality is infectious so it should come as no surprise that her knack for bringing a stage to life with her work is uncanny and something rather beautiful. This week’s Life in the Spotlight is a volunteer set designer at Chicago Street Theater in Valparaiso and her involvement in the community through her art and theater is truly something to admire.
Growing up in Hebron, Jessie gravitated towards theater and art at a young age.
“When you live in the middle of nowhere you have to create your own fun,” she said.
Jessie performed in plays through her school and created art in her free time. It wasn’t until 2009 that Jessie combined the two.
While performing a small role in “Is He Dead?” Jessie offered to help with creating an artist studio for the play’s set. Everything she does now stemmed from that one show. She was invited to do volunteer work, designing sets for Chicago Street Theater and Jessie felt at home.
“It gave me a direction for what I could do in the art world,” she explained.
Until last year, Jessie was also a resident set designer at Memorial Opera House. While she takes every chance she can to return to Valparaiso to volunteer with the theaters in the community, Jessie now works as the paint charge at Theater at the Center in Munster. Between time dedicated to working there and her classes at Columbia College in Chicago, she is hard-pressed to find time to volunteer, but she leaps at the chance to do so whenever one arises.
“I love coming back to volunteer because it reminds me why I started,” she said, “It’s a second home to me. I love the people and I love being able to give back to the place that inspired so much in me.” Recently Jessie completed her first show as a set designer at Chicago Street Theater. “Cinderella” was an amazing time for her, and is her new favorite work.
Jessie’s love for her work and giving back to the community is clear in all she does. Aside from her volunteer work designing sets, she has also donated some of her artwork to The Michael Merrit Awards in Chicago. She has taught kids in high school and middle school and helps out with summer theater camp.
In her work, Jessie has always been blessed with her family’s encouragement. She claims her fighting spirit from her mom, who struggles with Lyme disease, and her work ethic and sense of humor from her dad.
Her eyes lit up as she mentioned, “Being able to take my mom to a show and see her burdens lift momentarily is wonderful.”
Her boyfriend Brian is also a wonderful source of encouragement, as he is her greatest supporter, and makes everything she does possible. Ever grateful, Jessie takes nothing for granted and sincerely appreciates the support of her family and all of the amazing people she has met in the theater community who have guided and supported her along her way.
Alongside that support, Jessie finds the driving force behind the work that she does and her accomplishments thus far in empathy and her wish to make a difference through art.
“Personal experience has taught me to take nothing for granted. Seeing my mother struggle turned my world upside down. Seeing that struggle and others through empathy makes me strong and able to help others. It is innately wrong to waste a gift that allows me to empathize and help others. I wish to live life by example to show that it is possible. When all security is ripped away I look at what’s left and reevaluate. Artists have to look at their hearts and do it. It’s not the easiest thing, but it is the right thing.”
As it has given her so much joy in life, Jessie firmly believes in the power of community theater and the wonderful opportunities it provides. For those looking to become involved in community theater, Jessie urges that you just go for it.
“The best experience you can get comes from just showing up and being involved. Community theater is so open to invitation with no barriers to breach,” she explained.
Through community theater, Jessie learned how to come out of her own shell and attributes much of her confidence to her experience there.
In the future, she hopes to see Shakespeare in the Park grow, as she believes it is a great gateway into community theater and truly welcomes the community as a whole to partake in the art that she loves so dearly.
“The beautiful thing about theater is that there’s a place for everybody,” she said in closing, “Art belongs to everyone.”