Jeffrey Alan Smith: A Life in the Theatre
Greetings, friends!
Just by browsing through Vita Opus a bit, you can probably tell that I am a very theatre-centric person. That’s because theatre has been, not just a piece of my life— it’s perhaps been the most important thing in my life for the last 20 some—odd years. It’s my defining characteristic. I’m the theatre guy. The theatre kid. The actor, director, designer, and cat-enthusiast that lives to tell stories and entertain audiences.
You can check out my theatre website by visiting jeffreyalansmith.com. You can follow my latest projects and shows by following me on Instagram account @iamjeffreyalansmith.
For now though, I’ll drop my somewhat lengthy bio here, in case you’re curious to read more about my background and how the connection between graphic design and theatre formed to create— well, to create me.
Anyway, thanks for reading, as always, folks.
Until next time: much love, and stay safe!
“The person you are is a thousand times more interesting than the best actor you could ever hope to be.”
Jeffrey has an equally impressive background in the world of theatre arts and graphic design. After falling in love with theatre in the later half of his high school career in Rapid City, South Dakota, Jeffrey made the decision to dedicate his life to studying theatre and improving his craft. Simultaneously, his passion for graphic design was burning deep within his mind as he was getting better and better after being self-taught for so many years. Despite never being formally trained, Jeffrey decided to also pursue an education in graphic design alongside being a theatre arts generalist.
Jeffrey attended Minnesota State University, Mankato from 2005 - 2009 and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree, double-majoring in Theatre Arts and Graphic Design. The most formidable time during his college experience was spending time exploring different artistic mediums, experimenting with photography, painting, drawing, dance, choreography, and more. Throughout college, Jeffrey was successful in serving many design clients while maintaining his studies and performing in dozens of theatrical productions.
Following graduation, Jeffrey moved from Mankato, Minnesota to Seattle, Washington in hopes to make the Pacific Northwest his permanent home; however, following a debilitating diagnosis of severe generalized depression, an anxiety disorder, and insomnia— Jeffrey was forced to return home to his hometown of Rapid City, where he has remained ever since.
Jeffrey is a strong and vocal supporter for mental health advocacy, and he is a passionate ally for the LGBTQ+ community and strongly supports equal rights for women. Jeffrey realizes that politics can tear people apart and cause conflict, but he is confident in his belief that we are all human at the end of the day and that we have more in common that we may think. Above all else, Jeffrey prioritizes love and respect.
Since moving back to Rapid City in 2013, Jeffrey has appeared in countless stage productions with various performing arts organizations such as: ACTS, Black Hills Community Theatre, Catalyst Theater Company, Hapaloa Productions, and Seraphim Theatrical Entertainment.
In addition to acting, Jeffrey has a feverish passion for directing plays and musicals. One of his favorite things to do in life is to recognize potential in fellow actors and challenge them to step up to the plate and surprise themselves with the amazing things they are capable of doing. Bringing a show's vision from his mind's eye to a full scaled production is another one of his favorite aspects of directing.
Jeffrey is quite simply an artist at his core. Vita Opus, his graphic design business, is a latin phrase that means "live art." That is a mantra and core value that Jeffrey lives by every single day. To live for art.
Jeffrey has one cat named Athena, and dearly misses his beloved Puck, who left us back in 2019. He has frequently been known to be somewhat of a cat whisperer— perhaps getting along better with felines than human beings at times (kidding, of course!)
