SEATTLE: The 5th Avenue Theatre has named theatre artist and Sound Theatre Company co-artistic director Jay Woods to be its new associate artistic director. Woods will begin in March following her artistic debut at the 5th of Beauty and the Beast.

“Jay is an amazing artist who is passionate about creating theatre and telling stories that resonate with a a contemporary audience,” Bill Berry, the 5th’s producing artistic director, said in a statement. “Jay has shown herself to be a leader and advocate in the Seattle theatre community, and the 5th is extremely blessed to have her join our artistic team.”

Woods is a director, artistic facilitator, educator, and performer who founded the Seattle Theatre Leadership Collective in 2020 to unite artistic leadership across the Pacific Northwest. A New York native, Woods has worked with Seattle Rep, Seattle Public Theater, Intiman Theatre, Scottish Youth Theatre, and others, among multiple universities. Woods’s directing credits include work with Washington Ensemble Theatre and ArtsWest, in addition to the 5th Avenue Theatre and Sound Theatre Company. She is a graduate of SUNY Brockport and Edinburgh Napier University and is currently adapting Natasha Marin’s Black Imagination for stage and screen.