Stunt Woman. Actor-Combatant. Writer. Mask-maker. Dancer.
Jessi Cosgrove is a stuntwoman who enjoys writing short stories and plays, as well as choreographing stage violence.
On any given day, you can find her spiritedly discussing story ideas, and greeting her fellow actors with a playful stage punch to the face.
Jessi brings a sort of organized chaos into her work by tackling life’s seemingly random details and turning them into intense, circus-like works.
Whether she is staging a street fight, inhabiting a robust character or scribbling down her latest theatrical invention, Jessi strives to leave your heart racing, your face hurting and your head spinning.
On any given day, you can find her spiritedly discussing story ideas, and greeting her fellow actors with a playful stage punch to the face.
Jessi brings a sort of organized chaos into her work by tackling life’s seemingly random details and turning them into intense, circus-like works.
Whether she is staging a street fight, inhabiting a robust character or scribbling down her latest theatrical invention, Jessi strives to leave your heart racing, your face hurting and your head spinning.
About Me
At the age of 9, I started training in dance, mostly Jazz and Ballet. As I grew, I started dabbling in mask work, and by the time I hit middle school, I knew without a doubt that I was to be a performer. When high school rolled around, I enrolled in my school's drama department, never having acted before.
It was love at lights up.
I expanded my interest in acting to my dancing and mask work. With the help of Jude Binder, artistic director at West Virginia's Heartwood in the Hills, I cultivated my artistic thirst, and created four tarlatan masks. My fourth mask, Jack the Jester, was featured in several dance performances. (I have since created five additional masks, which can be seen in the "Gallery" tab.)
In my senior year of high school, I auditioned for several colleges, including Juilliard, Carnegie Mellon, and Point Park University, but I really found my footing in Center City Philadelphia, at the University of the Arts. After graduating from my small town high school in 2009, I moved to the big city and fell in love with it.
I had an incredible experience training with some of the industry's best, including Drucie McDaniel, John Desotelle, Charles Conwell, Rick Stoppleworth, Rosey Hay, David Howey, Ernie Losso, D'Arcy Webb, Seth Bauer, and Janice Orlandi. I learned the techniques of Stanislavsky, Laban, Alexander, Linklater, Meisner, Williamson, and Viewpoints, and worked with period style including that of Shakespeare and Comedy of Manners. I was also trained in the arts of unarmed, knife, rapier, dagger, and broadsword stage combat, which landed me an SAFD certification in 2011.
In my junior year, I was cast in the premier of Vivir Mejor, written and directed by Adriana Lopez. I also picked up a pen and became a Creative Writing Minor. I took several literature/writing courses, including Fiction Writing, Poetry, and Playwriting workshops. I began to write, and write a lot.
In my senior year, I achieved four major goals. First, I was cast in a comedy, as Bernice Niemeyer in Stage Door, by Edna Ferber. Then, after being inspired by a performance of The Giant Squid by The Berserker Residents, I wrote a short comedy entitled I Think I Like Soy Things, which was produced during Equinox, part of the New Play Festival at UArts. I then choreographed, directed, produced and performed in an original short film, entitled Hell Hath No Fury, which showcased my skills as an actor-combatant. In the spring, I received four recommended passes in smallsword, saber, quarterstaff, and sword/shield from the SAFD, giving me the rank of certified advanced actor-combatant.
In 2014, I spent a month at The International Stunt School in Seattle and was certified as a stunt performer and member of the United Stuntmen's Association, and then began some basic pro wrestling training in central WV with the locals.
I began performing stunts for the reboot of popular web series Shotgun Mythos in 2015, and appeared in Dance Nocturnal's Gauntlet Run: Origins in the summer of 2016.
I am currently the director of Route 33 Wresting, Spencer WV's local professional wrestling promotion.
I intend to travel, act, write, choreograph, and perform my way through life. I hope to dip my toes into many other facets of performance, including parkour, free running, circus performance, and more.
And the beat goes on.
It was love at lights up.
I expanded my interest in acting to my dancing and mask work. With the help of Jude Binder, artistic director at West Virginia's Heartwood in the Hills, I cultivated my artistic thirst, and created four tarlatan masks. My fourth mask, Jack the Jester, was featured in several dance performances. (I have since created five additional masks, which can be seen in the "Gallery" tab.)
In my senior year of high school, I auditioned for several colleges, including Juilliard, Carnegie Mellon, and Point Park University, but I really found my footing in Center City Philadelphia, at the University of the Arts. After graduating from my small town high school in 2009, I moved to the big city and fell in love with it.
I had an incredible experience training with some of the industry's best, including Drucie McDaniel, John Desotelle, Charles Conwell, Rick Stoppleworth, Rosey Hay, David Howey, Ernie Losso, D'Arcy Webb, Seth Bauer, and Janice Orlandi. I learned the techniques of Stanislavsky, Laban, Alexander, Linklater, Meisner, Williamson, and Viewpoints, and worked with period style including that of Shakespeare and Comedy of Manners. I was also trained in the arts of unarmed, knife, rapier, dagger, and broadsword stage combat, which landed me an SAFD certification in 2011.
In my junior year, I was cast in the premier of Vivir Mejor, written and directed by Adriana Lopez. I also picked up a pen and became a Creative Writing Minor. I took several literature/writing courses, including Fiction Writing, Poetry, and Playwriting workshops. I began to write, and write a lot.
In my senior year, I achieved four major goals. First, I was cast in a comedy, as Bernice Niemeyer in Stage Door, by Edna Ferber. Then, after being inspired by a performance of The Giant Squid by The Berserker Residents, I wrote a short comedy entitled I Think I Like Soy Things, which was produced during Equinox, part of the New Play Festival at UArts. I then choreographed, directed, produced and performed in an original short film, entitled Hell Hath No Fury, which showcased my skills as an actor-combatant. In the spring, I received four recommended passes in smallsword, saber, quarterstaff, and sword/shield from the SAFD, giving me the rank of certified advanced actor-combatant.
In 2014, I spent a month at The International Stunt School in Seattle and was certified as a stunt performer and member of the United Stuntmen's Association, and then began some basic pro wrestling training in central WV with the locals.
I began performing stunts for the reboot of popular web series Shotgun Mythos in 2015, and appeared in Dance Nocturnal's Gauntlet Run: Origins in the summer of 2016.
I am currently the director of Route 33 Wresting, Spencer WV's local professional wrestling promotion.
I intend to travel, act, write, choreograph, and perform my way through life. I hope to dip my toes into many other facets of performance, including parkour, free running, circus performance, and more.
And the beat goes on.