Director/CHorEOGRAPHER
"Jessica Kerner Scruggs' choreography is CRAZILY CREATIVE, energetic beyond belief and suits the prodcution well." - Broadway World review of Pippin at St. Petersburg College, 2019
"And their war song, "Glory," with their Fosse-esque dance moves amid the beheadings and mass casualties of battle, chills the bone."- Broadway World review of Pippin at St. Petersburg College, 2019
"...lively in their dance numbers (thanks to choreographer Jessica Scruggs, who includes a nod to "West Side Story's" "Cool" at one point)." - Peter Nason of Broadway World, 2018
"Urinetown" at St. Petersburg College ranked in Top 10 shows in the Tampa Bay Area in 2018
With experience directing and choreographing in both educational and professional settings, Jessica easily adapts to working with many different communities. Her credits range from Tampa to New York, working on musicals, music videos, cruise ships, industrials, classical plays, family entertainment and private events. As a theatre artist, Jessica's greatest passion is telling stories that leave the audience with a sense of empowerment and joy.
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 Photo for a Tampa Bay Time article about, Directing "A Little Princess" at The Straz Center |  Nickelodeon cast suprises Jessica before she leaves their install by sliming her! |
 Nickelodeon on Norwegian Cruise Lines - Resident Director/Choreographer |  Nickelodeon on Norwegian Cruise Lines - Resident Director/Choreographer |
 A Doll's House - Director |  A Doll's House - Director |
 A Doll's House - Director |  Legally Blonde - Director/Choreographer |
 Legally Blonde - Director/Choreographer |  Legally Blonde - Director/Choreographer |
 Legally Blonde - Director/Choreographer |  Legally Blonde - Director/Choreographer |
 Legally Blonde - Director/Choreographer |  Legally Blonde (rehearsal picture) - Director/Choreographer |
 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - Director/Choregrapher |  25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - Director/Choregrapher |
 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - Director/Choregrapher |  25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - Director/Choregrapher |
 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - Director/Choregrapher |  25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - Director/Choregrapher |
 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - Director/Choregrapher |  Sweet Charity - Director / Choreographer |
 Sweet Charity - Director/Choreographer |  Sweet Charity - Director / Choreographer |
 Sweet Charity - Director / Choreographer |  Sweet Charity - Director / Choreographer |
 Sweet Charity - Director / Choreographer |  Sweet Charity - Director / Choreographer |
 Sweet Charity - Director / Choreographer |  The Wizard of Oz - Director/Choreographer |
 The Wizard of Oz - Director/Choreographer |  The Wizard of Oz - Director/Choreographer |
 The Wizard of Oz - Director/Choreographer |  The Wizard of Oz - Director/Choreographer |
 A Little Princess - Patel Conservatory, Straz Center, Director/Choreographer |  A Little Princess - Director/Choreographer |
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 |  The Wedding Singer - Director/Choreographer |
 The Wedding Singer - Director/Choreographer |  The Wedding Singer - Director/Choreographer |
 The Wedding Singer - Director/Choreographer |  Company - Choreographer |
 Amayzing Mayzie from Seussical -Director/Choreographer |  Amayzing Mayzie from Seussical - Director/Choreographer |
 Run, Freedom, Run - Urinetown - Director/Choreographer |  Run, Freedom, Run from Urinetown -Director/Choreographer |
 Seussical - Director/Choreographer |  Seussical - Director/Choreographer |
 Seussical - Director/Choreographer |  Assistant Directors to Laine Munro for Broadway Big Brother Big Sister |
 Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune - New Paltz, NY, Director |  Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune - New Paltz, NY, Director |
 Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune - New Paltz, NY, Director |  Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune - New Paltz, NY, Director |
 Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune - New Paltz, NY, Director |  Marat/Sade - Choreographer |
Some favorite productions include:
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Pippin
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Urinetown
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A Doll's House
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Legally Blonde
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Sweet Charity
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25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
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Midsummer Night's Dream -
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The Little Mermaid
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
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Seussical
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Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
Directing and Choreography Credits include:
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Nickelodeon on Norwegian Cruise Lines
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Straz Center- Patel Conservatory (FL)
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American Stage - Palladium (FL)
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St. Petersburg College - Theatre Dept. (FL)
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Howard W. Blake School of the Arts (FL)
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Gateway Playhouse (NY)
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Theatre Studio Inc. (NY)
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International Fringe Festival (NY)
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CBS Pilot, 3Lbs. (choreography/dan
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SUNY New Paltz
Educator
"...if people are creating and valuing creativity, they are not destroying." - Dr. Michael Welner
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Jessica firmly believes that in encouraging students to create theatre we are helping to mold a more productive and positive future. Her teaching style is honest, collaborative, nurturing and bold.
A teacher of acting, dance and voice for over 16 years Jessica has experience teaching at colleges, arts schools, theaters, studios and public schools. Her students have gone on to attain professional representation by some of New York's top agencies, perform on Broadway and in other professional theaters, land roles in feature films and television and also become teachers themselves.
Faculty/Teaching postions held:
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Howard W. Blake School of the Arts, FL
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American Stage, FL
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Patel Conservatory, FL
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Broadway Dance Center, NYC
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New York Film Academy, NYC (B.A. and summer programs)
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Gateway Playhouse, NY
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Front n Center for Performing Arts, NJ
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American Dance and Drama, NYC
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Applause, NYC
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NYC Public Schools
Classes taught include:
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Acting (Beg.-Adv.)
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Musical Theatre (Beg.-Adv.)
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Dance (Broadway, Jazz, Hip Hop, Ballet- Beg.-Adv.)
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Dance or Movement for the Actor
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Audition Prep (Musical, Monologue, Cold Reading, Script Analysis, TV/Film)
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Song Interpretation/Performance,
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Vocal Coaching
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Choreography
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Directing
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Theatre History
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Intro to Theatre
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TV/Film Acting and TV/Film Appreciation
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Scene Study, Improvisation
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Comedic Acting
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Acting Techniques (Meisner, Strasberg, Hagen, Viewpoints)
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Beginner Costume Design and Construction
News: Jessica will be teaching a Musical Theatre Dance Audition Workshop at St. Petersburg College. Contact for info.
 Headshots |  Headshots |
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 Headshots |  Headshots |
 Headshots |  Headshots |
 Headshots |  Headshots |
 Headshots |  Headshots |
 Headshots |  Of Mice and Men - Curley's Wife |
 Of Mice and Men - Curley's Wife |  Of Mice and Men - Curley's Wife |
 Of Mice and Men - Curley's Wife |  Of Mice and Men - Curley's Wife |
 Vera Wang Commerical |  Vera Wang Commerical |
 Vera Wang Commerical |  Vera Wang Commerical |
 Vera Wang Commerical |  NBC Page Amy on 30 Rock |
 Law and Order: SVU |  With some 30 Rock friends backstage |
 Ugly Betty |  Memorizing sides on set before rehearsal |
 Gossip Girl - Constance Billiard student |  Gossip Girl - Constance Billiard student |
 Gossip Girl - Constance Billiard student |  The Lunar Academy - Marie 7 |
 Modeling for a gender reverse Jewish study photo shoot |  Guys and Dolls - Hot Box Girl |
 Anything Goes - Virtue |  Anything Goes - Virtue |
 One Life to Live |  Heidi Chronicles |
 Heidi Chronicles |  NY Titans Dance Team |
 NY Titans Dance Team |  NY Titans Dance Team |
 NY Titans Dance Team |  NY Titans Dance Team |
 Commercial shoot |  Commercial shoot |
 Commercial shoot |  Commercial shoot |
 Modeling shoes with Miss USA and Miss Universe |  Gossip Girl - Vanessa double |
 Gossip Girl - Vanessa double |  Modeling at Steve Madden Showroom in NYC |
 Lights, Camera, Action! |  Lights, Camera, Action! |
 Dance concert |  Little Jessica playing "Samantha" on Sesame Street with B.D. Wong, Telly Monster and her real dad! |
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Improvising with Alec Baldwin on 30 Rock as Page Amy in Seasons 1 & 2.
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Being a hip-hop dancing grandma on One Life to Live on ABC.
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Working with director Davis Guggenheim on CBS pilot, 3 Lbs. as a Street Dancer/911 caller.
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Being harnessed to a 5th floor Soho balcony in a $30,000 dress for a Vera Wang commercial.
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Playing Curley's Wife (whom she lovingly named Belinda,) a role she has always wanted to play, in Of Mice and Men at Stageworks.
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Reading both the role of 'Lil Bit in How I Learned to Drive and also Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz for the same playreading company.
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Swinging every ensemble member in an Off-Broadway dance-based show at The Bleeker Street Theater.
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Dancing at Madison Square Garden on the NY Titans Dance Team.
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Performing an original monologue on stage at The Shubert with the cast of Chicago on Broadway.
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Working on Sesame Street as a young girl with B.D. Wong, Savion Glover, and Big Bird, but being most excited about her REAL father playing her Dad.
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Playing a robotic child on a made-up planet at a theater festival in NY and getting to reprise the role/show years later at The Kraine Theatre downtown.
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Getting close to the chance to work on Tony N Tina's Wedding... but then it closed! (Okay, so maybe that isn't such a favorite memory.)
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Some other favorite roles/titles include: The Heidi Chronicles, Midsummer Night's Dream, Barefoot in the Park, Time of Your Life and Beirut.
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For a complete resume and headshots:
AcTRESS / DANCER
"...through her skillful character development we come to know she is much more than a vamp. She is really just another person trying to escape this lonely outpost.
We see glimpses of Blanche Du Bois, the protagonist from “A Streetcar Named Desire,” as Scruggs introduces us to a character who believes she could have been a movie star, or basically anything other than what she actually is." -Joe Henson, Tampa Bay Times
" ...by the end of the evening, Scruggs' performance becomes powerful." - Creative Loafing, Tampa Bay
Jessica is a SAG -AFTRA actress and dancer with experience on stage, tv, and film.
Some favorite moments of her career are as follows: