#52 - Jason Rodriguez: Agencies in the Theatre Industry

“Wow, first of all I love that word. When I first saw it in an
email, I was like, ‘It’s gotta be the cousin to multi-faceted’
because that’s the word I carry with me.” Jason tried for the
conservatory. He tried for Macbeth. He tried to be the Latinx
Carrie Bradshaw. He couldn’t be just one -- he had to find a way to
access all of these proficiencies. “When you come from a place
without privilege or access, you have no choice but to be multi or
just fall to the ground,” says Rodriguez.  Jason understands
that his work doesn’t end after he’s done performing -- he knows as
a Latinx performer, he must create accessibility into the industry.
He and his business partner, Ricardo Sebastn, are trying to change
the game with their new agency Arrangency -- with the singular
mission of bringing BIPOC, Trans, and Queer people to the forefront
of all creative industries. “We’re trying to build a support system
for talent when they walk into set,” says Rodriguez. “When they go
to their jobs, when they do their gigs… their projects… create
their production… and they know they have a team behind them that
they can relate to… that see them… that understand them and then it
just becomes the work between the talent and the work. Nothing else
is in the way.” In this episode Jason and Michael dissect what it
means to provide access in the industry, delegating the steps to
starting a new agency, working relationships, representation for
artists, hopes and dreams, and more. Jason Rodriguez is the
unequivocal face of voguing for an entirely new generation of
dancers and dance enthusiasts. He starred for three seasons as
Lemar in Ryan Murphy's Emmy and Golden Globe Award-nominated
television series “POSE,” where he also shared his expertise with
the cast as Movement Coach and Choreographer. Born and raised in
Washington Heights NYC, Jason’s name has become synonymous with the
art form of voguing. Jason’s masterful embodiment of the art form
has been noted by countless dance critics and journalists,
including The New York Times’ Gia Kourlas, who described how his
“radiating limbs transform his torso into a solid stretch of sinew
and muscle, making him at once tense, velvety, and effortless.”
Jason has taught Vogue across the U.S. and the world and currently
teaches at various schools and institutions throughout New York
City. In addition to “POSE,” Jason has been seen on Baz Lurhmann’s
“The Get Down” on Netflix, “Saturday Church,” and on HBO's “The
Deuce.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
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