Today we’d like to introduce you to David Jenkins.
Hi David, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m David Jenkins, Producing Artistic Director for Jobsite Theater. We’re the independent, professional resident theater company at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Tampa. We were recently voted 2025 Best Professional Theater Company in the Creative Loafing Best of the Bay issue. I was also voted Best Stage Director and Best Playwright, In addition to that, we just received 23 Theater Tampa Bay Award nominations for the season that just closed, those winners will be announced at the end of October.
Jobsite produces a full season of dynamic, exciting professional theater every year — we’re going into season 28! A mix of new works and classics, straight plays and musicals, we have something on stage 6 months out of every year.
I am originally from Jacksonville, FL, and have been in Tampa since 1998. I earned an MFA in Acting from UF, my PhD is in Performance Studies from USF. In addition to my work with Jobsite, I teach part-time in the USF Judy Genshaft Honors College. I live in a 100+ year old house in Tampa Heights with my super-cool wife and a whole mess of 4-legged bad children.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s for sure never easy. Currently, funding for the arts is under attack at every level of government. Between recent state and federal funding cuts, we’ve lost over 1/5 of our annual operating revenue. With the consolidation and de-localization of much of the mainstream press, there really is not substantive arts coverage in the mainstream press here, meaning people aren’t hearing what we’re all up to, making it difficult to draw audiences. Finally, the economy is making it harder all around — everything costs more, people want to spend less, and private individuals do not have the expendable income or things are too uncertain for them to fill in the gaps. Sometimes it feels like everything is stacked up against us right now.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
People say that Jobsite tends to do things they wouldn’t be able to see anywhere else. We would say that we’re just out there trying to do the kind of work that excites us. We are an ensemble of over 70 artists of all disciplines — actors, directors and stage managers, designers, musicians, choreographers, and so on. We are proud to offer an artistic home here for this region’s deep field of talent. One thing we’re known for is our Halloween shows — which we have coming up! A new musical from literary legend Stephen King and rock icon John Mellencamp — GHOST BROTHERS OF DARKLAND COUNTY! Spooky season is our favorite time of year.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Get involved. Find an organization doing the work that excites you, the people you feel you can learn from. You’ll be surprised how much folks are willing to share and how much you can learn, but you gotta get in there — it won’t happen from the sidelines and you’re not likely to get a personal invitation.
Pricing:
- Our ticket prices vary, from $40 – $100
- But we do offer discounts for select groups like students, 65+, and military/veteran households.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jobsitetheater.org
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jobsitetheater
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/jobsitetheater
Image Credits
All images courtesy James Zambon Productions except for the one with the woman sitting at the desk with the police officer standing over her, that one is Stage Photography of Tampa.
