Jason McCool

Somerville, Massachusetts

Jason McCool comes from a long line of people who have been asked, “is that your real last name?” Originally from Brockton, MA, Jason holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music (jazz trumpet performance) and the University of Maryland (historical musicology), and has been an adjunct professor of music at Montgomery College. In Sept 2013, he began a PhD in musicology (after receiving a full-tuition Dean's Fellowship) at Boston University, where he will teach a course on The Beatles in Spring 2015.

In June 2014, Jason founded Solas Nua in Boston, the first regional offshoot of Solas Nua, the only organization in the U.S. dedicated to contemporary Irish arts. Recently profiled in Dig Boston and on WGBH Radio, Solas Nua in Boston is in residence at The Burren in Somerville, MA.

Formerly a part of the vibrant artistic community of our nation's capitol, where he returns to throw themed parties, Jason’s theatre work includes: OMG, part of the 2010-11 Mead Theatre Lab Program and for which he received an individual artist grant from DC’s Cultural Development Corporation to co-write, produce, act in and compose piano music; Solas Nua's SWAMPOODLE, a devised theatrical event which included development work in Ireland with Performance Corporation; and RIDING THE BULL, which he produced and acted in for the 2009 Capital Fringe Festival (Wash Post Editors' Pick; named "Best Male Actor" of Fringe, allarts4U). Other favorite acting work includes the title role in Forum Theatre's THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT (DC Theatre Scene's 2008 “Audience Favorite Play”), Solas Nua's SCENES FROM THE BIG PICTURE (named by Wash Post as "One of the Top 10 Plays of the Decade"), THE RESISTABLE RISE OF ARTURO UI with Catalyst Theatre (winner, Helen Hayes Award, ensemble), and DANCING AT LUGHNASA at the T. Schreiber Studio in NYC. He has appeared with Studio, Folger, Everyman, and Rorschach Theatres, Theater J, Washington Shakespeare Co, and at the Kennedy Center. Jason studied acting at the T. Schreiber Studio in NYC and The Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory in DC, where he also took directing with Joy Zinoman. He is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association. He has served as the #DCarts liaison for Social Media Club of DC, written reviews for DC's Pink Line Project and Boston Musical Intelligencer, and has consulted many arts organizations on social media. GO SOX.

  • Work
    • PhD student
  • Education
    • Eastman School of Music, University of Maryland
    • Boston University