Admin Team

Admin Team

Jess Beckley-Chayes
Administrative Associate

Jess Beckley-Chayes is an artist and administrator who is passionate about helping arts organizations thrive through authentic communication and collaboration. She is also an award-winning theater director and artistic leader who recently completed her tenure in the BOLD Theater Women’s Leadership Circle at Northern Stage in Vermont, and is a founding co-Artistic Director of NY-based ensemble The Assembly. She lives in Queens with her husband and one-year-old daughter. 

Ariana Calderón
Admin Team

Ariana Calderón is a poet, performance artist, and arts administrator. The common thread in all her disciplines is a curiosity for the ways we can build community– so, she is thrilled to help run Sapientia’s AT For All program. Ariana graduated with a BFA in drama from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in 2023. At NYU, she self-produced original plays and co-developed Zine Almighty, an ongoing publication that celebrates the work of emerging artists. When Ariana isn’t working, she can be found at the dog beach in Prospect Park or turning any leftover meals into tacos.

Ellie Jackson
Admissions Coordinator/Grant Researcher/Bookkeeping

Ellie Jackson (she/her) is a New York based actor and theatre artist. Ellie earned a degree in theater through studies at the University of Southern California and the British American Drama Academy in London. As an actor and producer Ellie seeks to develop and participate in projects that share human stories truthfully. She is also the Co-Founder of The Neighborhood Theatre Project, a 501c3 non-profit theatre company dedicated to creating original verbatim theatre through a process rooted in interviews and conversations. Ellie has been regularly studying and practicing the Alexander technique for a number of years, experiencing numerous benefits in her craft and daily life.