When Jacob Padrón was 8 years old he was enthralled watching his mother perform in a Christmas play. He remembers pulling on a stranger’s sleeve and asking, “How do they know where to go?”
Today, they go where Padrón tells them to. Padrón ’03 is the associate producer at the highly regarded Oregon Shakespeare Festival. His duties range from casting to overseeing day-to-day operations for the major productions that run simultaneously each day.
He said he feels “overwhelmed and overjoyed” by his success and credits LMU for many of his achievements.
“I bring LMU to all of my experiences.” said Padrón, who earned his degree in communication studies. “Who I became during my time on the bluff has transformed me into who I am today. LMU is my compass. It determines how I want to have relationships with my colleagues, family and friends. ”
After Padrón graduated from LMU he became a volunteer for the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and worked with the homeless in Raleigh, N.C. Then he moved to Baltimore and worked as an intern in a theatre. There he realized he could use the theatre to increase public awareness of social issues.
Padrón decided he needed more formal training so he applied to Yale School of Drama, a program that only accepts between six to eight students a year. He was accepted and quickly rose to managing director of the Yale Cabaret.
During the summer, he met a kindred spirit, Bill Rauch, the artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Rauch not only hired Padrón immediately, but also held the position for him for a year to allow him to graduate.
“[Padrón] has a real talent and will become a major player in American theatre,” said Becca Wolff, a fellow Yale alumni and colleague.
Padrón says he hopes to start his own production company someday.
