A Career Built on Stories That Connect
For J.S. Jacklin, success as playwrights has never been about collecting trophies. It’s been about seeing original words come alive on stage—and discovering that audiences recognize something of themselves in the stories.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
40+ theatre productions and events
Jan Jacklin has spent decades as a producer, director, artistic director and playwright, including more than 40 productions and events through her theatre work in Muskoka.
Produced in Canada
For the Love of a Good Man was produced by Dot The T Productions in 2019 and by Chadleigh Outdoor Theatre in 2020.
Selected in California
For the Love of a Good Man was selected for the Valley Players Summer Stage Reading Series in Napa Valley, California, in 2023, where audience responses included five-star ratings and praise for its believable characters, humour and balance of serious and comic moments.
Critically praised comedy
Merry Birthday received a strong review from theatre critic Andrew Wagner-Chazalon, CEO of Dockside Magazine, who called it “a very good comedy indeed,” praised its brilliant script, comic timing and physical comedy, and said that, “if there is justice in the arts,” it would be staged again. Audiences responded with comments including “Brilliant script,” “Hilarious from start to finish” and “Such a fabulous Play!”
Five-star audience response
Blooming Violet, the historical drama inspired by Jan’s mother’s life, received multiple five-star audience reviews following performances in Lake of Bays in 2023 and 2024. Reviewers described it as “brilliantly written,” “powerful and poignant,” “so magical” and “a cracking good read.”
Five new plays in one evening
In March 2026, five of J.S. Jacklin’s ten-minute plays—P.S.A., Burden of Guilt, Afterthought, Sounds Heavenly! and Never Let Go—were presented at Tea, Tarts & Tenners in Lake of Bays as part of a World Theatre Day celebration. The event was promoted as an evening of funny, thought-provoking and deeply human local theatre.
Published playwright
J.S. Jacklin’s work is represented through the Playwrights Guild of Canada / Canadian Play Outlet, including full-length plays, radio plays and children’s theatre.
Children’s theatre with an educational response
LMNOP – The Middle Matters was published as both a children’s book and a play. The work received praise from an Ontario retired librarian/teacher as a “creative and fun story” and an ideal starting point for children to explore feelings of exclusion and develop coping strategies.
Recognition for contribution to the arts
Jan Jacklin was nominated in the Arts category of the Annual Muskoka Awards and the Women of Distinction Award – Arts category in 2014.
FROM MUSKOKA TO THE STAGE
The common thread through J.S. Jacklin’s work is simple:
Write something human.
Make them laugh.
Make them think.
And, if possible, make them feel something before they leave the theatre.
From mature characters navigating love and friendship, to historical family stories, children’s theatre and now five 10-minute Bible-inspired comedies, J.S. Jacklin continue to look for the story hiding between the lines.
Because a good play doesn’t just entertain an audience.
It gives them something to take home.