Jacob Buttry is a community-based theatre artist and facilitator who uses theatre and performance to foster compassion and connection. He works as a director, facilitator, performer, playwright, intimacy director, and more. His artistry and research have examined how artists negotiate distance and connection in audience interactions, how directors model care in rehearsal environments, and how theatre-based practices facilitate shame resilience and accountability. In 2023, he completed a 2.5 year artist residency with First Place AZ. His projects include Wholly Communion (interactive performance event based on the experience of former evangelical Christians), Monster Recess (interactive performance about play and shame), and the Mental Health Monologues (verbatim theatre piece based on interviews around experiences with mental illness). Jacob holds an MFA in Theatre for Youth & Community from Arizona State University and BAs in theatre and psychology from Texas Christian University (TCU). Jacob is adjunct theatre faculty at Estrella Mountain Community College.