OVATE'S ARTISTIC DIRECTORS
Susan began her professional career in theater with a Commedia dell’arte Troupe in France when she was 17. She went on to work as an actor, director and playwright with groups such as Ojai Shakespeare Festival, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Kingsmen Shakespeare Co., Will Geer Theatricum, Granada Theater, John Anson Ford Amphitheatre and Mark Taper, and as a founding member of Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company. She is the recipient of numerous awards for acting, directing & playwrighting, and has taught in both educational and corporate settings, and her Shakespeare and Acting workshops are sought-after events.
A practicing mental health clinician, Susan uses her training, experience, and keen instincts to gently guide actors towards performance breakthroughs and personal discovery. With her colleague Jolene, Susan organized the Muse of Fire Teen Conservatory in Summer 2019, which scholarshipped 2 students to this 3-week creative intensive. As a prolific playwright and screenwriter, Susan has garnered dozens of awards and recognitions. In the summer of 2025, OVATE Studios produced the short film, He/She/Us. Based on Kelejian’s award-winning play, the film asks the question, “Can love be deeper than pronouns?” In her role as a Co-Artistic Director, Susan encourages high artistic and ethical standards. She embracing the company’s core belief in the healing power of the arts, and leads OVATE towards “transformational multi-media that creates community.”
A practicing mental health clinician, Susan uses her training, experience, and keen instincts to gently guide actors towards performance breakthroughs and personal discovery. With her colleague Jolene, Susan organized the Muse of Fire Teen Conservatory in Summer 2019, which scholarshipped 2 students to this 3-week creative intensive. As a prolific playwright and screenwriter, Susan has garnered dozens of awards and recognitions. In the summer of 2025, OVATE Studios produced the short film, He/She/Us. Based on Kelejian’s award-winning play, the film asks the question, “Can love be deeper than pronouns?” In her role as a Co-Artistic Director, Susan encourages high artistic and ethical standards. She embracing the company’s core belief in the healing power of the arts, and leads OVATE towards “transformational multi-media that creates community.”
Susan Kelejian
Co-Artistic Director
| LCSW; Masters Social Work, USC; MFA in Theater Education, MUW; B.A. in Playwrighting, Goddard College; American Academy of Dramatic Arts
With more than 40 years’ experience as a dedicated performing arts and education professional, Jolene specializes in integrating theater and academics and has produced and directed many multi-disciplinary productions for young people.
Jolene was awarded scholarships to the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco and The Drama Studio London, where she honed her skills in the Classics. Her many theater, film and TV credits include a co-starring role in an Academy Award-nominated short film. Jolene is also an award-winning writer published in widely diverse media, from her articles in UFO Magazine to scripting a best-selling interactive "Barbie" title for Mattel, Inc.
A Founding Member of the non-profit Ojai Valley Artists Theatrical Ensemble, Jolene also co-founded OVATE Studios, which explores storytelling via audio, video and film platforms.
An avid historian and researcher, Jolene believes that a better appreciation of the people and stories from the past can enrich our understanding of the human experience.
Jolene Rae Harrington
Co-Artistic Director |
B.A., UCSB, (double major) History & Dramatic Arts; Secondary Teaching Credential (Clear) SFSU; American Conservatory Theater; Drama Studio London
Stay connected. Get in touch. Start a conversation!
Rooted in Ojai, embracing the world.
Subscribe to our newsletter
OVATE
Ojai Valley Artists Theater Ensemble
OVATE Studios
© Copyright 2026 Web.com Group, Inc. All rights reserved. All registered trademarks herein are the property of their respective owners.