Whether or not you’re not a theatre major, Jennifer McCabe may look familiar. You might have seen the associate professor, who is also deputy chair of Lehman’s Multimedia, Theatre, and Dance department, on hit television shows including NBC’s Law and Order-SVU, FX’s The Americans, or HBO’s Sex & the City.
McCabe, who came to Lehman in 2014 and teaches Acting for the Camera, Advanced Acting for the Camera, Working in the Performing Arts, Acting I, Acting II, Voice Over, and Voice for the Stage, brings that professional experience with her to the classroom, offering students a look at the real world of acting and TV/movie production.
“I absolutely love teaching. I’ve been teaching the craft of acting for nearly three decades. If I had to choose what I find most rewarding, I’d say being a part of the actor’s process of becoming and turning their beingness into something usable in their art,” McCabe said. “The journey is very challenging and never-ending.”
That journey began when McCabe was two. Her mother, a social worker who did local community theatre, would bring her and her brother to every rehearsal and performance because she couldn’t afford childcare. Watching stage performances night after night for years was a kind of experiential learning that generated McCabe’s passion for acting. “It developed all on its own,” she said. “I’ve been acting for 35 years. I didn’t decide to do it as a career—it chose me. I couldn’t walk away from it.”
When she’s not teaching aspiring actors at Lehman, McCabe has maintained an active schedule, including dozens of Off-Broadway productions, over 80 stage roles, several web series, television appearances, and many roles on the big screen. What’s more, she directs and produces, with 12 short films under her belt—most on the nationwide film festival circuit.
In the summer and fall of 2024, McCabe played leading roles in two films, the short Can’t You See I’m Trying, and the feature-length thriller Your Lips Never Left Mine. Both are in post-production.
Her thoughts on acting have evolved over time as she’s moved through different stages of her career, and her life. “When I was younger, it was most rewarding to dive into the world of a character and feel like I was disappearing from my life for a while,” said McCabe. “Now, I find the most value in collaborating with directors and writers on set. I love figuring out where the camera should be and how I, as the actor, can make the project better by helping the director with their vision.”
And as for the next generation, including her Lehman students, McCabe tells aspiring to actors to “BE. ACT. BOOK.” It’s the tag line for her own acting studio and her approach to the profession. “The first step to becoming an actor is to work on being. Bringing yourself to your work and to your life,” she advises. “Then we can try this thing called “acting.” But be fully engaged in life first. Don’t run away from it. Take in everything around you and live in the moment as much as possible.”