Meet Our Founder & CEO
Jessica Alvarado founded Peak Theatre Arts with one belief at the center: every child is a storyteller. Our purpose is simple: to create the conditions where youth and the stories they bring can shine. With over 20 years of theatre experience spanning acting, writing, directing, and producing, and a decade leading in out-of-school time and expanded learning, Jessica bridges the artistic and operational sides of youth development. She designs K–8, student-devised drama residencies that center storytelling, culture, leadership, and belonging through joyful, student-led creative process.
​Jessica holds a B.A. in Educational Studies with a minor in Theatre & Dance from the University of Missouri–St. Louis. Her work is shaped by a rich artistic career, including ​​
four years touring with the Off-Broadway hit Platanos and Collard Greens and performing principal roles with Gitana Productions Inc., where she was mentored by Cecilia Nadal in culturally sustaining pedagogy and community-centered theatre.​
Before founding Peak, Jessica launched the After School All Stars Theatre Company, engaging 60+ students in STEAM-based drama that blended acting, design, tech, and movement. Her approach reflects a simple belief: theatre becomes transformative when students lead, create, and see their ideas at the center.