Press
Sitigirl Girl Virgin Islands Magazine
"What’s the undercurrent that animates Owens’ varied pursuits? It’s a genuine passion for storytelling. Whether through her mesmerizing performances or the character she plays, Owens has an uncanny ability to activate empathy, offering glimpses into other perspectives."
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Read more here.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
"For National Poetry Month, we asked four local Philly poets to break down the fundamentals of poetry."
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Columbia Neighbors
"Standing on the shoulders of visionaries who shaped the Harlem Renaissance, Owens—the co-founder of the arts-centered collective Harlem KW Project—is using creative expression to speak truth to power. She spoke with Neighbors about her upbringing in Harlem, the inspiration behind her work, and how the arts can build community."
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Broad Street Review
"The family in question includes Melanye Finister and Lindsay Smiling’s harried homeowners Beverly and Dayton, Beverly’s sister Jasmine (Jaylene Clark Owens, taking a page from Jackée Harry’s sassy TV playbook), and overachieving daughter Keisha (Brett Ashley Robinson)."
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Read more here.
The New York Times
"The sure touch of the writing and especially of the performing mean that the comedy isn’t canceled by the intimations of tragedy. Instead, you laugh with a catch in your throat, and the whole thing evaporates before you can ask too much of it."
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Read more here.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Owens is the show’s cohering center. Her stint as a blabby lady on the subway is gut-busting, and her poem of praise to Harlem is a show-stopper. Oh, and she can dance just a little tiny bit."
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Read more here. You can read more articles about the 2020 production of Renaissance in the Belly of a Killer Whale at The Wilma Theater here, here, and here.
WHYY
"“Renaissance in the Belly of a Killer Whale” is the play Owens — a Harlem native and longtime spoken word poet — co-wrote with Hollis Heath, Janelle Heatley, and Chyann Sapp to voice their feelings about the ways the neighborhood is changing."
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Read more here.
NFL Network
Jaylene had the opportunity to serve as the New York City Ambassador on the NFL Network show, Indivisible! This is a show hosted by Green Beret, and former NFL Player, Nate Boyer, that explores important social justice issues in different NFL cities. She talked about gentrification in her home of Harlem, which is one of her passions! She was even able to represent for Harlem KW Project and spit a poem from Renaissance in the Belly of a Killer Whale! You can tune in NOW by clicking here and viewing the "Exploring New York" episode!
WHYY
"The $15,000 F. Otto Haas Award for an emerging theater artist went to Jaylene Clark Owens, an actor and poet who is a member of Wilma Theatre’s resident HotHouse acting company and has appeared on several local stages. [Owens] is a Harlem native who now lives in Philadelphia."
​Read more here. You can read more articles about the 2019 Barrymore Awards here, here, here, and here.
DC Metro Theater Arts
"But the show really belongs to Jaylene Clark Owens, giving a masterful performance as Vanessa. Jumping in and out of reality and in and out of multiple personas, she shows off great vocal control and superb comic and dramatic skills. She is, as Vanessa says of herself at one point, 'a damn delight.'"​
Read more here.
NY Daily News
Some of the Harlem culture is being lost through gentrification,” said Jaylene Clark, 23, one of the actors and playwrights of “Renaissance in the Belly of a Killer Whale.”
Read more here.
NY Daily News
"A Harlem poet, who is fighting to preserve the name of her beloved neighborhood, took first place at the Apollo Theater's Amateur Night for her original piece focused on the ongoing gentrification that has rattled the nerves of many long-time residents."
Read more here.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Struck by that metaphor of killer whale = gentrification, a former teacher asked Owens to create a theater piece around it. Owens contacted three close friends — actresses Hollis Heath and Janelle Heatley, and fellow writer Chyann Sapp — and, before long, the Harlem KW Project LLC was born."
Read more here.
ABC 7
Click here to view Jaylene's interview with Sandra Bookman on New York's ABC7 program, "Here and Now" about "Renaissance in the Belly of a Killer Whale."