What do you get when a sold-out Chicago run of The Outsiders – hailed by major theatre publications and buzzing with audience energy – refuses to fade to black? You get JK Entertainment: a bold, nonprofit entertainment company ready to crash the gates of theatre, film, and music with fearless storytelling and a mission to shake things up.
Founded by Jonathan James and co-founded by Kyle Reid Hass, JK Entertainment was born from a simple truth: art is more than entertainment – it’s a catalyst for change. The company’s work lives where art meets activism, producing uncompromising stories that challenge the status quo while welcoming audiences into a space of open dialogue, inclusion, and creativity.
“We’re here for the outsiders, the rebels, the too-much-for-the-room people,” says James, “The goal is to put on one hell of a show – but also create work that actually means something when the curtain comes down.”
As a nonprofit, JK Entertainment reinvests every dollar back into artists and their communities, rejecting the idea that “the bottom line” should dictate the art. The founders envision a movement of creators who aren’t afraid to be vulnerable, messy, and deeply human in their work – because that’s where the magic happens.
COMING SOON
JK Entertainment is already in motion on its first slate of projects, including:
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gods: A Musical Rampage - With an original book, music, and lyrics by the company’s own Kyle Reid Hass, this new musical will make its Act 1 debut at the Elgin Fringe Festival September 2025
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Prodigal Son by John Patrick Shanley - Directed by Jonathan James after successful a sold-out run in Elgin, IL that garnered award nominations and wins. This show will open at the Athenaeum Center in Chicago October 2025
With future projects already in the pipeline JK Entertainment is stepping onto the scene with a clear mantra: Cool. Art. That. Matters.
ABOUT JK ENTERTAINMENT
JK Entertainment is a Chicago-based nonprofit producing theatre, film, music, and other media for audiences who think differently. Founded by Jonathan James and co-founded by Kyle Reid Hass, after a sold-out Chicago run of The Outsiders, the company champions bold, boundary-pushing work at the intersection of art and activism.
To learn more about JK Entertainment and keep up with future projects visit jkentertainment.org
Follow JK Entertainment on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook #jkentertainment
BIOGRAPHIES OF THE TEAM
Jonathan James – (Founder, CEO) is a Chicago-based vocal/acting coach, director, producer, actor, musician, and music director with 30 years of industry experience. JJ coaches clients all over the country and world including New York, L.A., Philadelphia, Houston, Miami, D.C., and as far away as Saudi Arabia. JJ’s clients work in the theater, film, and television industries. Jonathan served as the Youth Vocal and Acting Coach for Broadway In Chicago’s Children of Eden at the Cadillac Palace. Jonathan directed The Outsiders at The Athenaeum Center – a project garnering a Playbill-exclusive about him as an up-and-coming Chicago Director/Producer. Other directing credits include Lou Award-nominated Prodigal Son (Elgin Theater Company) and The Outsiders (Independent Players). Music/vocal directing credits include Spring Awakening, Heathers, and tick, tick...BOOM! (Point2Productions); The Polar Express (Fox River Trolley Museum); Aladdin and the Magic Lamp (Woodstock North High School); Chicago (Woodstock Comm. School Dist. 200); Seussical (Rising Star); Hercules, Schoolhouse Rock, The Little Mermaid, and Mulan (Children’s Theater of Elgin); and Into the Woods (Einstein Academy). Jonathan’s acting credits include John in tick, tick…BOOM!, John Proctor in The Crucible, Smudge in Forever Plaid, Fred in Present Laughter, and Andre in The Phantom of the Opera. JJ is on staff as Vocal Director for District 200 and is the Music Director for the Fox River Trolley Museum. Jonathan co-founded the Chicagoland Theatre Fund and is a Director for The Lodge Performing Arts Center in Elgin, IL. Jonathan’s involvement in the performing arts is expanding internationally, including discussions to direct and teach in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Outside of theatre, JJ enjoys performing live music across the Chicagoland area as both an acoustic solo artist and with his band.
Kyle Reid Hass – (Co-Founder, COO) is a theatre/TV writer & director, and the creator of JKE’s upcoming original new work, gods: A Musical Rampage. TV credits: co-creator/showrunner, songwriter, and orchestrator for the musical series Act of Faith, official selection of the 2023 Austin Film Festival, now streaming on Amazon Prime and Tubi. Theatre credits: Artistic Producer for Broadway In Chicago’s Children of Eden concert at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, collaborative effort alongside Stephen Schwartz, John Caird & Chicagoland Theatre Fund. Co-Creator of Contact High, original musical which ran Off-Broadway at Arts Nova in 2019, featured at New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) in 2018.