Jaden O'Berry is a lighting practitioner and educator based out of Chicago, Illinois

She has been involved in theatre since a fourth grade parody of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Since then, she has been involved in well over 100 different projects, both educational and professional.

Jaden has been involved in lighting design and technician work since 2014, been given praise for her work by official adjudicators, and worked with professionals in the theatre field to give her a better understanding of life after college.

She was the 2024 recipient of the Award for Theatrical Lighting Design Excellence and the 2020 Lighting (DTM) Regional Design Project Winner at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Jaden was also a 2020 recipient of the Diversity in Design Scholarship from LDI & LiveDesign, and Jaden was a 2023 Fred Foster Mentee with ETC. 

Outside of theatre, Jaden is passionate about writing, Shakespeare, and social justice.  She is known to be highly motivated, and refuses to stand down to prejudice, especially against LGBTQIA+ people, a community with whom she identifies.

Jaden's alma mater is Saginaw Valley State University where she earned a B.A. in Theatre with a focus in Lighting Design while also double minoring in English and Creative Writing. She graduated in May of 2022 and moved on to Illinois State University to earn an M.F.A. in Lighting Design as a graduate teaching assistant. Her masters degree is estimated in May of 2025.

Jaden is also a proud alumni of Michigan Thespian Troupe #4890.