On October 21, 2009, thirty-seven year old Jason Francis was diagnosed with stage IV rectal cancer that had spread to his liver. Preliminary results from his hometown Lincoln, Nebraska were inconclusive as to what kind of cancer Jason was fighting. Therefore, he was shipped off to memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. There they found that Jason had a rectal cancer known as adenoid carcinoma. They sent him back to Omaha for radiation and chemotherapy in preparation for surgery. However, the treatment was unsuccessful, and, on January 11, 2010, surrounded by family, Jason lost the war against this malignant invader.

Jason left us a legacy through both his life and his death. With his wife and five year old daughter, he had moved from Seattle, Washington to Lincoln, Nebraska to pursue his dream of a career in theater education by obtaining a Master of Fine Arts degree in theater from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. A brilliant actor, director, teacher, writer, composer and musician himself, Jason loved to share all he was and had within the communities of human existence, especially that of the theater. He died pursing this dream, just five months short of his degree. However, he was not waiting to accomplish his goal to live the passion. While in his pursuit, Jason lived fully in the present. All the people he came in contact with felt more brilliant as a person, because Jason saw the radiance in them and called them out of the shadows and into the light to shine. Jason knew that he was limited; especially on his deathbed, he experienced his limitations. But he accepted them because he also knew the God who is not limited. Though he left us (way too early from our perspective), he passed the torch of passion for God and the theater arts to the ones he left behind. He knew that when we create, especially in the performing arts, we are more the image of God who created all things than at any other time.

While battling cancer Jason started making plans with his brother Matt on one of his life long dreams to begin The Acting Project. Jason was the performing arts pioneer of the family and Matt caught on at a very early age. After graduation in May of 2010, Jason was going to move to Charlotte and work along side Matt developing the curriculum and enhancing the student’s experience even while continuing to battle cancer. That dream never came to fruition. Jason’s passing lit a fire in his brother Matt to move forward with The Acting Project – not only as his own dream, but also as a huge piece of Jason’s legacy.