Molly Jobe is a former SHUFFLES student who is currently on her second Broadway show Waitress. She is one of the swings and covers the lead role of Jenna. We were able to sit down and ask her a few questions about her childhood and what it is like to cover such a large role.
I am the youngest of three children from Columbus, Ohio. Growing up, my older siblings were always listening to musical soundtracks and dancing around our living room so I naturally followed suit. When I was 4 years old, we came to New York to visit some family friends and were immediately hooked on the energy of the city. My parents took my older siblings to meet with an agent to see what it was like to be a professional actor. It was simply for fun but then the agent fell in love with them, submitted them for a new Broadway musical, which they ended up booking. So, we moved to NY and the crazy Jobe family adventure began. I was addicted to musicals from that point on. It was what I was going to do with my life forever. I never questioned it.
I moved to New York at such a young age that I think the transition was much more seamless than it would’ve been had I moved here as an adult. The energy of New York is not for everyone. It’s fast, ruthless, and unforgiving at times. Growing up here, I was able to find my own pace, which I really benefitted from when I graduated from college into “the real world”. I felt like I had a leg up on those who were coming to NY from conservatory programs outside of the city. It’s a tricky city to navigate and there’s definitely an adjustment period that I got to skip.
I think I started taking classes full time at SHUFFLES when I was 11 and I continued through my senior year of high school so, 7 years?
I think my favorite thing about my time at SHUFFLES was meeting the girls in my class. Lucy, Amanda, and Madison were in my class all 8 years and we were all really close. It is a special experience to be able to grow up in a creative environment, spending time learning and growing together. Every memory I have from SHUFFLES has them in it. I am so grateful to have had their friendship as a constant source of joy and inspiration during my formative years. I also cherish the time I was able to spend with Gail and the other SHUFFLES teachers. They were always the perfect balance between encouraging and challenging.

After graduating from SHUFFLES and LaGuardia Arts High School, I went to NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. I graduated from the New Studio on Broadway at Tisch in 2013 and shortly thereafter joined the Broadway company of Disney’s Newsies! I spent seven months in the Broadway company before going out on the Newsies 1st National Tour for several months. Touring was a crazy, wild experience I will never forget. I saw so many cool places, so many awful places, and learned firsthand what it’s really like to live out of a suitcase. After finishing my time on tour, I spent a couple of months auditioning for various projects before landing in Waitress.
What is it like being a swing?
What do you hope the audience takes away from the show?
If you could instill one piece of advice to a current SHUFFLES student, what would it be?