I met Jason Duval in Times Square. He stood by the red bleacher seats and held a portable speaker in his left hand, which played music at a low volume. Nearby, people scurried around in the “fuck off” New York City type of grind I’ve come to know and love.
Despite standing in one of the busiest intersections in New York, Jason easily stole the spotlight as he danced and strutted around for a growing audience.
The simplicity of his performance made me smile. I watched as people of all ages stopped to record him. At one point, a huge flock of teenagers began to cheer him on, screaming “YASSSSS.” He lit up under their encouragement.
“I’ve been performing for 20 years and I love it," he said to me. "I love having the freedom of choosing my own schedule and to get paid to perform is just great. Every dollar really helps.”
After studying at the University of Buffalo's Department of Theater and Dance, Duval returned to New York to pursue his acting career. Since then, he’s been involved in numerous projects in theater, TV and film.
After working as a real estate broker, he decided to launch his own company, The Hunt 4 Love Productions, which presented "Cybersex-The Play." The production, written and co-directed by Duval, focuses on childhood sexual abuse and how it impacts a person growing up. As a survivor of incest and molestation himself, Duval is committed to raising his voice about the topic.
“I’m gonna deal with what my passion is and what I believe will make a difference in society and that is being an artist,” Duval says in a YouTube video.
“I support other artists. I don’t care who you are. If you’re singer, a dancer, a painter…if you are desiring to do this. I don’t care what your past was. I care what you’re doing now. If I see you and I come across you and I get the sense that you have a talent or a desire to hone that talent then I’m going to support you.”
Learn more about Jason here: jasonduvalhunter.weebly.com.
