Originally from Arlington, Virginia, Jody fell in love with theater as a child, and spent her youth performing all over the Washington DC metro area.

Fun fact: she first met her husband, Ben, in an early ‘90s production of Peter Pan in which they both played lost boys and wore wigs. But that’s a whole other story.

Jody earned an AB degree cum laude in Folklore & Mythology (yes, really) from Harvard University, where she continued to devote most of her time to theater, performing a wide range of roles, from the title character Sweet Charity, to Carol in David Mamet’s Oleanna. Jody had a truly pitch-perfect time singing with The Harvard Opportunes, the school’s oldest (and raddest) co-ed a cappella group, which she led as music director during her sophomore year. Failing to test out of Harvard’s language requirement was a gift in disguise, as Jody wound up studying and falling in love with the Italian language, and spent an invaluable semester abroad in Florence, Italy, where she honed her appreciation of art, travel and carbohydrates.

Jody went on to earn an MFA in Acting from The American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.

While she likes to joke about all the time spent lying on the floor and crying, these were hugely formative years, and Jody remains deeply grateful to all of her teachers from ACT for not only making her a better actor, but a more conscious human being. Her three years at ACT planted the seeds of a continuing inquiry into breath, movement, and authentic expression.

After a glorious and challenging sojourn in the city by the bay, Jody returned to her native east coast and started pounding the New York pavement, despite the country’s deep dive into recession (womp womp).

Off Broadway, Jody played the lead role of GinGin in the Vineyard Theatre's musical The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island.

Variety raved: “the real find is Flader, in her first major role. With her husky, folk-singer voice and her willingness to underplay moments most thesps would milk, she has the polish of a seasoned star. Her perf lends greater depth to an already rich experience.”

Other New York stage credits include: The Gorges Motel (The Barrow Group & FringeNYC), Gordy Crashes (Ricochet Collective), Three Sisters (Glass Bandits), and The Bachelors' Tea Party (Stolen Chair Theatre Company). Jody particularly loves new work, and has been honored to participate in the development process at the New Harmony Project, and The Lark. She has also had a blast working with The 52nd Street Project, bringing young writers’ plays to life!

You may have seen Jody on "Gossip Girl," "Law & Order," or heard her voice on the cult-favorite true crime series "Snapped," which she has enjoyed narrating since 2018.

Jody has also loved singing with the 5-person vocal jazz ensemble West Side 5, and Daniel Zaitchik's Blue Bottle Collection, at venues including Joe’s Pub, The Bitter End, and the Canal Room.

In 2012, Jody became a registered yoga teacher, or RYT200. In 2021, she leveled up to RYT500 after completing 300 additional hours of advanced training.

Her yoga practice is a gift that keeps on giving, and she is honored to guide and hold space for others in their unique process of discovery. Over the years, Jody’s teaching has expanded to include meditation, movement for actors, and playwrighting. Teaching has taken her from neighborhood studios to conservatory and high school classrooms; from the Stella Adler Studio to Coney Island Prep; from corporate office buildings, to housing units at Rikers Island. Jody loves meeting and working with people from different backgrounds and offering movement, breath, and creative practices to those who may not have ready access to them.

Jody’s latest endeavor is making “just candles” - hand-poured natural soy candles that benefit social justice organizations.

For more about that, click here!

When not performing on a stage or in a sound booth, noodling around on a yoga mat, or pouring a candle, Jody will most likely be eating something (or all the things), reading something, or aggressively snuggling her beloved dog, Gus (@justgusandus, aka best boy in all the land). She loves to take long walks with Gus and Ben, drawing inspiration from the great outdoors and finding beauty in the mundane and the miraculous, whether on a New York City street or a Hudson Valley trail.

No matter where she is or what she may be up to, Jody will keep exploring, growing, connecting and creating.