Today we’d like to introduce you to Rahvaunia.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born Rahvaunia L. Johnson and I am the oldest of three siblings, one being a fraternal twin. I am a native of Flint Michigan and moved to Los Angeles in August 1995. To help with the pronunciation of my unique name, I’m known to most as Rahvaunia Like Lasagna. Ra(h) means Sun God in Egyptian. I am my name, I am the light.
In 1995, I woke up one day after having moved back home to Flint Michigan two years earlier, due to my kidney failing. That morning I decided I was moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in Fashion. The day before leaving I remember a conversation with a co-worker who was also a pastor at a church. He said, “I’ll be praying for your safe journey to Hollywood and I’ll be looking for your clothing to appear on TV.” I responded without thinking, “Thank you. If not, you can also pay to buy a ticket and see me at a movie.” He replied, “I didn’t know you were going there to be an actress?” Honestly, I also did not know this. I had no idea why I said that. I had given that dream up a long time ago. So I thought. The very next day I packed everything I owned inside of a U-Haul truck. With $500 to my name, I drove across country. I had no plans of where I was going or where I was going to live. I was determined and that was all that I needed to take a leap of faith.
I was a licensed manicurist and found work in a couple of salons. During this time, I was mailing my resume to fashion companies and labels. Offering to sweep the design room floor, just to get my foot in the door. I finally got an interview for a fitness company. Working in their warehouse pulling orders to fill from their catalog order business. This was of course pre-internet. I did that, while often submitting sketches to the owner, who finally agreed to make some of my designs. I left there and found myself working as a design room assistant for a private label manufacturer. I then worked my way up through a number of companies, until I became a head designer.
I began writing and producing in 2006 after hearing Bill Duke on a film festival’s Actors Panel. “We must create our own projects.” Bill Duke was not just speaking to the room of African Americans as a race; he was speaking to us “actors”. The following year I lost my job. I was happy that I had already stepped out on faith and began nurturing this form of creativity. I became inspired by the creative challenges of writing and producing and have gone on to write and produce projects for indie films and stage.
As an actor, I’ve appeared on all media platforms. I’ve played on Stage, TV, in Films and Web Series. (Most notably: Criminal Minds, Mistresses, Sexless and School of Hard Knocks) I most recently had a recurring role (Theresa Wood) on the two seasons of the Shondaland 1hr Drama “For the People” on ABC.
I love all things creative and I believe that an artist should have more than one outlet. A quote you will often hear from me is, “Art is a voice and we should always have more than one voice.”
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Moving to LA has been very challenging on so many levels. Imagine moving here PRE-Technology & Social Media. Navigating and connecting to like-minded individuals was not an easy task. It got very dark emotionally and financially a few times. Giving up has never been an option. No matter how bad or sad things got for me.
For years I pushed through the fashion industry, which isn’t easy for a woman of color. When the economy slump happened I had been at the same fashion company for eight years, and then I wasn’t. On September 11, 2007 I was laid off. The fashion industry was making large cutbacks everywhere. Many companies began doing more importing. I worked freelance at a fraction of what I was accustomed to working for, just so that I could work. They were short term assignments, and they just weren’t sustaining me. Even at a basic scaled back lifestyle. I would work tirelessly to help launch a few new clothing lines. Just to have the position end, once the line had launched. I just wasn’t able to secure another full-time job.
I eventually decided that if I could give the countless amount of hours, stress and creativity to someone else’s company… I could do the same for my creative career. I then decided to put more effort into my own creative career, including my acting career. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy. Especially without a nest egg. I hustled doing multiple jobs at once. At one time, I was doing in store product demos, embellished t-shirts/belts/flipflops, valet parking cars, bartending private parties, making custom decorated pillows and being a food server for catered events. I was so exhausted from trying to stay a float that my creative career didn’t get the time it needed to thrive. Yet I continued to do what I could. Even after losing everything. Including my home, car, bank account, etc. If you’ve ever seen that movie “The Pursuit of Happiness” with Will Smith, then you may have an idea of how bad it got for me. Lots of prayer and conversations with God kept me. I am very grateful to still be here.
Pursuing an acting career has been just as challenging as it was for me in the Fashion Industry. Same amount of hurdles just positioned differently. My biggest challenge as an actor has been my fair skin. Not being black enough in my “look” or being judged based on my “look”. My journey is my journey. Anything worth having is worth working hard for. I haven’t quite got my footing inside of the entertainment industry, but I will keep working hard until I do. When I am able to stand firmly in my career and my platform has increased, to many it might seem like one of those overnight success stories. That will be so far from my reality. My journey from Flint Michigan to Los Angeles CA in August 1995, has been 8,760 nights and counting. That’s a far cry from overnight.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
In the fall of 2017 I created, wrote, produced and star in a one woman show called “tHis Is Very IMPORTANT” (TIVI). It premiered January 18, 2018 for a 12 show run, solely self-funded. At first glance of the marketing materials you can tell that there is a topic of HIV being addressed in the piece. However many who have seen the show will tell you, “It’s about SO MUCH MORE!” There are four main characters and 11 supporting characters. Three of the main characters have been diagnosed with HIV during different eras of the epidemic. When HIV has first hit Los Angeles in the early 80’s, during the 90’s when women in the south were being diagnosed at an alarming rate, and in 2019 as the numbers are rising again among heterosexual women across the United States.
Don’t be fooled… men love this show just as much, if not more than the women who have attended. The show takes you on the journey of these women, their jobs, family, friends, love and strength. The shows’ overall message is Unconditional Love, Support, Self Love & Speaking Positivity in each others lives. I would encourage everyone to see my show at least once. I’ve done a number of FREE shows around the Los Angeles and surrounding areas. Before, during and after the show, there are FREE 60 second Rapid HIV & STD testing vans outside the theatre. It’s fast, free and confidential.
I’m so very proud of TIVI and the journey it has taken me on, beyond anything I could have ever imagined. Both physically and spiritually. My heart smiles when I hear all the feedback after each performance. I know I’m doing something special when personal stories from audience members are shared during the Q&A following each performance.
“tHis Is Very IMPORTANT” has just been performed in South Africa as part of the NAF Fringe Festival. The show will be heading to 42nd Street in NYC to perform on October 22nd as part of the worlds largest solo theatre festival, United Solo Festival. On November 15th the show will be the closing performance of the BFF Theatre Festival in Santa Monica, at the Santa Monica Playhouse. The Santa Monica performance is FREE. (Please see www.thisisveryimportantshow.com for info.)
My hope is to be able to use my creative gifts to inspire, encourage growth and promote love.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
The journey to success is finding your passion and doing that which makes you happy. If your passion is also of service to others, that is Success. It is NEVER about “me” and it is ALWAYS about US. We are blessed so that we may bless others.
I now look for peace, growth and love. If those things are missing, I change course. I believe those things are needed in order to achieve any amount of success. It doesn’t matter how one may define it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thisisveryimportantshow.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @Rahvaunia @thisisveryimportant.show
- Facebook: @RahvauniaJohnson @thisisveryimportant.show
- Twitter: @Rahvaunia @TIVI_show
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