Today we’d like to introduce you to JoJo Ginn.
Hi JoJo, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always loved entertaining people and was very involved in theatre in high school. Between my junior and senior year of High school, I went to Interlochen Arts Camp and kind of realized there that it might be possible for me to actually be an actor, professionally. I got my BFA in musical theatre and went to grad school at London Acting School East 15. When I was there, I really learned how to be an artist and spend a few years developing my own deep and personal artistic practice. I founded my theatre company “The Barrington Collective” with my very talented friends, Jenny King and Kade Morrill. We went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with two original plays and had a very successful month-long run.
When we got back to New York after 2 years in London, we wanted to continue making theatre and building community. We developed our “Holiday Reading Series,” which was where we do readings of short plays all based around a seasonal theme. “Love” in February, “Fear” around Halloween etc. I’ve continued producing these readings in LA and they’re always a joy. It’s a great opportunity to perform, make friends, and hear some great new plays.
I’m extremely grateful to be currently studying under Gregory Berger from Berg Studios, who has truly revolutionized my work (plus, my classmates make the most incredible cast for the nights of readings). It’s a extremely talented bunch of actors that I hope you’ll all get to see working someday.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There are SO many challenges and obstacles when it comes to being an artist. Money, time, energy…there are never enough of any of them! I find the best way to consistently overcome those challenges is to invest in people. Having a strong community is the greatest asset you can have as an artist. Being a bit delusional and never giving up is, of course, helpful as well 😉
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
First and foremost, I’m an actor. That’s the art form I love the most and wish I was spending all my time working on….and then to support that dream and give myself opportunities, I produce and sometimes write. Two short films that I’m incredibly proud of are “Baby Time,” which I wrote, produced and starred in. That one was very special because I got to act with my best friend, Jenny, and was directed by my dear friend Adam. Adam saw the script performed at one of our readings and thought it would work well as a short. He was right! It’s about two best friends navigating a particularly scary moment in their friendship when one unexpectedly goes into labor early and alone.
“Olan, Texas” is a film directed by my good friend Nathan Markiewicz and written by Christian Durso. It’s been somewhat of an indie festival darling. It’s won multiple awards for best drama, which is very cool. I play a guarded, but ultimately, caring antique shop owner that shows the main character his first piece of kindness. I won an award recently for Best Supporting Actress and I’m very proud to be part of the project.
I’m always looking for people to collaborate with (especially directors). You can perform see me at Dynasty Typewriter as R2-D2 in a series of live readings of the Star Wars scripts. My next big project is writing and producing a horror feature, with my brother Jason Ginn (who is also directing), inspired by Hendricks Ibsen’s “A Dolls House.”
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
PODCASTS:
99% Invisible
Cramped
Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me
Hey, That’s Me! A Commentary Podcast
BOOKS:
Sweetbitter
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jojoginn.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jojoginn
- Youtube: https://vimeo.com/343295636/0e5e067cb7
- Other: https://linktr.ee/jojoginn
