Meet Chris Jorie of New York resident

Longtime friend, Actress/Writer/Producer Sharon Sharth with Chris Jorie

 

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Jorie.

Hi Chris, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I always knew what I wanted to do. The first play I saw was a touring company that came to my grammar school when I was seven. It was presented as a large story book where the characters entered through the book and onto the stage. I was completely captivated by the experience that heightened all my senses – the colors, the lights, the sounds, the actors. I knew I wanted to be part of it somehow. I had already learned to sing and play guitar and then took every opportunity in school and in my community to perform, music and theatre. When I was twelve, I had attended a different middle school that didn’t have a drama program. So I started a drama club myself, secured the rights to a play with the help of a teacher and put on that play where I had a leading role. One of the girls in the cast older sister was an actress, and she came in to direct. It was well-received and I felt very accomplished after doing that. It reaffirmed the old adage – you can do anything you set your mind to – for me, at twelve.

I also watched a lot of TV and Film growing up, as both my parents were interested in musicals, opera, comedy, Television and Movies and we would go see live performances often as a family, as well as watch or listen to them together at home.

Flash forward to high school where I appeared in every drama, comedy, musical and concert that I could. I would sing as a soloist at school events and set my sights on theatre programs for college. I attended the State University of New York as Theatre Major, and had a great experience. More importantly, I found a wonderful group of friends in the theatre department who are my lifelong friends today. Many of them are still involved in theatre or film. What I remember most about this first leg of college was performing in everything. I don’t even remember my academic courses. All I wanted to do was the creative work. It was there that I was introduced to conservatory training methods and I began to understand the craft.

I grew restless by my junior year in college. I had booked my first professional Summerstock job in Upstate NY along with a number of my school friends for that upcoming Summer. We rehearsed and performed 6 musicals in an 8 week time period – rehearsing daytimes and performing at night. We also lived together in a big house, ate our meals together and shared our spare time together. It was life-changing. After that summer, I left for NYC, along with half a dozen of my classmates and started studying with gifted artists who enriched my knowledge and skill set for performing and acting. They also taught me a lot about the business.

I started to get roles Off-Broadway, as I continued my studies and worked whatever jobs I could that gave me flexibility to audition and perform. And I watched my friends doing the same. We were there to support each other and cheer each other on.

After three years in NYC I had an opportunity to work that following Summer in the San Francisco Bay Area. I had met the renown theatre director, Robert Woodruff, through my lifelong college friend, Mary McDonnell, who created the role of Shelley in Sam Shephard’s award winning drama, BURIED CHILD, with Robert directing.  He was going to be directing a world premiere of Des MaCanuff’s new musical and wanted to know if I would do some free-lance vocal coaching for the cast at the Marin Playwright’s Festival. So I packed up my life in NYC and moved out to San Francisco. I think of it as my first real artistic home. The time period would be the summer of ’79 and San Francisco’s art scene was bursting with opportunities. In the back of my mind I began to realize that going out to California was a big part of my childhood dreams. I had seen so many movies and shows shot there while growing up, I began to have Deja Vu experiences every time I turned a corner. I studied, performed in Equity Theatre, sang back up in clubs, hiked up mountains and taught at The New Conservatory, a program for young actors. I also went back to college at San Francisco State University in a Special Major Program from the Film and Writing Departments. It was a remarkable time in my life. I wrote  and made my first short film on Super 8, and kept learning and growing there. I was a Union member by then and we were invited to every preview with the Opera, Ballet, Broadway touring companies, and area professional theaters – for free! It was a reciprocal policy everyone had, I really felt part of a community in that city.

During my time in San Francisco I made trips to Los Angeles for work and booked appearances on TV including the Soaps, CAPITOL and THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS as well as the sitcom BENSON. Back in San Francisco I acted in the World Premiere’s of a number of new plays, appeared in the film, TRUE BELIEVER, with James Woods and Robert Downey Jr, and directed my first play at The New Conservatory, KIDS CALLED CRAZY, based on Ron Jones award-winning book. That experience opened the door to a whole new chapter in my life as I began to direct for the theatre. This was all part of my early years of professional work. There was lots of opportunity in a diverse realm of creative experiences in the performing and media arts. It was more open than today, with the business thriving at the time – a far cry from the struggles for most industry professionals today.

After that, I have continued to work as an actor, writer, director, producer, teacher and coach over the past forty years.

Currently, I have just completed writing a Streaming Drama Series with my longtime collaborator, Kristin Stone. It’s a Family Drama which we are currently pitching. I still audition for plays, TV and Film from New York while I’m beginning my next writing project.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wouldn’t consider it a smooth road…more like a winding road. But I thrive on change, adventure and new experiences. Sure there were hard times, but if you love the work and your craft – you can find satisfaction in both the pursuit of it, as well as the act of realizing it from one opportunity to the next. That will be true your whole life, for as long as you still truly want to do it. My experience is, if it’s in you – then you have to do it. It’s part of your purpose.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Personally – my family, my home life, my extended family of friends, my community, and the environment. I’m an avid outdoorsman. I care deeply about the planet and maintaining all the beauty the earth has to offer. I bristle at people’s inability to understand, that as a society, part of our responsibility is to take care of this place we exist in. We’re here to restore and maintain it for our kids and grandkids and future generations – not just take from it or deplete it.

As far as the work goes, as a Storyteller – creating meaningful collaborations that resonate with audiences and reveal the depth of the human experience, whether in a small black box theatre, on a big stage, or a big screen. It’s also fun to explore fantastical themes and forge new realms.

Some of my smallest roles have been the most rewarding. I remember one shoot where my scene was at the end of the day and the end of the week. I felt the pressure of getting right so the crew could go home. And just before we rolled, I said to myself – as I felt it. “You’re doing what you’ve always dreamed of doing.” I relaxed completely. And we got it on the first take.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chrisjorie.com
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/chrisjorie