Today we’d like to introduce you to Joelle Joyner-Wong.
Hi Joelle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I got introduced to theatre when I was 6-years old. I was more on the timid side growing up and my mom put me in acting classes at a local church. From there on, I never looked back. I relocated to another church that did kids plays and musicals that required auditions. I participated in those plays until I was a freshman in high school. Simultaneously, I always had a passion for writing stories. Throughout elementary school, I had a composition book where I would write stories. I wouldn’t share those stories with anyone else, but at the time, that’s the way I liked it.
When I got to high school, I realized I wanted to pursue theatre in college. I desired to be an actress and sing my heart out on Broadway. Summer between my Junior and Senior year of high school, I took an introduction to acting class and a vocal technique class. Both classes got me exposed to college level courses. However, when I got to my first year at Sonoma State University as an acting major, I realized I wasn’t into acting as much anymore. After a year of classes, failed auditions, and participating in a peers senior project, my dreams of being on Broadway came to an end. I didn’t like being the center of attention. I didn’t enjoy the pressure. I wanted to switch majors. Despite my novel feeling, I still wanted to work in entertainment somehow. I just didn’t want to be the center of attention anymore. I did my research and I saw that Sonoma State offered a concentration called theatre studies. It focused on playwriting, directing, theatre management, and teaching. The word that stood out to me was ”playwriting’.
When I made the decision to switch concentrations, I submitted my first play to a new works festival Sonoma State was hosting in the spring. I sat in my dorm room for 3 hours brainstorming what to write. After some time, I wrote “Cheers!”. It centers around 4 college-aged girls in their dorm. However friendships get tested, sexualities are questioned, and the mystery of a ghost. A week later I got an email from the theatre department stating they wanted to showcase my play for the festival. It was my first time in the playwriting process, and it made me so happy seeing something that I created from my mind come to life. “Cheers!” got good praise from my friends, family, and peers. That was the moment I figured out my career goal. I wanted to be a playwright. I wanted to be a screenwriter. In my remaining years of College, I wrote more plays and did more studying on writing screenplays.
Since graduating, I’ve started to follow a career that focuses on theatre and film. Summer 2023, a new play I wrote called “Post Grad Life” had it’s first stage reading through a local theatre in the Bay Area. “Post Grad Life” follows the story of a young artist who is inspired to move to Los Angeles, but is also trying to navigate life through adulthood. Then, last Summer, “Post Grad Life” had it’s first professional performance at the Free-Play Festival hosted by theatre company Play Ground-SF. PlayGround is an organization that heavily focuses on new voices showcasing their work. After completing my degree, and my film internship, I had the confidence to direct and produce the show. It was a learning experience, but it made me more confident in being a writer and director. It made me realize not to be timid, and despite the roadblocks the show is gonna be amazing.
In the Spring of 2023, I got accepted as a Studio Intern at BAYCAT Studio, a non-profit in San Francisco that mentors emerging filmmakers break into the film industry. From the information I gained in my internship, I’ve become a freelance filmmaker. I’ve gotten to work on a wide variety of sets as a script supervisor, background extra, and production assistant.
Finally, after a few years in the working world and an internship later, I packed my bags and made the move to Los Angeles. Since relocating, I’ve gotten to work on some cool film sets as crew and as a background actor, I got my first full-time job in the performing arts, I joined a playwriting group and got to direct a show for their annual 10-minute play festival, currently assistant directing a new musical for Hollywood Fringe Festival, got my first entry job in the entertainment industry at a talent agency, and wrote a new play titled “Fem-Ship” that centers around the importance of female friendships. “Fem-Ship” is also gonna have it’s first public table read in West Hollywood this upcoming summer.
It’s been a fun ride. But I still have so much to learn. I’m here in LA. A girl from the San Francisco Bay Area who has dreamed of living in the City of Angels. In my time here, I hope to learn more skill sets in the entertainment industry that will help me grow and land a job at a film studio. Moreover, I will always be a theatre kid and I will never stop writing plays.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been quite the journey, for sure. For starters, I graduated Sonoma State in 2021, in the midst of the pandemic. I moved back home living with my parents. Theatres were shut down, and I had no experience in the film industry yet. My goal after College was to move to Los Angeles, and live that LA dream every artist hopes of. Which sounded amazing, but I didn’t have a set goal. I wanted to be a screenwriter, but some told me that was not a “career” and that I didn’t have a plan. This caused me to lose faith in myself. I lost the dream of living in LA, and I decided to look into another career path.
2022 was a year of transition. I worked a wide variety of jobs ranging from a Brand Ambassador at an Electric Vehicle company to a receptionist at a Boba Supply Place. After a year of job hopping, I found my roots back in the arts and got my first job at a theatre in the front of house team. After doing some reflection of my year, I was feeling creatively inspired and wrote “Post Grad Life”. Around that time, I got into BAYCAT. In my time there, I was taught by industry professionals different arrays of the film industry in regards to pre-production, production, and production. The most important memory that I cherish about my time at BAYCAT was being able to connect with young filmmakers who are from similar backgrounds as me, and hope to create stories that not only inspire, but also educate the world. This industry is tough, and it was comforting to be around people who also go through the same trials I go through as a BIPOC artist. My time at BAYCAT is one I will never forget. It was an experience that made me discover what I wanted and who I wanted to be as an artist.
So as you can see, it hasn’t been the smoothest ride. I may have moved to Los Angeles later than I anticipated. But the journey I’ve experienced made me a stronger artist and a stronger individual. Most people don’t know this, but the Bay Area has a lot of diverse culture and hidden talent that should be showcased in more media. I don’t regret the experiences I had there. I don’t regret the friends I’ve made growing up there, the theatres I got connected with, and the film projects I’ve had the privilege to work on.
I’m 26 now, and looking back, I don’t think 22-year old me would of lasted a year a LA, or even a month. Things happen for a reason, and all the experiences I had since graduating was to prepare me for LA. Especially since obtaining the role as the Voiceover Associate for a Talent Agency. I know working in entertainment is a tough industry and being a screenwriter is one of the toughest careers to achieve. However, I wanted to work at an agency because I was told once that the more skill sets you know in the industry, the more you’ll be successful. Each day I’m learning something new, and that keeps me driven to know that one day my script will be picked up, and I’ll bring home that Academy Award soon.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Script writing is my specialty. I love the concept of writing something on a piece of paper and seeing it come to life on-stage or on-screen. When I was an actor, I found it more difficult to express myself because I’m playing a character, and I have to focus on just my character and the character they are associated with in that moment. Writing a script, I have more free range to express my story. I have more control on what I want and how I want things to start and finish. I’m most proud of my ability to sit down and find time to write. The hardest part of being a writer is finding time to sit down and devote time to the craft. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve been able to set aside some time to write for myself. Whether it’s editing one of my old scripts, writing a poem, or just writing a page in my journal.
I’m also proud of the last 2 plays I’ve written; “Post Grad Life” and “Fem-Ship”. It may sound cliché, but I tend to write my best scripts when I’m not in my greatest moods. Both scripts have been therapy and have even taught me the lesson I needed to learn. More specifically “Fem-ship”. The message is to remind girls to never forget your girlfriends. I got inspired to write this piece because we’ve all been young and in-love. When you’re young you think your partner is the only thing out there and you begin to lose track of your friends. The script is a reminder to girls that boys come and go. Which is a message I needed to hear myself. This is a first script I’ve written since moving to LA, and I can’t wait to showcase it at it’s first public reading this June. My goal for the reading is to have new pair of eyes and ears hear the script and give any feedback they have on what I got so far. This will also be my first public stage reading hosted and produced by me.
One thing that sets me apart is taking the initiative and putting on my plays myself. The Free-Play Festival for “Post Grad Life” was an experience that changed me for the better. It was my first Fringe Festival, but it was also my first time putting on a play by myself. I had to book a rehearsal space, set-up my own casting calls, find set designs and props. It may have been a rollercoaster at times, but it was a learning experience and the show came out amazing. Overall I’m just proud that I took the risk to put on my own play. The skills I learned from the Free-Play Festival helped me prepare for the next few plays I directed and encouraged me to set up my own stage reading. I’ve learned in this industry that a lot of times I will have to take the action myself. If I want to produce one of my plays, find a space myself and get it performed. If I want to see my script filmed, find some people who have gear and equipment and find a place to film it. I learned that I can’t wait for the opportunity to fall into my lap. If I do that, my scripts will never be seen or heard.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
A huge thing about me is that I’m biracial. (African American, Chinese, and White). Growing up mixed race is a story of it’s own. Sometimes you don’t know where you belong. But one thing that really helped me with that confusion is the love, support, and diversity my family showcases. I am blessed to be raised by a mom and dad who love each other and worked hard to achieve everything they could to give my brother and I the best life possible.
One core childhood memory that will always make me smile was taking the A.C Transit bus with my dad and brother to the BART Station, which is a the Bay Area’s version of a subway train and we would ride the BART train to San Francisco, where we would go to the San Francisco Library. I remember the building looking 5 stories tall to my 5-year old self. We would spend hours in the Library, looking, reading, and exploring. As a treat, my dad would then take us to Burger King right across the street. My dad worked two jobs when I was younger, so I never got to see him as much as most kids do. When I got to high school, he only had 1 job, but he worked until late at night. When my brother and I did get to see him, he would always take us out on adventures to see the world. Whether it was a trip to the Library or a day at the park. Those memories with my dad will always be something that I cherish. I really owe it to my mom for raising 2 kids working from home, while my dad was working. She is a huge role model on who I want to be as woman because she’s not afraid to speak her mind. She reminded me to never give up, and follow my dreams.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wwwjoellejoyner-wongcom.godaddysites.com/
- Instagram: @joellevictoriaaa
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelle-joyner-wong-7b24381a5
