SAG-AFTRA Eligible/Actors' Equity Association
Guest-starred on Law & Order: SVU
Represented by ATB Talent
My headshot, resume, reels and agent contact information can be found at the bottom of this page.
John (he/him) is an actor, singer, musician, writer, director, and voice over artist represented by ATB Talent. With an MFA from the University of Houston School of Theatre, John is a SAG-AFTRA Eligible member of Actors’ Equity Association who has guest starred on Law & Order: SVU.
What I Do...
Television
theatre
About John Raymond Barker
John (he/him/his) started doing theatre in grade school. His very first role was as the stage right half of the show curtain in his kindergarten’s school play in Middleton, OH. His nemesis (who he pictures as being Veruca Salt from the first …Chocolate Factory film) played the other half of the curtain. But John is not exactly an Ohioan. He was born and mostly raised in Texas minus his preschool years just outside Cincinnati and his junior high years in Newbury Park, CA just south of Santa Barbara. His first non-school play was as the lead in a summer children’s theatre production of The Invisible Dragon at Alvin Community College in Alvin, TX. His first musical ever was a summer youth theatre production of Oklahoma! in Westlake Village, CA. This production sealed John’s fate. He was going to become an actor. Or a film director. Or an astronaut.
A Master of Fine Arts graduate from the University of Houston School of Theatre, a large part of John’s training includes working on new plays and musicals with Stuart Ostrow, Edward Albee, Jerry Bock, and Jerry Sterner as well as interning with Theatre Under The Stars. John has also studied extensively with the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School and original company member, Karen Kohlhaas. His singing is attributed most to four teachers: Brenda Music from Alvin High School, Ann (Gilbert) Ostrow (wife of Tony-award winning producer, Stuart Ostrow), Andrew Abrams (composer of But I’m a Cheerleader The Musical) and his current, teacher, Mia Gentile (Kinky Boots, Forbidden Broadway).
Regional theatre credits include Theatre Under The Stars (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Grand Hotel, Funny Girl, Zorro); 5th Avenue Theatre (Grand Hotel); Alley Theatre (Christopher Dudgeon in The Devil’s Disciple, A Flea In Her Ear); Stages Theatre (Shakespeare’s R&J, The Firebird).
New York theatre credits include several new works (including Lee Feldman’s Greene) and appearances throughout the cabaret and nightlife scene, including many at the historic Stonewall Inn. He co-wrote the devised work, Gold Coast, with Stages on the Sound for Metropolitan Playhouse’s Gilded Stage Festival under the guidance of Tectonic Theater Project’s Scott Barrow.
John has also written the original one-man shows, Jerby: Fully Loaded, Jerby With A “Y”, A Very Jerby Christmas, & A Lady Gaga Christmas Spectacular. He has written and directed shorts and music videos ranging from satire and comedy to politics and activism for YouTube, including Broadway Zombie, Fierce iPhone Update, Starbucks is GAY!, The Bigot’s Guide to the Homosexual Lifestyle, Booty Text, and The Worst Christmas Pageant Ever. YouTube was where he wrote and directed one of the first ever web series on the platform, the 8-part The Message Board. A recurring guest on HuffPost Live, he would offer his opinion on a variety of topics from politics to entertainment.
Film work includes the following short films: Outside Hearing In (voice), NSA Interviews, Bigger Than Fiction, and Atramentous. He’s on the following recordings: Show Choir! The Musical Studio Recording, Avarice the Musical Cast Recording, Carols for a Cure Volume 12 with Bernadette Peters and the cast of A Little Night Music, “Vampire Drag Queen”, & Our First Christmas Together.
In January 2019, John made his network television debut guest starring as Karl Patton on Law & Order: SVU on NBC.
During the Covid-19 Pandemic, John, in collaboration with his frequent creative partner and husband, Jared R. Pike, tried to fill the year and a half their survival jobs on Broadway were shut down with as much creativity as possible with work ranging from live broadcasts (often with projections) to comedy and music videos to the massive Snowmatica: The Complete A Lady Gaga Christmas Medley Parody, which can be described as a fantasia of 33 of Lady Gaga’s songs parodied as holiday music in 37 minutes.
He is represented by ATB Talent.
Career Highlights
Law & Order: SVU
My network television debut was guest-starring on this legendary show. It was an incredible experience.
The Devil's Disciple
It was a great honor and joy to be on that Alley Theatre stage acting with some of my heroes from the company in a great part.
Click to view project or to learn more
Our First Christmas Together
My first album is 9 original songs and some covers. You can find it on digital platforms around the world.
A Lady Gaga Christmas Medley Parody
In 2009, I created a medley of 4 Lady Gaga songs parodied as holiday songs. Every new album of hers would add new songs until I had created a medley of 33 of her songs in under 37 minutes. The final medley is a long form music video filmed almost entirely during the pandemic during lockdown.
Vampire Drag Queen
The original song is a fun, campy gimmick that grew into a full length musical thriller. The first musical I ever wrote.
The Message Board
My first web series, which I wrote and directed, is my take on message boards, specifically a theatre message board--the fascinating dynamics and relationships and growing pains of a new form of connecting with others.
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
I played a range of characters in the World Premiere of this musical with Millicent Martin and Leslie Denniston at Houston's Theatre Under The Stars.
Jerby With A "Y"
My first cabaret in NYC was Jerby: Fully Loaded, but this next creation was a glorious one and the first of many utilizing projections.
Click to view project or to learn more
The Girl & the Robot
My muse gives me wild ideas I kept thinking it would be so fun performing Röyksopp & Robyn's "The Girl and the Robot" as Princess Leia at one of my Stonewall Inn gigs. During the pandemic lockdown, I got to take it further by adding interactive projections to be able to perform during online broadcasts.
Broadway Zombie
Another gift from the muse, it started as a short film poking fun at the Broadway community and grew into a fun, hilarious, and creepy way to parody various Broadway shows in something like a cross between Broadway Bears and Garbage Pail Kids.
Shakespeare's R&J
This was a fun piece to create, and it was definitely exciting playing multiple characters. I proved myself as a legitimate actor to some who only saw me as a "musical theatre performer" with this production.
Gold Coast
In 2013-2014, I was a teaching artist under the leadership of Tectonic Theater Project company member, Scott Barrow. Creating this piece of devised theatre using Moment Work from Tectonic was so fun and fulfilling, and I suspect devised theatre is the most democratic and equitable of theatre creation.
The Radiant Gradient Collection
I also enjoy graphic design, and this is part of a range of designs I have for sale on an array of products at Merch By Amazon, Redbubble, and TeePublic.
1040
One of two new musicals I got to originate for Jerry Bock and the reasons I am in the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. This was produced in Stuart Ostrow's musical theatre lab at University of Houston with a book by Jerry Sterner to go with Jerry Bock's score (and first time being lyricist).
Grand Hotel
This was a joy to be in. We created it for proscenium in Seattle at 5th Avenue Theatre, and then brought it to Theatre Under The Stars in Houston where in one week, we restaged it gloriously in the round.
Me, Me, Me...
All STARS got pride at Stonewall
On Monday, June 24, 2024 at 9pm upstairs (in the back), a collection of who’s whos from Stonewall past and present will be performing songs to celebrate Pride. I’ll be performing a piece that honors the importance of Pride using Erasure’s “Chains of Love” & “A Little Respect”.
All STARS Webbenheimer at Stonewall
On Monday, March 25, 2024 at 8pm upstairs (in the back), a collection of who’s whos from Stonewall past and present will be performing songs written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim. I’ll be performing “More” from Dick Tracy, written by Stephen Sondheim in a spectacular debut of a
Oscars 2024 AT STONEWALL
On Sunday, March 10, 2024 at 7pm upstairs (in the back), a collection of who’s who from Stonewall past and present will be performing Oscar-nominated and winning songs throughout history during the commercial breaks of this year’s Academy Awards. I will be debuting my Phil Collins Oscar Medley.I can vouch
All STARS got soul AT STONEWALL
On Monday, February 27, 2024 at 8pm upstairs (in the back), a collection of who’s whos from Stonewall past and present will be performing songs with soul to celebrate Black History Month. I have chosen “Does Your Mama Know About Me?”, a lesser known Motown classic by Bobby Taylor and
DJ Chauncey D’s FREAK OUT variety Show At Stonewall
See an electrifying performance where John will be singing a naughty mash-up of Madonna songs against an R-rated montage of her music videos juxtaposed with gay adult films and a variety of church scandals. This variety show is filled with incredible, eclectic performers. Stonewall. 9pm $5 SUGGESTED DONATION BENEFITTING THE
Projecting My Feelings
click to visit official website PROJECTING MY FEELINGS is a dazzling new performance series starring John Raymond Barker where he performs monologues and songs against the backdrop of captivating images and video that allow his imagination to be the only limitation to his storytelling. John plans to create ever-changing cabarets and
Professional Associations
My Career Through January 2019
What People Are Saying...
"...makes an amusing lout of Chris, Dick's foolish younger brother."
"My enjoyment was due in no small part to the energetic and passionate actors...Barker is especially good with Mercutio's death speech..."
"...best in his flashy turns as the outspoken and witty Mercutio."
"...was quite funny as Dick's younger brother, Christopher."
"...makes the most of her small role, as does John Raymond Barker in a comic turn as a mailman..."
Actor Materials
Headshots
Click the headshot for a PNG. Visit Press for hi-res options.
Resume
Reels
For Individual Clips, please visit
For ProfessionaL Inquiries
I am represented by ATB Talent for all work in
Film, Television, and Theatre.
Please contact my agents if you are interested in auditioning or booking me for any of these types of work.
Email by clicking the applicable name or department.
917-397-0282 | 323-761-0282
