Origins

John 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.

Training

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 three teachers: Brenda Music from Alvin High School, Ann (Gilbert) Ostrow (wife of Tony-award winning producer, Stuart Ostrow), and Andrew Abrams (composer of But I’m a Cheerleader The Musical).

Regional Theatre

Regional theatre credits include Alley Theatre (The Devil’s Disciple, A Flea in Her Ear, Houston Young Playwright’s Exchange (HYPE)); Theatre Under The Stars (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (World Premiere), Funny Girl, Grand Hotel, Zorro, and the 1st Annual Musical Theatre Awards honoring Jerry Herman); 5th Avenue Theatre (Grand Hotel); Stages Repertory Theatre (Shakespeare’s R&J, The Firebird, & more); and Main Street Theater (Leave It to Jane, Lady Be Good). John has also directed with the Alley Theatre’s HYPE  (fun fact: one of his actors was rising star, John Behlmann).

New York City

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. John 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, 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.