Winner of 2018 NAACP Theatre Award, Best Lead Actress
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NOW PLAYING:
Rehearsals have begun for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which Donna will Choreograph. Show opens November 9th and plays through November 17th. Details soon, as this show will sell out in days!
I GO SOMEWHERE ELSE at Playwrights Arena, written by Inda Craig-Galván and directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera has been named LA Times "Critic's Choice!" ue The show ran from August 23rd to September 17th, HOWEVER to an overwhelming response, the show will re-mount in January at Playwrights Arena! Tickets are available now and selling quickly. Grab 'em!
Donna + PANG! hit the road again, this time, performing at The Smith Center in Las Vegas as a part of the Western Arts Alliance!
Also, Donna shares an IKEA Commercial with her son, Coltrane and husband, Chad PLUS a Walmart/BabyCenter spot that Coltrane graciously allowed her to be in. It's a Family Affair! See it here!
Lastly... SHHH! Most of it is secret, but 2018 has been a great year for Film + TV so far! Check out IMDB for more details! #starmeterplug
STAYING BUSY:
2018
PANG! A triptych of radio plays highlighting food insecurity in underserved communities! We're traveling with this one--- to keep up with us, check out our site here! We opened in Cedar Rapids, Iowa October 20th to RAVE REVIEWS and have continued to tour it across the US through 2018!
[JUNE} DONNA SIMONE JOHNSON + LIESEL KOPP ARE "KATY + JENNIFER," IN A WORLD PREMIERE BY MATT MORILLO! DIRECTED BY REENA DUTT, THE SHOW OPENS JUNE 2ND AT THE LOUNGE THEATER! TICKETS BEHIND QUOTE: "DONNA SIMONE JOHNSON HAD ME TEARING UP BEFORE THE SHOW EVEN BEGAN. [SHE] IS A POWERHOUSE."
[MAY] DONNA BOOKED AS A SWING IN THE BABY DANCE: MIXED AT RUBICON THEATRE, WRITTEN BY JANE ANDERSON + DIRECTED BY JENNY SULLIVAN!
2017
Donna is starring in Alanna Brown's trailer for "Trees of Peace" here!
Booked a commercial for The Roots Naturelle!
booked a guest star on the series, "pilot season!"
wrapped production on "dying city: stench of sex," to be released late 2018.
Reading a new play by Tatiana Suarez-Pico, "The Beast" for the LA Humanitas Festival!
Donna was nominated for a BroadwayWorld.com award for Best Featured Actress for her work in "Broken Fences!" She has also won two Stage Scene LA Scenes for "Outstanding Performance by Actress in Featured Role," and "Outstanding Ensemble" for the same role!
2016
donna worked on the sag-aftra short, "three wishes" by thomas ashworth!
... booked a co-star on cbs' "the inspectors" as dr. kerry!
... filmed "the inheritors," alongside craig gibson, directed by corey gates.
... produced two shows in Rep at The Road Theatre Co! Go see BIRDER and JOHN IS A FATHER and was the associate producer on Directors Lab West 2016!
... had a successful run of the West Coast Premiere of "BROKEN FENCES," directed by Andre Barron (Feb 12-April 17th) at The Road Theatre at Magnolia! Critics singled out her performance, and the show was a LA Hit, earning a Stage Raw TOP TEN mention! More details here!
... in a reading of "ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL" at Antaeus Sunday, April 17th at 7pm, directed by Elizabeth Swain with Fran Bennett, Claudette Nevins, Saundra McClain, Liza de Weerd, Devon Brand, Lily Nicksay, Karen Malina White and other talented actresses in the #LAThtr scene!
OLD NEWS + HIGHLIGHTS:
2015
donna booked a co-star as detective lyons on tnt's "agent x."
... filmed "of god and kings" in london mina.
... booked "dream," a film by award-winning director, nijla mu'min.
... starred as Fanny Wilton in an adaptation of Ibsen's "John Gabriel Borkman" directed by Miles Warner at The Road Theatre on Lankershim. The show September 7 (preview) through September 26. More info here.
... The newest episode of "Zach and Anton Save The World" is up! Check it out!
... has been cast as The Queen in Jean Genet's THE BLACKS: A CLOWN SHOW, with Orig-O-nal Theatre Company! The show will go up in June at The Actors Company as a part of Hollywood Fringe Festival.
... is in production for "The Only Surviving Record of The Invisible Freedom Warriors, Los Angeles Division," a SAG-AFTRA film written and directed by Corey Gates. She will be playing the leading role of Angela Diderot. The films' cast also stars Lola Chan, Craig Gibson and Eva Sinotte.
SUMMER 2014
Donna joined the cast of Terence Anthony's "Euphrates" as Kira Johnson for a playwriting workshop in Valdez, AK from June 9-16th. The play is being sponsored by the Last Frontier Theatre Conference. She will be joined by actors Ryan Buen, Sarah MacMillan, Kevin Bennett and Mark Muro.
...joined 6 playwrights and other actors for Center Theatre Groups' annual "Writers Workshop Retreat," June 6-8 2014. The Weekend is an invaluable tool for Playwrights to hear their material read aloud by LA based actors.
2013
...opened "The Magic Tower" December 13-16th and then January 16-19 at the Edgemar Performing Arts Center in Santa Monica. The show featured Tennessee Williams obscure plays, including "At Liberty" and "Kingdom of Earth." The performances were produced by Deborah Levine and James Franco.
... shot a co-star on disney xd's "KICKIN' IT."
...premiered "We Are Proud To Present A Presentation..." directed by Nataki Garrett on October 18-21, 2013 at the Steven Spielberg Soundstage, also known as BB2 on the CalArts Campus.
...is also featured in a reading of "BULRUSHER" by Eisa Davis with Lower Depth Theatre Ensemble on September 30, 2013 at 7pm. The reading is directed by Nataki Garrett with dramaturgy by Dylan Southard and featuring: Dan Sykes, Nija Okoro, Bert Emmett, Kevin Jackson, Sola Bamis, Peggy A. Blow and Donna Simone Johnson. More information can be found at http://www.lowerdepththeatreensemble.org/
... joined the cast of “Cloud 9” by Caryl Churchill, which opened at the RITU Festival in Liege, Belgium 28 Feb through 3 March. The show, directed by Fernando Belo and choreographed by Chelsea Yarnell (in conjunction with the Moving Art Collective) has previously been invited to the Czech Republic, Belize, and New Zealand after opening at CalArts February, 2012. Donna performed the role(s) of Harry/Gerry.
