ABOUT
Hello, friends.
I’ve worn many hats as a creator and I put out big “Let’s put on a show” energy, but I have always considered myself an actor first and foremost.
In college at the University of Virginia, I bounced from the Poetry Department to the Theater Department and back. At some point in my senior year I realized if I crafted a life full of brand new plays, I could have a life full of both poetry and theater.
Then I botched that all up by becoming a founding member of the Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival. Doing comedy. Musicals. And falling in love with film and television acting. So, new plays? Well… not always.
Turns out it wasn’t always new scripts I was interested in after all, but new collaborations. And through many years living in New York City and working with tremendous talents on stage and screen, I realized my favorite collaborative partners are artists who reflect human behavior (and absurdity) back to itself— and have a great time doing it.
PRESS QUOTES
“Joanna Parson knocks us out!”
“The main attraction, though, is Joanna Parson’s very funny rendering of Mrs. Cratchit...”
“A cynical teacher, Ms. Passivo (Joanna Parson), has some news for them... For $15 not much more fun can be found in a theater these days.”
“Joanna Parson is hilarious…”
“Parson, whose features and lithe energy add to her stage presence, is multifaceted as the title creature.”
“Joanna Parson is especially good in the role of Stephanie... while she clings to hope, her eyes tell another story.”
“A delightful exploration of the quite awful portrayals of women in pop culture, done with humor rather than venom and mixed with a fabulous theatrical sensibility, Not Helpful allowed Elizabeth Inghram and Joanna Parson to display their wide range of talents...”
“CABARET PICK: This cabaret newcomer with the very-alive eyes is a most happy find.”
“Feminist folk singer Joanna Parson was fantastic! I hate folk singers, but I love funny women, and Joanna Parson sings about the joys of getting with your cousin.”
“Joanna and Lance (Werth) present a funny and clever show that had me weeping from laughter. Even those lines that were perfectly predictable had me falling off my seat! Both performers are cute and talented – and just slightly quirky, which adds to the fun of the show.”
“The fact that the twosome are gifted comic writers doesn’t hurt: Parson cheerfully relates how the denizens of her hometown ritualistically stone a girl straight out of Reddy’s ‘Angie Baby’; The duo are adorably silly and rarely less than hilarious, and the show is the most light-hearted frolic I can remember.”