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Christine
Toy Johnson |
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| Professional Profile | |
| Over twenty years experience as a professional Actor, working in all venues of the industry including Broadway, Off-Broadway, national tours, regional theatre, film, television, commercials, concert stage. Award-winning screenwriter, playwright, published journalist. Producer. Public speaker and activist for diversity and inclusion. | |
| Playwriting |
The Christine Toy Johnson Portfolio: Plays inducted into the Library of Congress Asian Pacific American Performing Arts Collection: THE NEW DEAL - developed at the Roundabout Theatre Company's "Different Voices" program, NYC (2006), included in the Playwrighting Curriculum at Wesleyan University (2011) PAPER SON -- part
of Diverse City Theatre Company's Green Room Series, NYC (2008),
Queens Theatre in the Park's Asian Heritage Festival, NYC(2009),
included in the "Multi-cultural
drama" curriculum
at the Unveristy of Michigan/Flint, and the "Playwriting" curriculum
at Wesleyan University (2009) ADVENTURES OF A FAUX DESIGNER HANDBAG - Leviathan Lab workshop, NYC (2010), included in the Playwrighting Curriculum at Wesleyan University (2011) "EVER SEE A FAT CHINESE?" - produced by New Perspectives Theatre Company,NYC (2008) TANFORAN - Commissioned and proudced by the Barrow Group Theatre Company's FAB Women (2011), invited to be part of the International Art of Public Memory Conference (2011) DO THESE GENES MAKE ME LOOK FAT? - Written for the Library of Congress Asian Pacific American Playwriting Conference, supported by the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (2011) WELCOME TO TELEVISION - part of the Barrow Group Theatre Company's FAB Women Reading Series, NYC (2012) PEACE PLAZA - part of Leviathan Lab's Dark Night Series, NYC (2011), research supported by the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program SECONDARY
IMPACT - workshops at the National Dance Institute, NYC
(2011, 2012) |
| Screenwriting | ALL AMERICAN EYES (short - New York International Film and Video Festival, Hearts and Minds Festival, Waves Festival Audience Award) NO WAVE WITHOUT WIND (feature - with Charles Randolph-Wright) OLD, FAT & UGLY (feature) JUMPING THE THIRD RAIL (feature) DULLY FOR PRESIDENT (short) |
| Journalism |
Regular
columnist and Chair/Advisory Committee for EQUITY NEWS, the national
publication for the membership of Actors’ Equity Association.
Features have ranged from interviews with Actors and Casting Directors
to articles about working under different contracts, diversity issues
and human interest stories connected to theatrical experiences. Contributing
writer to STAND BY, the publication for the New York local of AFTRA,
and aMAGAZINE, a national publication subtitled “Inside Asian America”. Features have included diversity and inclusion issues, the power of the media in influencing tolerance, Asian American images on television. |
| Producing
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Co-founder and President of REIMAGINED WORLD ENTERTAINMENT, a new production company dedicated to telling stories of the underdog. www.reimaginedworldentertainment.com Projects include the Award-winning short film ALL AMERICAN EYES (also screenwriter and lead actor) and the Award-winning Documentary feature, TRANSCENDING - THE WAT MISAKA STORY -- also Co-Director (Gold Kahuna Award from the Honolulu International Film Festival, Directorial Discovery Award from the Roving Eye Documentary Film Festival). Community outreach initiatives to include forums for Artists struggling with discrimination, workshops to train newcomers, documentary filmmaking chronicling the stories of Artists overcoming obstacles of prejudice. Other ventures have included co-producing and co-starring in A TRIBUTE TO JULIE AND CAROL AT CARNEGIE HALL at NYC’s Triad Theatre and the "Asian Americans on Broadway" concert series in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York City as well as serving as an Associate Producer on the first season of Disney/SOAPnet's reality television series, BANK OF MOM AND DAD. |
| Affiliations
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Associate
member of the Dramatists Guild Member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), Screen Actors Guild (SAG), American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). Board Member (and officer) of Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts. Voter for the Tony Awards since 1992. |
| Diversity Panels and Roundtables | |
| Participant
at
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Asian
Pacific American Law Students Association, Chinese American Intercollegiate
Conference, Sarah Lawrence College, American Theatre Critics Association,
AAJA National Convention, Philadelphia Theatre Conference, Non-Traditional
Casting Project (NYC), BackStage Actor Fest (NYC), Broadway Cares/Equity
Fights AIDS. Subjects have included Non-traditional Casting, Diversity
in Casting, Asian American Images on Television, Being a Working Actor. |
| Producer for | SAG/AFTRA/AEA Day of Diversity Event, NYWIFT, AEA. Topics have included Issues of Inclusion of Asian Americans on television, increasing attendance of Actors of Color to auditions, obstacles to Non-traditional Casting, Non-traditional Casting success stories. Initiated Asian Heritage Month celebration events at AEA (and produces all Asian Heritage Month celebrations at AEA). |
| CSW Associates | Participated in interactive improvisational diversity training for corporate employees in the USA and the Pacific Rim. Clients included JPMorganChase, NYU Stern’s School of Business, Morgan Stanley, and Moody’s Investment Services. |
| Elected Principal Councillor for the National Membership of AEA since 1992 | |
| Co-Chair
of the Equal Employment Opportunity Committee |
Responsibilities involve evolving and approving EEO language in all contract rule books, consulting business reps on EEO conflicts in all contract areas, developing diversity initiatives. Projects initiated have included the first annual "Extraordinary Excellence in Diversity on Broadway" Awards, the first“Cultural Celebration” event to be inclusive of the entire membership and a “UniDiversity Initiative” to create a dialogue with college level students in arts disciplines before commerical pressures might alter their perspective on diversity and the dedication of the first Non-Traditional Casting map (celebrating non-traditional casting in all regions of the U.S.) in the National Office of AEA's Audition Center. |
| Joint
EEO Committee between AEA and the League of American Theatre Producers |
Responsibilities include developing initiatives to tackle exclusion in the commercial theatre (primarily Broadway and national tour productions). Was instrumental in developing an industry wide survey intended to target realities and perceptions of Non-traditional Casting during the past ten years in order to find proactive means for progress. |
| Education and Honors | |
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BA degree - Sarah Lawrence College |
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