About Jo
I am aN actor, mUSICIAN
& Advocate
BASED IN NEW YORK CITY.
I grew up in montana on a ranch and farm
And I learned all about folk music by playing fiddle in a folk band with my parents and siblings.
Traditional music was my first love…
…and the stage Was my second love.
I’ve been working as an actor in New York City for the past 13 years.
As a farm kid from middle of nowhere Montana — I have to say — I still have culture shock.
Nevertheless, I love New York and its ARTISTIC community.
As a late-deafened adult, I have grown into my passion for
advocating for equity & inclusion for artists and building safe
creative spaces for folks with similar challenges.
I am currenlty on staff with The Alliance of Resident Theatres
(A.R.T./New York) as the Manager of External Relations and
am a part of the Disability Advisory Council there. In my spare
time, I am a member of the d/Deaf/HOH Contract Language
Working Group with Actor’s Equity. Additionally — with grant
and staffing support from the Center for Hearing and
Communications in Manhattan, I facilitate a support group for
performers with hearing loss or those who identify as d/Deaf/HOH.
I am proud to identify as Deaf/Hard of Hearing.
I recognize my privilege as someone who has hearing aids and who
bops between the hearing world and the Deaf community.
And I am grateful for American Sign Language, as it has given me another way
to express myself, to feel heard, and to feel more a part of the world.
Things TO be curious about:
The Imagination Industry Fails to Imagine Artist with Accessibility Needs
Hard of Hearing Shouldn’t Have To Be This Hard
