Timothy Johnson

Professor Johnson was recently selected to direct These Days by Jacqueline E. Lawton for the FLASH ACTS festival, a co-production of Arena Stage, Georgetown University, and the Forum for Cultural Engagement, featuring 20 commissioned new plays by 10 American and 10 Russian playwrights. This will remain online in perpetuity and may be viewed for free at your convenience, at https://flashactsfestival.org

He also recently directed the Metropolitan Virtual Playhouse productions of Aftermath by Mary Alice Burrill and Willis Richardson’s Compromise. Several chapters of his original acting exercises were recently published, which are: “Structured Improvised Scenes,” in the book titled “Objectives, Obstacles, and Tactics in Practice: Perspectives on Activating the Actor,” Hillary Haft Bucs, Valerie Clayman Pye, Editors, Routledge Press, Fall 2019. And “Our Town: Building A Community,” in “How to Teach A Play: Essential Exercises for Popular Plays,” Miriam Chirico, Kelly Younger, Editors, Bloomsbury Press, January 2020.

He was a member of the 2018 Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, working alongside an international company of “early career directors” from 30 different countries. He made his Off-Broadway Directorial Debut with the Obie Award-Winning Metropolitan Playhouse’s 2017 production of On Strivers Row by Abram Hill. The New York Times said of his work that “Timothy Johnson has shaped 16 striking performances here.” This production also received Four coveted 2017 AUDELCO award nominations including Best Direction of a Dramatic Production for Professor Johnson and Best Revival. He served as Assistant Director for the New York City Center Encores! production of Cabin in the Sky starring Tony Award Winner LaChanze, Tony Winner Chuck Cooper and Tony Nominee Norm Lewis, directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, himself a Tony Winning Actor and Multiple Award-Winning Director. Professor Johnson achieved Semi-Finalist Status for the 2012 Eugene O’Neill Theater Center National Playwrights Conference for his play Listening to the Trees.

His professional acting performances include the following: An original cast member of the U.S. National Tour of James Kirkwood’s play Legends! starring Mary Martin and Carol Channing; “Jazz” in REGINA at the Scottish Opera House in Glasgow, Scotland with John Mauceri as conductor, also recording the role for London/Decca Records; on Broadway in A Chorus Line in the 1983 record-breaking performance directed by Michael Bennett and in the National Tour (U.S. and Canada). His Off-Broadway credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Classical Theatre of Harlem, Lyrics and Lyricists, 92nd Street Y, Zora Neale Hurston, American Place Theatre, Lost in the Stars, York Theatre Company, and Porgy and Bess, Metropolitan Opera House. He has also performed at leading regional theaters across the U.S. including Actors Theatre of Louisville, Syracuse Stage, Goodspeed Opera House, Mill Mountain Theatre, 5th Avenue Theatre, Birmingham Theatre, and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. His summer stock credits include Kenley Players, Ogunquit Playhouse, Westport Country Playhouse, The Cape Playhouse, Casa Mañana Theatre and Theater Under the Stars. He was seen in Milan, Italy and at the Melbourne International Arts Festival as “Adonis” in The Temptation of St. Anthony written by Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon (founder of Sweet Honey in the Rock) and directed by Robert Wilson.

Professor Johnson received his undergraduate degree in Music Education from Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music with Flute as his major instrument. During his senior year at B-W he was the First Prize Winner in the Conservatory’s Annual Concerto Competition. He received an MFA in Acting from the University of Washington. He was an Assistant Professor of Acting/Movement at Ohio University. He is a former Artistic Associate at Rosie’s Theater Kids.