Jonathan Riker (they/he) is a Milwaukee based actor. Originally from Allentown Pennsylvania, they were lucky enough to grow up in close proximity to both New York City and Philadelphia, where he watched theater with a fiery fascination. While at first they rebelled against their love for the arts, the call to create meaningful work with people they love quickly became impossible to ignore (and frankly, it just looked like too much fun!). It is a blessing and a joy to pursue a career in which your job is to remain curious about life and people.

 

Jon’s focus has always been interdisciplinary, and the desire to pursue all of their passions led them to a liberal arts education at Bucknell University, where they triple majored in Theatre, Political Science, and Music. At Bucknell, they had the opportunity to study acting while conducting research in political science and directing various musical ensembles. Some of Jon’s favorite theatrical collaborations at Bucknell include Unheard; Unspoken, a devised piece created by Bucknell’s Theatre Department his sophomore year, a work that truly represented a moment in time for a wonderful group of people, and Fun Home, a piece which had striking relevance to the campus community at large. Moreover, this piece, through its brilliant portrayal of queer liberation and tragedy, allowed him to grow into the artist and individual he is now.

 

The son of two teachers, Jon is passionate about making art that leaves the world in a different place than they found it. Their work is focused on melding the past and present together, and exploring how old work gives way to the new. Jon is captivated by both preserving the immortal works of our greatest classical playwrights while also shaping new works and perspectives on old works that emphatically drive our world into a fresh, exciting, and progressive age.

 

Outside of performing, you can usually find Jon writing music, watching sports, hanging out with friends, and playing video games. They are a passionate New York Sports fan, rooting for the Knicks, Nets, Giants, and Yankees. A devout nerd, Jon is also infatuated with works of science-fiction and fantasy, particularly the worlds of George R.R. Martin and J.R.R. Tolkien. But most importantly, Jon is deeply grateful to be surrounded by family and friends that constantly uplift them and their identity. At the beating heart of their work, Jon is steadfast in their commitment to uplifting every humans' innate power and beauty to better reckon with the confusing, complicated world we live in. They hope to have more opportunities to create compelling, meaningful work that furthers these principles.

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In other, sillier words, here's the placeholder bio they wrote before the one above:

"I'm an actor and you should hire me. I'm super nice and sexy and talented, and I like doing this very much because it is fun. But I would prefer if I could do it while also being paid. Just a preference! The kind of work I'm interested in is stuff that is super cool and new but also fundamentally good and connected to our world. And also stuff that makes me get to act well. Please let me know if this interests you!"