Hello, Golden Divas!

Some of you might know that my husband and I are theater critics; here in Chicago, we also had the pleasure of reviewing some fabulous plays in New York and Indiana. Our review company ‘Let’s Play’ aims to discover the hidden gems in Chicago to get more African Americans out to enjoy theater as much as we do because there’s nothing like witnessing LIVE theater. Theater lovers, you know theater is excellent when you immerse yourself in a play, where stories are being told, reeling you in with every line, movement, and emotion on the stage. The acting captivates you, and the audience is so engaged that you don’t realize you have been sitting there for nearly three hours. Now, that’s ‘GREAT THEATER!’

Golden Divas, you can read all of our reviews at http://www.letsplaytheatricalreview.com.

Club Fifty had the pleasure of talking to one of the most prolific actresses on her grind, making magic in theater, film, and screen. Over the years, I have grown fond of some very talented young actresses, which I call my ‘Theater Daughters.’ They are paving their way to success one stage at a time, honing in on their craft, making it do what it does in the world of theater. However, I would like to highlight one of my theater daughters at Club Fifty. This month, this ‘Golden Diva’ is making waves on stage, in film, and on the screen. This young lady is taking acting and the theater world by storm. The first time I noticed her was at the Shakespeare Theater, where we reviewed Red Velvet. She starred as the character Connie, the Jamaican servant who knew precisely how far to trust urbane white performers with eyes wide opened and mouths sternly shut. After the play, I saw a former classmate (Donna Montgomery) who told me her daughter was in the play, she introduced me to her talented daughter at the after-party, and the rest was theater history. Her daughter also starred in one of my favorite August Wilson plays, ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, at Writers Theatre. She played the role of Dussie Mae, the young lover and backup dancer of Ma Rainey who was fooling around with Ma’s impetuous band member, Levee.

I must admit she has a lot of work to her credit, but we need to see more of her because she sells you on the character every time, no matter the role, big or small, she delivers. To me, the best quality an actor should have is to bring you into the character that they are playing, that you feel whatever they are feeling. In addition, they have to have a boat load of charisma and are highly imaginative; this, to me, is one of her best qualities. This golden diva is constantly perfecting her craft to be the best, and it shows in all of her performances. She truly has a sincere love and passion for the art of acting, and she knows it is imperative to achieve in this profession, along with tenacity and the willingness to work hard to succeed. Well, this ‘Theater Gem’ has taken time out of her busy schedule to meet me at the club to discuss her journey of being an actress. With no further ado, Golden Divas, help me welcome the beautiful, talented Tiffany R. Johnson to Club Fifty!

Welcome, Tiffany!

MEET TIFFANY RENEE JOHNSON

***Tiffany Renee Johnson*** is a 33-year-old, proud Chicago native. She grew up in a home with her mom, grandmother, aunt, and uncle, who were all instrumental in helping shape her into the woman she is today. After a move to Miami, where Tiffany went to high school at Miami Northwestern, She attended Howard University, where she earned her BFA in Theatre Arts.
Tiffany is currently a full-time actress and divides her work between the camera and the stage. She absolutely loves the power of the story. Her television credits include The Chi, Shameless, Chicago PD, Soundtrack, Chicago Med, APB, Embeds, and Chicago Fire. She has also worked at theatres including the Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Writers Theatre, Remy Bumppo Theatre, American Blues Theater, Sideshow Theatre, Rasaka Theatre, and Congo Square Theatre. When she’s not working, she enjoys time with the ones she holds dear, festivals, concerts, nights at the theatre, and Sunday Fundays.

***“Tell yourself the truth and watch it become a gift of freedom.”***

Tiffany’s new favorite thing to say is, “Tell yourself the truth and watch it become a gift of freedom.” She lives every day to embody that. Tiffany gives God all the glory because He is the center of her life, the Keeper of her soul, and the Maker of every way. To learn more and for updates, feel free to visit http://www.TiffanyReneeJohnson.com.

IN CONVERSATION WITH TIFFANY R. JOHNSON

C50: Tiffany, tell C50 what influenced you to pursue a career as an actress.

TRJ: Since I can remember, I’ve been a storyteller. I would make up stories and tell them to my family members. When we had guests over, I would come from some room in our house and give them a show. I loved to perform. I think it’s mainly because my mother exposed me to the arts so early in my life. She put me in dance class when I was four. I started doing print ads and auditions even before then. My mom took me to all kinds of festivals and dance concerts, and plays. We were always going to see live music and other performances. I was immersed in art very early and never wanted to get away from it. I started to do community theatre when I was nine or so but mainly focused on dance until I got to high school. I got serious about theatre halfway through my time there. By the end of high school, I decided to study theatre at Howard University, and I was then certain I wanted to be an actor.

I think it’s mainly because my mother exposed me to the arts so early in my life. She put me in dance class when I was four. I started doing print ads and auditions even before then. My mom took me to all kinds of festivals and dance concerts, and plays. We were always going to see live music and other performances.

C50: Which types of acting do you feel you’re most suited for, screen, stage, or Voice?

TRJ: I think God has given me a very versatile instrument, and I’ve dedicated time to learning how to tell stories on each medium, particularly the stage and screen. I’ve learned, by observation, how to bring my Voice to life for work suited for voiceover mediums as well. I enjoy the stage and screen for different reasons. The screen allows me to be subtle and true to life. The camera picks up the smallest thought or shift of the eyes. I love that. It feels natural and challenges me to rely on truth in a different way. Theatre gives me longer amounts of time to learn characters and sit with stories, which I love. I learned so much during those processes. I love what I’m able to bring to characters over time from getting to do the show live repeatedly. There’s also nothing like real-time communion with the audience. That is absolutely irreplaceable.

C50: What do you enjoy most about acting, and what has been your favorite Production?

TRJ: I love telling and finding truths wrapped in a story. I love what I get to learn about myself, people, and the world. I absolutely love having the honor and privilege to dive into the minds of many vastly different characters. I cannot explain it. It thrills me like nothing else. I feel really blessed to get to do that. Whether it’s for an audition or a job, it brings me such joy! It’s really hard to pick just one production to call my favorite. I really have loved every project for different reasons. Still, I will highlight a unique and lovely experience I had with a play called ‘Truth and Reconciliation’ by Debbie Tucker Green, directed by Jonathan L. Greene with Sideshow Theatre. I remember feeling so connected to the character and story in my audition, and it was transformative when I got to do the show. I got to learn a new dialect. I rehearsed and performed with 21 other beautiful actors weekly for a couple of months. And we all just really enjoyed being there, and we never had any issues. We got to tell the stories set in five different countries, and it was beautifully challenging, rewarding work.

C50: What is more important for an actor, talent, or training?

TRJ: I think talent is a factor, for sure. I think the ability has to be somewhere in you, but nothing beats cultivating that talent or discovering a talent you didn’t even know. One of the best ways to do that is an exploration by way of training. Training your gift/talent/ability/instrument is how you become a craftsman. It’s how you develop a technique to have endurance and longevity and approach the work with intentionality and maybe even expertise. I don’t think everyone who is an actor or becomes one has to train in the same way, but I do believe some training is highly important. That may look like studying at a school or conservatory. It may look like taking classes at a local acting school/arts center. It may look like working with an acting coach or taking workshops with craft teachers. There are a bunch of ways! My personal choices have been to get my degree in theatre as well as take classes throughout my career. Sometimes I like to hop into a 4-6 week on-camera class. I love workshops. I’ve taken commercial acting classes and worked with several acting coaches to prepare for auditions. I also learn from watching other actors in action on stage and on screen. I don’t think one can ever learn too much. I have peers who have studied in all kinds of ways. You have to do what’s best for you!

C50: What is the first thing you do to research and approach a role, and what techniques do you use to create a believable character?

TRJ: This has changed several times in my career, but presently I read the material and learn the text first. I then start to think about who the character is, based on the information I’m given on the page and wherever my imagination takes me. I ask myself (and the internet) questions about the time period and the environment the character finds herself in. I explore my character’s relationships with the other characters in the story. I figure out what the character wants. I think about how the character would dress if it’s for an audition. If it’s a production, I let what the costume designer chooses to inform what I already know/believe about the character. I ask myself what the character’s truths are. And after that, I play! I see where exploration will take me and continue to craft from there.

C50: Tiffany, the pandemic affected so many people within their profession; how did this affect you as an actress?

TRJ: When the pandemic started, I was about three performances into a show at the Goodman Theatre called ‘School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play. We, of course, had to close that show, which was sad, but it was the reality. So I pivoted artistically and started researching for a personal project. As far as jobs and auditions were concerned, everything changed! I didn’t work on stage or on-camera for most of 2020, which was a huge pivot from the previous year. All my auditioning happened in my living room, so I bought some things to ensure I was creating the best-looking audition tapes possible. My friends helped me by reading the other characters’ lines on zoom or facetime. I honestly think it made me a better actor. I saw all my audition tapes before anybody else did, which had never happened before! It became a new way for me to study and grow. So even though it was challenging at first, I’m a better artist, and I am grateful for that! I also got to do ‘School Girls’ eventually! We returned to it in the summer of 2021 and had a full run. My on-camera work started to pick up again in the last year and a half, and 2022 is already a year of great resurgence!

C50: Share with C50 some of the productions you have starred in on stage, in film, and on television.

TRJ: I’ve been blessed with some wonderful opportunities that I have enjoyed immensely. Some of them are as follows:

Television
Shameless (Showtime)
The Chi (Showtime)
Soundtrack (Originally Netflix, now on Hulu)
Chicago Med (NBC)
Chicago PD (NBC)
Chicago Fire (NBC)
APB (FOX)
Embeds (Verizon go90)

Film
Range Runners (Amazon Prime)
Training Wheels (KevOnStage Studios)
North of the 10 (BET+)

Theatre
Passage (Remy Bumppo Theatre)
School Girls; Or The African Mean Girls Play (Goodman Theatre)
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Writer’s Theatre)
A Doll’s House (Writer’s Theatre)
Red Velvet (Chicago Shakespeare Theater)
Saint Joan (Poetic Forum Collective/Greenhouse Theatre)
Flyin’ West (American Blues Theatre)
truth and reconciliation (Sideshow Theatre)
Rutherford’s Travels (Pegasus Players)
Vanya; Or, That’s Life (Rasaka Theatre)
RACE (Next Act Theatre)
Coming Home (Erasing the Distance)
The Nativity (Congo Square Theatre)
Hairspray (Drury Lane Theatre)

C50: What was your reaction when a play you starred in received a negative review, and what is your longest-running role on stage?

TRJ: I try my best not to read reviews, but when I do, I do my best not to internalize them, good or bad. As a result, I haven’t experienced many negative reviews. Still, when I’ve read ones that could be perceived negatively, I remind myself that that’s the reviewer’s opinion, and they have a right to that opinion. One of my favorite quotes about art is a very short poem by Nayyirah Waheed. It reads as follows: “be an artist made of art., not made of other people’s worship or scorn. That’s too volatile. Too wearing. Too empty and full.”

My longest-running role was Christine Linde in A Doll’s House adaptation. The show ran from September 25 2019-December 15, 2019.

C50: Who do you consider your acting role model whose career you would like to emulate, and why?

TRJ: I have a few role models. Anjanue Ellis, Debbie Allen, and Phylicia Rashad, to name a few. I also really love Jurnee Smollett and the trajectory of her career. I have always loved her work since she played Denise on Full House. The roles she plays are impactful. She tells meaningful stories. I can tell that the stories she chooses to tell are highly important to her. It’s evident. I want to continue to tell meaningful stories too. Ones that impact people and move them. Ones that make people think differently by staring through the eyes of a character. Ones that tell the truth and make people want to cling to it.

C50: Describe your last experience on stage and your most challenging role to date.

TRJ: My last experience on stage was getting to perform a monologue/poem in the middle of two pieces of choreography performed by Deeply Rooted Dance Theater. It was a beautiful and unique experience and one I enjoyed getting to do very much this summer.

I think my most challenging role to date was playing Rwandan Widow/Stella in truth and reconciliation, a production I spoke about earlier in the interview. The story was emotionally demanding, and I had an insatiable desire to tell it honestly. I also had to learn a Rwandan dialect to speak English as a Tutsi woman would. Debbie Tucker Green’s language had this beautiful repetition that was initially a doozy to learn, but once I got it, it felt like music. So all those things combined made the role challenging, but it was so beautiful to explore.

Bonus Question

C50: Tell C50 about your blog TRJ!

TRJ: I created my blog ‘Off the Page’ to give people a look into my life as an actor and to share varying experiences from behind the scenes. I have not written a post in a long time, but this question inspires me to hop back in! The posts live on my site, TiffanyReneeJohnson.com.

There you have it, Golden Divas, ‘The prolific Actor,’ Tiffany R. Johnson. May you continue to delight the world with your gift of storytelling in film, screen, and on stage.

Tiffany R. Johnson