Day 63 - JoAnna Beckson

Absolutely loved having JoAnna Beckson on Dystopia Tonight. I had the pleasure of taking her Meisner class when I was a young comic and what I learned from her is invaluable both as a teacher and now as a friend. We discuss how she got into acting/directing, having the neighborhood kids put on a show she directed at the age of 5, to back packing through Europe, falling in love with another actor in her troupe, being trained by Sanford Meisner, auditioning, diving into teaching and directing, and working with comedians like myself, Joe Starr, Rob Bartlett, Ted Alexandro, Jim Gaffigan, Ray Romano, Dave Attell (the list goes on!) and how the business has and will continue to reshape itself after covid. Enjoy!

Check out her official bio below:

JoAnna Beckson was trained as an actress and teacher by Fred Kareman, William Esper and Sanford Meisner of the Neighborhood Playhouse. She has worked extensively as an actress and director both Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway in such theaters as The Ensemble Studio Theater, Intar II, The Working Theater and Woman’s Interart. She is also a founding member of New York City’s prestigious Circle Repertory Company’s LAB. Along with being a consultant for Disney and Paramount Studios, JoAnna has maintained the dual career of Actress/Director and Teacher of acting in New York City for many years. “Say Something Funny”, an original dramedy she conceived, directed and co-produced at the Criterion Center-Broadway, was optioned for sitcom development by Nelle Nugent, a five-time Tony Award winning producer, and by Dick Clark Productions. JoAnna’s involvement in the daily “business” of acting gives her special insight toward helping actors develop their craft and solve the problem of finding work. For the past fifteen years, JoAnna has also been an Adjunct Professor at New York University’s School of Professional Studies as well as the Graduate Film Department at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. JoAnna also leads workshops at the School of Visual Arts, and the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts.