Today we’d like to introduce you to Ebony Jerry.
Ebony, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was a military brat who traveled all over moving every two years, finally settling in Hinesville Georgia. Tenth grade is where my love for theater started. Graduated and went to little old Hillsborough Community College in Tampa Florida. I thrived there. I’ve always been a leader but I think it showed up more in this space. Chicago was another place I thrived and where my love for improv and comedy came to be. My time was ending at this college and I had no idea what I was going to do next, so I thought why not go big or go home? I sent out only one college application, and that was to SCAD in Savannah Georgia. I was not prepared for how tough this school was, it was and is still the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I was scared, but I also had a professor there yell to me, as actors we shouldn’t be scared, if you’re scared that means you need to do it. So, by that logic I was like “Well what’s the worst that could happen?” SCAD is when I realized the type of actor I am. I also joined the performance level improv troupe, an all female group called MOXY, or what we liked to call ourselves, Foxy MOXY, performing every Friday night. I started dabbling in film and decided to get a minor in Acting for the camera. Three crazy years later I’ve finally graduated with my BFA. It took me three years to get my AA and three years for my BFA, ok girl what is next? I then saw a flyer on my schools bulletin board for Actor’s Express, they are looking for Interns for the 2017-2018 year, and all I saw was Atlanta, I signed up and got in! I cried, imposter syndrome was real at that point but I had to do this. Moved to Atlanta in August of 2017 and never looked back.
Actor’s Express changed my life in other ways, it showed me what a real professional theater community looks like, I learned my own way of networking, and I learned that there is always someone rooting for you. After my internship it was NON STOP WORK! I got my first professional show, “The Wolves” at Horizon Theater Company, all female cast who are still my wolves to this day. We won a Suzie for best ensemble, and I learned a lot about standing up for yourself. That show made me the unofficial freedom fighter for theater and I still keep that title to this day. I did “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged” at The Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse for 3 years in a row and that show made me feel like I can do anything I put my mind to, I mean 27 costume changes, yeah, I can do anything. I finally came back to Actor’s Express stage for the world premiere of “Oh, to be pure again” and it made me cry to be back at my home theater as an actor.
Throughout all of these 8 years and shows I’ve done as a professional actor, I have never left Actor’s Express. After my internship I started working the box office, just a regular employer, but I realized I was training the people who are suppose to be my manager, so me being bold, I decided to say something and that led me to being an office apprentice to then landing my job that I have had now since December 1st, 2021, Patron Services Manager of Actor’s Express. I always said I started as a dish washer and now I’m an executive chef! It’s taken 6 years of college and not allowing myself to be scared to get to where I am today. Because I will always remember that crazy professor who said “as actor’s we shouldn’t be scared, and if you’re scared that means you need to do it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
On the outside it might have seemed like it was a smooth road, I did what I was “suppose” to do right? Went to college and got a job in my field. Cool. But being an artist always has it’s struggles. My biggest one is understanding the difference between knowing and believing. I know that I’m talented but I don’t necessarily believe it. People can come and congratulate you, and praise your work, but in my mind it’s hard to believe that about myself. To me I’m just doing my job. IMPOSTER SYNDROME! Thank you to my therapist for giving it a title, and helping me with that ongoing journey, shout out to her.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
So I would consider myself a physical comedy actor, I’m definitely more comfortable with physicality and comedy than I am with drama. I know I can play drama but I know I also have such a young energy as a 90’s born person, so I can never really play my age, which I’m fine with!
I think and hope I’m known for my performance of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged at The Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse. I played Daniel, the storyteller. It was only a three person cast and the goal was to get through every piece Shakespeare has written in one show. What a Wang dang of a doodle it was, again as I say 27 costume changes. That show was the true essence of the community in Atlanta, we turned the stage into Magic City and rapped to Tupac while we did Othello, what more can I say?
I also am known for The Wolves at Horizon Theater, it’s about an all girls indoor soccer team, surprisingly this was a little more of a dramatic play, but I play a little of the comic relief (if I’m going to be in a drama I have to make a least one small joke). That show was 90 minutes of non stop soccer, but the story of all those teenage girls was beautifully grounding.
I’m most proud about how I am an ensemble girl! I don’t just work with my cast, I build life long bonds and become community with them. Every show I have done professionally I have been apart of amazing ensembles and all of us are still close to this day.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
My view on risk is exactly what my crazy stage combat professor told me at SCAD “as actors we shouldn’t be scared, and if you’re scared that means you need to do it.”
I get my risk-taking from my studies at The Second City training center in Chicago, performing in improv troupes, having to be there and support your team, you have no choice but to take risks. How will you know if you can do it, if you don’t take that risk? That is just you stopping yourself from reaching your highest potential.
The biggest risk I took was moving to Atlanta with no job lined up, no apartment, and only $5,000. All I knew was that I had an internship and I needed to get there. The day I moved, my identity got stolen and they took all $5,000 out of my savings, so I was really broke and back in the day the internship did not pay, so I was OUT HERE. I still have no idea how I made it because I couldn’t find a job even after a year of being in Atlanta. But I networked, I met people and I ended up getting a job after my internship at the Atlanta History Center working in education and meeting so many other actors, and that’s when things really started to shift for me.
If you’re scared, do it.
Image Credits
Headshot and Staff Photo: Casey Gardner Ford
