Today we’d like to introduce you to Jovan Christopher.
Hi Jovan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
One Tuesday in 1994, a mother delivers a baby boy in a hospital in Wilmington, NC and decides to name him Jovan Christopher Davis, the first of many gifts she gave me. I was born in Wilmington because the hospital on our nearby island was too busy for the baby boy arriving at the glacial speed. I decided to travel. A year and a half after delivery, my Mom packed us up and moved us to the DMV (DC area), raising me in Upper Marlboro, MD. A couple of years after that move, I’d do my first class theatrical performance for our Pre-K Christmas showcase. I remember it vividly because it became the first and last performance my maternal grandparents would see me in. They would both pass by the time I reached 1st grade, and I would learn at a very young age how short time can be with the people we love. My grandmother was my best friend in my early years, and her death, along with my grandfather’s, would leave a devastating impact on our family. By 3rd grade, I would lose another close friend; his death a result of a brain tumor in his head. By the time I reached 6th grade, I needed a place to focus all of the emotional turmoil I’d experienced, so I turned back to the stage. There was an audition posting at school for the Black History Show, and I was soon cast to play Louis Armstrong in the show. Following that performance, one of the teachers celebrated me by gifting vintage concert posters for two of his concerts from the 1950s, posters I still have today.
Middle and high school allowed me to audition for magnet performing arts schools: Thomas G. Pullen and Suitland High School. Those programs were chaired by two teachers who moonlighted as theatre actresses in their time outside of school respectively. They both ensured that I learned the history of the craft, starting with the Abydos Passion Play, its influences on Greek comedies and tragedies, the Renaissance period, Commedia dell’arte, and the works of William Shakespeare and August Wilson. I would be trained to understand the language and character development of both playwrights through graduation from both schools. I became a nerd and a weird theatre kid doomed to love the stage and discussions of world events and the arts, and I loved it! By the time I finished high school, I was comfortable with Shakespeare’s works and had a foundation in understanding Wilson’s.
From high school, I would move on to Morehouse College, continuing my theatre studies and graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2016. In college, there was further exploration into Wilson’s works and introductions to Tarell Alvin McCraney, Lydia Diamond, Katori Hall, and Pearl Cleage. Their works informed the kind of storytelling I wanted to participate in professionally and inspired me to continue my pursuit of an artistic career.
After college, I began my professional stage career, performing in DC, NY, and Atlanta, GA. My credits include: Antigone in Ferguson produced by Theater of War in Brooklyn, NY; The Brothers Size produced by the Ancram Opera House in Ancram, NY; the Mile Long Opera produced by The Office in New York City, NY; King Claudius in The Tiny Theatre Company’s production of Hamlet in a special engagement with the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA; and Osei in Culture Shock at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA. My film credits with supporting roles in Our Father by Ahamd Asaad and Madly, a film by Allison Dayne. I am continuing to pursue creative work here both on and off screen, as I am a lover of filmmaking and the production process overall. You can find me on Instagram: @jovanchristopher.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The largest obstacle has been myself: self-doubt, depression, lack of emotional awareness. I decided early to get a handle on all of that if I was going to continue this work. Therapy and surrounding myself with family have been instrumental in getting over those humps. I would highly recommend anyone to build a playlist of beloved songs to bring you out of a depleting mood, should you find yourself in one.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a teacher when I am not performing. I have been in education professionally for five years, four of those instructing on the high school level. Ironically, the classroom has given me some of the best acting training money can’t buy! You never really know what you’re in store for when the school day begins, and that adaptability skill is trained the fist day on the job.
If you ever had a good teacher, please thank them. I have watched both my own instructors and my colleagues save lives in their classrooms. I cannot stress enough how abysmal the pay is for instructors, and their dedication is evidence that they do the job out of love. Like many other teachers, I am proud of the relationships I’ve built with many of my students and constantly look forward to discovering who they will become as they grow.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Books:
The Count of Monte Cristo (all 1100+ pages) by Alexandre Dumas
The Autobiography of Malcom X by Alex Haley and Malcolm X
Wildseed by Octavia Butler
The Last Holiday by Gil Scott-Heron
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
Contact Info:
- Email: kofis.voice@gmail.com
- Instagram: @jovanchristopher_
Image Credits
@brianjonesphotography @cleavisions
