Chris Jorie

Chris Jorie is an actor, writer, director and producer who works with Academy and Emmy Nominated Actress and Producer, Mary McDonnell developing projects for TV, Film and Theatre. Chris has directed Off-Broadway on Theatre Row and nationally for the Coronet, West Coast Ensemble and Court Theatres in Los Angeles; Oldcastle Theatre in Vermont; Theatre Aspen, in Colorado; the San Juan Theatre in Washington State, and The Hopkins Center in NH. As a nationally recognized acting, voice, and dialogue coach, Chris has worked on the sets of productions for Disney, Nickelodeon, Buena Vista TV, ABC, PBS, and TNT. He has been a producer for the LA Stage and Film Company, sister company to the critically acclaimed N.Y. Stage and Film Company in summer residence at Vassar College; Resident Director at San Francisco's New Conservatory Theatre; and Director of Education for Los Angeles's Serendipity Theatre, an Equity Children's Theatre Company named Best New Children's Theatre in the United States by the American Alliance for Theatre and Education in 1994. Chris helped launch CityKids, LA, in association with CityKids, New York, and worked as a Guest Artist Director and Education Director for Aspen Theatre in the Park, Aspen Colorado; The Lancaster Drama Workshop sponsored by the New York State Arts Council; as well as a Guest Artist Instructor for the California Arts Council Artist in the Schools Program. A recipient of the first ever Boston based Revels Fellowship for writing and directing during 2007-2008, Chris was also a semifinalist in the Drama League's New Directors New Works Series and the Malibu International Playwrighting Festival for his most recent play, The Real Me, a story about children with disabilities. The Real Me was recently translated into the Moldovan language by playwright and Peace Corps volunteer, Rebecca Worthington, and was performed at the Cultural Center of Moldova in Eastern Europe during the fall of 2008. Selected as a semifinalist in the National Endowment for the Arts, Theatre Communications Group, Career Development Program for Directors for the spring, 2000. Chris was a also a semifinalist in the Drama League's New Directors New Works Series in 1999 for his original script, I Touch The Future, based on the life and words of Christa McAuliffe, the teacher aboard NASA's Challenger Mission. The play was honored by United Arts of Central Florida and toured The Los Angeles Schools along with Jorie's play, The Spirit In My Soul, the voices of Rosa Parks & Harriet Tubman, produced by Enrichment Works. Chris has performed for the past thirty years in off-Broadway and regional theatre, as well as television and film, working with such distinguished talents as Thomas Kail, Tony Award winning Director of Hamilton on Broadway and Emmy winner for Grease Live on Fox as well as George C. Scott, Charlton Heston, Mary McDonnell, Laura San Giacomo, Tony Danza, Ellen Barkin, James Woods, Robert Guillame, Garry Marshall, John Ritter, Leonardo Dicaprio and Judi Densch. After majoring in Theatre Arts at the State University of New York, Fredonia, Chris continued his studies at San Francisco State University where he received the George Heller Scholarship from AFTRA for his Special Major Program, Dramatic Concepts in Social Responsibility, from the Film, Writing and Social Science Departments. He graduated Cum Laude from the University. He is a proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, The Dramatists Guild and The Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.