Theatre alum Jerrie Johnson to talk career, new series on Nov. 29

Penn State School of Theatre alum Jerrie Johnson (she/they) will give a public talk at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 29 in the HUB-Robeson Center’s Freeman Auditorium. She visits Penn State immediately before embarking on a press tour for her new Amazon Prime Video series, “Harlem,” set to debut on Dec. 3. Johnson’s presentation is sponsored by the College of Arts and Architecture, the college’s Office of Multicultural Programs and the School of Theatre. Johnson, who graduated in 2016 with a B.A. in theatre and minor in African American studies, is an actress, poet and arts activist. She earned her M.F.A. at the American Conservatory Theater in 2019. She recently became a published poet with her piece “The New Normal,” penned during the COVID-19 pandemic. Johnson had her TV debut on Freeform’s “Good Trouble.” She is a series regular on “Harlem,” portraying a successful, queer dating app creator who tries to hide her vulnerability. The show also features Grace Byers, Meagan Good, Shoniqua Shandai, Whoopi Goldberg and Jasmine Guy. Johnson, of Philadelphia, is an advocate for fresh food accessibility in underserved neighborhoods, a spiritual advisor and a wellness advocate. She is currently working on opening “healing pods” in underserved communities in Philadelphia to bring wellness knowledge and tools to those neighborhoods.