We had the good fortune of connecting with Jono Davis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jono, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
I don’t know if you’d call it success, but listening and speaking with my heart has certainly helped me in my line of work. You’re talking about an industry (the only industry?) that bares their hearts, souls, and vulnerabilities through art and expression. The least I can do is meet artists in the middle and be transparent, honest, and open with how we can take this creative journey together. So many producers are business people and thank goodness they exist. However, it’s usually product over people; the end result is more important than the people creating it. If you put artists first and you trust each other, the product will not only soar, it will be a far more satisfying journey. Listen to the heartbeat of the industry and empathize with their needs, whether you have the resources or not. This includes paying artists appropriately, including mental health discussions with your teams, and continuously checking in and seeing what you can do to help make their process easier. Again, I don’t know if anyone would consider this success, but I do think its a habit that has helped me succeed.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve worked as an actor, director, designer, box office manager, production manager, educator, and now producer. I respect this industry so much and having been on many sides of the table, I want to serve with as much equity as I feel like I’d deserve if I were in any of these positions. So many producers AND artists only think of their own needs and don’t exemplify the grace we all merit when creating our art. I am most proud of establishing a theatre entity that started with this moral foundation. I did not build our concert series with the goal of bringing Broadway to Atlanta, I started it as a safe and caring entity that provides a different experience for artists and patrons. The southeast doesn’t have an ongoing series dedicated to musicals in concert form. While the process continues to evolve and be a work in progress, each production has a special memory in my heart because of the people who work with us. It starts with people and we take a journey together. It ends with our patrons who we ask to join us on our journey. Music and theatre have always been a part of my story and I will forever be thankful to Cobb PARKS who helped make this dream come true. I love my life!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m going to be honest. If my best friend was visiting me, we’d be either doing one of two things: watching Jeopardy and going to bed at 9pm or staying out until 4am and getting our livers cleansed by breakfast. I tend to go, go, go at work and run myself until I am in a comatose state on my sofa. If you catch me when I’m in my stride, we’d go to a festival in the park, eat at a restaurant we’ve never visited, see a show at another theatre company, and chill at a bar in the evening. On the flipside, if you catch me after closing one of our shows, I’m the most boring Ambien-filled couch potato you’ll ever meet.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My story is a culmination of a lot of peoples’ trust and belief in me. I’m eternally grateful to those who’ve seen something in me and helped get me to where I am today. Rosemary Newcott gave me my first professional gig in Atlanta, Laurel Crowe and Bob Farley helped me find the educator in me, Brandt Blocker and the Atlanta Lyric Theatre gave me some of my favorite administrative years in this industry, and Terry Chandler and Cobb PARKS gifted me the job of a lifetime. I will never forget where I started and what it took for me to be happy with my path. To this day, I still find inspiration in those who help me be a better person, producer, and leader. For this, I’d love to give shoutouts to my husband, Lilliangina Quinones, Trevor Rayshay Perry, Diany Rodriguez, and Kermit the Frog’s Twitter account.

Website: www.andersontheatre.org

Instagram: instagram.com/jennietanderson

Facebook: www.facebook.com/andersontheatre

Image Credits
Kevin Harry Photography, Cory Hancock, James Allen McCune

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.