Johnny Moreno is an award-winning San Jose-based actor, associate artistic director at the San Jose Stage Company, and theater professor at San José State University. He has worked with the Stage since 1999 and has advocated for cutting-edge plays that spark new ideas and thoughtful dialogue with audiences. “I love the daring selection of plays at the Stage. I played Jacob McNeal in McNeal. It’s a very heavy show about AI and the future of humanity. Last year, we did Enemy of the People, a play about capitalism and ambition,” said Johnny. The Stage balances heavy hitters with productions like Million Dollar Quartet, a musical about the time Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins came together for a legendary jam session.

The diversity of plays at the Stage reflects San Jose’s diverse community. When reimagining classics, Johnny advocates for more diverse representation and storytelling. It’s one of the most important concepts he teaches in his courses at SJSU. He said,“I encourage my students and anyone I work with: ‘Don’t let anyone tell you what stories you should tell. What stories do you want to tell?’ ”  

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