Jonah Weston was born in Northern California and began his acting career at the age of 12. He made his professional debut at the age of 17 at Spokane Interplayers Ensemble and continued there for the next two seasons.
Jonah has lived and practiced theatre in Idaho, Washington, Montana, Hawaii, New Orleans, and Portland Oregon. His many stage credits include Moon Over Buffalo, Arsenic and Old Lace, Ah, Wilderness! (Spokane Interplayers Ensemble), Buffalo Bill, Dracula (Opera House Theatre Co.) Alcestis, Orestes, Oedipus The King, and originating the role of Arthur Evans in What Mad Pursuit (Classic Greek Theatre of Oregon), Biloxi Blues, The Sunshine Boys, Valentines Day, Courtship, The Young Man From Atlanta, Lake Hollywood, and Fortinbras (Profile Theatre Co.) Arcadia, As You Like It (Lakewood Theatre) By The Bog Of Cats, Live Girls! (CoHo Productions) In The Red And Brown Water (West Coast Premiere) and many others.
Jonah is the founding Artistic Director of Action Talks Productions and THEATRE NOW where he has produced and starred in Shel Silverstein’s epic one man play in verse The Devil And Billy Markham which he has toured and continues to tour nationally. (See show page for upcoming performances.) He also produced, directed and performed in ART by Yasmina Reza in a production that toured art galleries in Portland’s Pearl District.
He has appeared on television in Co-Starring roles on TNT’s Leverage and NBC’s Grimm as well as IFC’s Portlandia.
Theatrical Resume
JonahWestonResume2020Reviews
“The Profile cast is excellent, especially in the major roles. Jonah Weston, for example, plays Horatio with such superbly censorious yet composed rectitude he seems ripped from Shakespeare’s play and glued into this one — exactly how his character is written.”
“Jonah Weston as the Phone Repairman Harry Peppers could easily have done an over the top New York stereotype; instead his understated performance makes him completely convincing.”
“Another delight is Jonah Weston as David Benter, Grand Fenwick’s resident blueblood and advisor to the princess. He had a perfect smirk on his face throughout the entire performance. I found myself snickering at him even when he wasn’t speaking because he inhabits this bizarre character so completely.”
“One other notable performance was turned in by Jonah Weston as one of the duchess’s advisors. Weston brought out the naivety of his small-but-funny role without turning the character into a bumbling idiot, winning many deserved laughs.”
“In the role of the hell-bound country singer Billy Markham, actor Jonah Weston convinced me that if he ended up in a seedy dive with Markham, the two would swap stories, ingest bourbon in fountain soda-sized quantities, and Markham would say Weston was an ‘alright son-of-a-bitch’–that is to say, he’s good.”
“The primary challenge of a one-man play is keeping the characters distinct. Playing God, the Devil, and a sleazy hustler is no easy feat. Fortunately, Mr. Weston pulled it off brilliantly. Never did I have even a moment’s confusion as to which character he was voicing. I could have closed my eyes and still known exactly who was speaking. Of course, that would have been a shame, as I would have missed Mr. Weston’s expressive visual cues. If you missed The Devil and Billy Markham, or saw it and wish to again, there’s a good chance it will return to Seattle in the not-so-distant future. It was a fantastic show, and anyone who can should see it.”
“Weston’s pleasure in reciting Silverstein’s humorously witty and sometimes playfully raunchy poetry is apparent. Weston gives each character a physical reality as well as a distinct vocal quality. Whether kneeling on the floor as Billy throwing dice in a fixed game of craps, writhing on a stool to capture Billy’s discomfort while roasting on a spit in hell, or strutting around the stage as the cocky Devil tossing off orders to inadequate henchmen, Weston gives a concrete sense of the physical lives of the story’s characters. Throughout the piece Weston subtly varies vocal tone and pitch to accommodate the mood and intensity of the action but also takes advantage of theatrical elements like lighting to reinforce the shifts in atmosphere. Weston is an able entertainer, who knows how to engage and enchant his audiences.”
“Weston has a very strong presence and a grip on the story and its telling that grabs us by the throat and won’t let go. The weight of this grand struggle for a man’s eternal soul is embodied in the actor’s movements, in his harsh and whiskey-soaked voice, and in the urgency of his telling. “The Devil and Billy Markham” is a fine piece of solo performance work. Weston is talented and accomplished and he owns this story in the way any great storyteller must own his story. I walked out of this little feeling like I had to find somebody and tell them about this guy I met in the bar, this guy who had the most incredible story about another guy who lost his life on a roll of the dice, and who regained his soul in the depths of Hell. If you’re in Portland, or if Jonah Weston is back in town, make a point of seeing this show. It’s a story you won’t forget.”
Shel Silverstein’s epic poem “The Devil And Billy Markham” is currently recounted at the Curious Comedy Theatre. When actor Jonah Weston comes onto the stage dressed like a regular guy and begins the remarkable tale of a man who bets with the devil, the feeling is that one of those great tavern storytellers around whom everyone naturally gathers just stepped into the room for a drink.
Director Jamie Rea and performer Weston deserve credit for understanding the kind of art that people still need — stories of life and love, and heaven and hell — presented in a way that is funny and whimsical and that people can relate to. And they deserve applause for doing it in a way that uses all the craft and artifice of theater, and making it look easy.