Samantha Johns
Samantha Johns is a Minneapolis-based director and designer working in contemporary performance. She is also a writer and psychotherapist
Clients
- Minnesota Opera
- 3VLTS - Three Volts
- General Mills
- University of Minnesota
- Theater Latté Da
- VStar Entertainment Group
- Karen Sherman
- Penumba Theater
- California Lutheran University
- Atomic Props
- Anagram Inc.
- Rosy Simas
- Anscam Inc
- Northwestern University
- Trollwood Theater
- Bedlam Theatre
- zAyma
- Annie Enneking
- Jungle Theatre
- Theatre Novi Most
- Kerby and Cristina Real Estate Experts
- Kariel Staging and Decor
Experience
- Freelance Artistic Director at Modern Color
- 2008 – Present Minneapolis, MN
- Stager/Designer at Set To Show
- 2021 – Present Crystal, MN
- Psychotherapist at LynLake
- January 2024 – Present Minneapolis, MN
- Scenic Artist at Guthrie Theater
- 2021 – 2023 Minneapolis, MN
- Designer at SOS Staging
- 2019 – Present Hopkins, MN
- Scenic Artist at Minnesota Opera
- 2016 – 2022 Minneapolis, MN
- Interior Staging at Kerby & Cristina ReMax
- 2017 – 2019 Plymouth, MN
- Lead Scenic Artist at Jungle Theater
- 2007 – 2017 Minneapolis, MN
- Interior Staging & Design at Kariel Staging & Decor
- 2016 – 2017 Crystal, MN
Education
- BA at University of Minnesota
- 2003 – 2007 Minneapolis, MN
- Summer Institute at School of the Art Institute of Chicago: SAIC
- 2012 Chicago, IL
Awards
- 2019
- Best of the ’10s: Remembering the decade’s top theater production, Jay Gabler
- 2019
- MacDowell Fellow, The MacDowell Colony
- 2019
- EastOver Artist Resident, EastOver Artist Residency
- 2018
- MRAC Community Arts Grant, Metropolitan Regional Art Council
- 2018
- Artist Residency, VILLA-R
- 2017
- Creative Residency, Drop Forge & Tool Artist Residency
- 2015
- Tofte Creative Residency, Jerome Foundation
- 2010
- Top 10 Productions of 2010, Daily Planet
- 2009
- Top 10 Productions of 2009, Daily Planet
- 2007
- Jean Congdon Award, University of Minnesota
- 2007
- Kendrick Wilson Directing Award, University of Minnesota
Exhibitions
- 2022
- Missives: a minor langurage at TBD, Minneapolis, MN
- 2020
- LICK IT 2020 at Fresh Oysters Performance Research, Minneapolis, MN
- 2019
- i will be here if you will be here at The White Page, Minneapolis, MN
- 2019
- 13 Love Songs at Fresh Oysters, Minneapolis, MN
- 2019
- DISH at Fresh Oysters Performance Research, Minneapolis, MN
- 2018
- SUPERHERO at The Southern Theater, Minneapolis, MN
- 2018
- 13 Love Songs at Fresh Oysters, Minneapolis, MN
- 2018
- Everything We’ve Ever Known at The Craft Center, Raleigh, NC
- 2017
- how the feeling goes at The Southern Theater – Gorge, Minneapolis, MN
- 2017
- GIFFORMANCE at Centro de Arte Maria Teresa Vieira, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- 2017
- Phlooky Voga at The Club Room at Red Stag, Minneapolis, MN
- 2017
- Bill: The Musikill at The Southern, Minneapolis, MN
- 2017
- ANIMAL CORRIDOR at Tek Box, Cowles Center, Minneapolis, MN
- 2017
- My Uncle Richard at yourunclerichard(dot)com, Global
- 2016
- Cloud/Mountain at Ramada #2, Tucson, AZ
- 2016
- 50 Time Around the Sun at The Southern Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
- 2016
- RANT at Z Space, San Francisco, CA
- 2016
- Trip the Light Fantastic at Fox Hole, Chicago, IL
- 2016
- RANT at Ivey Arts, Minneapolis, MN
- 2016
- Basic Instinct 1:1 at White Page Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
- 2016
- Guerrilla Girls Takeover at SooVAC, Minneapolis, MN
- 2016
- Choreographer’s Evening – Novelty Shots at Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
- 2015
- SNOWFUCK: performed by Emily Gastineau and Billy Mullaney… at Fresh Oysters Performance Research, Minneapolis, MN
- 2015
- i’ve never been alive this long before at The Black Forest, Minneapolis, MN
- 2015
- Novelty Shots at Red Eye, Minneapolis, MN
- 2015
- what i want now i will want later at Open Eye Studio Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
- 2015
- Clinging to the Bones of It at Red Eye, Minneapolis, MN
- 2015
- BOOK FAIR at 3605 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis, MN
- 2014
- Absolute Bliss: West Coast & Midwest Choreography at Bedlam Lowertown, Saint Paul, MN
- 2014
- Working: the Musical at Stoll Thrust, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
- 2014
- Tour – Britney Spears’s Crossroads at The Southern Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
- 2014
- The Hurricane Tour at Gamut, Minneapolis, MN
- 2014
- 520 vines by Jiana Estes at The White Page, Minneapolis, MN
- 2014
- i want to be a thing but i don’t know what at The White Page, Minneapolis, MN
- 2014
- Britney Spears’s Crossroads at Railroad Square, Tallahassee, FL
- 2014
- Baby, I’m your baby, Baby: The Land of Milk and Honey at Panopoly, Brooklyn, NY
- 2014
- The One Obstruction at CPR – Center for Performance Research, Brooklyn, NY
- 2013
- Flying Nuns at Bryant Lake Bowl, Minneapolis, MN
- 2013
- THIS.HERE. at The Love Doctor, Saint Paul, MN
- 2013
- Proxy Walking on Broken Care Sick at car.sick., Minneapolis, MM
- 2013
- The Five Uses Of An Egg at Small Arts, Saint Paul, MN
- 2013
- car.sick. at Twin Cities & Beyond, Minnesota
- 2013
- Baby, I’m your baby, Baby: The Land of Milk and Honey at Metal Shop, Pittsburgh, PA
- 2013
- This.Is.A.Stupid.Love.Story at 612 Gallery, Tallahassee, FL
- 2013
- we date the audience at Mixed Blood, Minneapolis, MN
- 2013
- The Taste of My Mouth at Railroad Square, Tallahassee, FL
- 2012
- Union Depot Grand Re-Opening Project at Union Depot, Saint Paul, MN
- 2012
- We Are Theatre And So Can You at JFB’s, Minneapolis, MN
- 2012
- halffull at Bryant Lake Bowl 9x22, Minneapolis, MN
- 2012
- SNOWFUCK at 1211 Washington Ave., Minneapolis, MN
- 2012
- The Man Show [what we want to see] at Mixed Blood, Minneapolis, MN
- 2012
- Hello [it’s been great letting you get to know me] at Mickey Faust Club, Tallahassee, FL
- 2012
- You Don’t Have to Choose [aka Llama Show]Jon Fe at Lowry, Saint Paul, MN
- 2011
- No More Astronauts at 1211 Space, Minneapolis, MN
- 2011
- The One Obstruction at Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
- 2011
- Buttercream & Scotch at The People’s Center, Minneapolis, MN
- 2011
- Buttercream & Scotch at Jimmy’s, New York, NY
- 2011
- even if we never look forward at Paper Moose, Minneapolis, MN
- 2011
- Age of Wordsworth at The Southern Theater, Minneapolis, MN
- 2011
- Bleeding Hearts Gaga at Romp, Minneapolis, MN
- 2011
- 10 Min Play Fest at Bedlam Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
- 2010
- US Tour – Fanciness Vs. the Void at 16 Venues, United States
- 2010
- Fanciness Vs. the Void at Open Eye Figure Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
- 2010
- Fundraiser for Fanciness at Apropos Studios, Minneapolis, MN
- 2010
- Wait For It at Capri Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
- 2010
- 10 Min Play Festival at Bedlam Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
- 2010
- Welcome to Dystopia at Bedlam Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
- 2010
- the thing at 1419, Minneapolis, MN
- 2009
- m a r s p r o j e c t at 1419, Minneapolis, MN
- 2009
- 10 Min Play Festival at Bedlam Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
- 2009
- She Ate the Moon – End of the World at Wartscape by WhamCity, Baltimore, MD
- 2009
- Five Fifths King Lear at Bedlam Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
- 2009
- Love is Blind and Furry at Bedlam Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
- 2009
- The Yellow Wallpaper at Bedlam Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
- 2009
- US Tour – Dali’s Liquid Ladies at 15 Venues, United States
- 2009
- Dali’s Liquid Ladies at Bedlam Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
- 2008
- Turducken at Bedlam Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
- 2008
- Romeo & Juliet at Bedlam Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
- 2008
- You’re No Fun at Stoll Thrust, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
- 2008
- You’re No Fun at Bedlam Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
- 2008
- Auction at Bedlam Theatre – 10Fest, Minneapolis, MN
- 2008
- King Lear at Studio, Philadelphia, PA
- 2008
- Moose Girl at Full Moon, Minneapolis, MN
- 2008
- Derive [What Where] at Open Eye Figure Theater, Minneapolis, MN
- 2008
- Mud at Bedlam Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
- 2008
- Operation Ant Farm at Bedlam Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
- 2007
- Hole at the Bottom of the Holidays at Bedlam Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
- 2007
- The Phantom Tollbooth at Xperimental Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
- 2006
- To The Moon [Musical] at Anoka Theater, Anoka, MN
- 2006
- Mid Summer Night’s Dream – Hermia at University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN