JERSEY SHORE – Most Brick residents don’t know there is a theater right in their backyards.
On a recent Friday night, Kim Jonny and a few friends starred in a comedy show at the Mantoloking Road Playhouse. Billed as the Shore Comedy Series, Jonny was MC and opened the show to the other two comedians, Karen Krentz and Joe Fernandas.
This story isn’t about the comedy show, which was funny and entertaining. The story is about Kim Jonny herself. A former teacher and current Lavallette resident, she has been in the business for a long time. And her tenure in show business is getting longer by the day.
Jonny spoke before the show, telling her story as she continues to work and entertain. “I’ve been doing comedy for a long time, on and off. My background is theater and I did a lot of acting and pounding the pavement and working the city (New York),” she said. “I just happened to branch out from the musical comedy part of what I was doing to strictly comedy. I had just taken a class and I got hooked! That was about 25 years ago.”
Jonny did what a lot of us do. She went back to work and raised a family. She taught theater education and public speaking and directing, but she always tried to stay in comedy by doing as many gigs as possible.
“I always booked a room at The Crossroads in Garwood, NJ, which is where I had amateur shows, pro shows or open mics, just to keep myself active in the comedy scene. I really zoned in on this (performing) 3 years ago full-time when I retired from teaching for almost 30 years,” she said.
Jonny said she loves the Mantoloking Road Playhouse, which is currently home to the Brick Children Community Playhouse. “I’ve been very fortunate for the Playhouse to try out comedy in this location. This is just a beautiful space. It’s just a fun night to bring a group of people.”
In addition to doing stand-up comedy, she has been busy working in television.
Most recently, Jonny’s work has been featured on the Netflix series “The Four Seasons.” She plays “Rita from Shoprite” and is featured in Season 2, Episode 5 – Big Thanksgiving. Jonny is a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) member and said she is very excited to work in film again. She has been doing background extra work.
“One of the very first gigs I booked was “Law & Order.” I played a jury member, and I was just so excited to be back in film…and to be able to try this career again, 20-something years later, is amazing that I’m getting this opportunity again,” she said. “I got this fantastic gig working on “The Four Seasons.” I was a featured guest at the Thanksgiving (scene), and it was just amazing! There was only 12 of us called. I was gone for 11 days on set. And the very last day I was in a scene with Tina Fey. We were in the kitchen and the next thing I knew…the scene was over and I got pulled out and they said, ‘You just got upgraded; you’ve got a stunt. We’ve got to wire you for a mic.”
“Sometimes these amazing things do happen,” said Jonny, referring to getting a chance in the show. “I’m in the whole episode many times…at the Thanksgiving Table. I’m sitting next to Will Forte. It’s just really everything an actor whose been doing this for many, many years prays and hopes happens. And I’m praying and hoping Rita comes back in the next season.”
Jonny spoke a lot about working with Tina Fey and others who she worked with in the business. She spent a lot of time discussing the work and how she loves doing it once again.
“I love comedy because I really do love to watch people laugh,” she said. “I love that they can find a frame of reference in what you’re talking about. ‘Yes, my husband does that’ or ‘Yes, my mother-in-law does this.’ And I love the community. It’s such a great community. Everyone is very supportive of one another.”
Jonny said she loves to bring comedy to different events. Not necessarily comedy shows, but fundraisers and other events where you wouldn’t normally be able to laugh.
“Laughter really is the best medicine. It really is. And if you can just let it go and enjoy yourself for an hour and a half…and laugh. It feels good,” she said. “I just enjoy making people laugh and I love when people come up to me after and talk about it.”
Although her teaching days are over, Jonny said her students used to tell her one thing again and again. One of her students used to say: “You’re so goofy, Mrs. Jonny.” But Kim Jonny doesn’t mind that at all. And there’s not wrong with being goofy; especially when you can make people laugh while doing something you love.
If you want to learn more about Kim Jonny or to learn how to book her for a future event, visit: kimberlyjonny.com. To learn more about the Mantoloking Road Playhouse, visit: mantolokingroadplayhouse.com.
