Jeanette Bonner
MEET JEANETTE BONNER.
Jeanette Bonner is an award-winning actor, producer, and creative entrepreneur in NYC.
Jeanette Bonner is an award-winning actor and producer in NYC working in narrative film, theater, digital content, and podcast. She began her producing career with her semi-autobiographical solo show Love. Guts. High School. which premiered at New York's Midtown International Theatre Festival (nominations for Best Actress and Best Solo Show), and later went on to the Chicago Fringe Festival (Time Out Chicago Critic’s Pick) and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, under her production company Kelly's Pool Hall Productions, which she founded in 2007 to create new and original work.
In addition to Love. Guts. High School, Kelly's Pool Hall has Executive Produced comedic online series Ghost Light (Official Selection Miami, UK, Austin Web Fests with nominations for Best Comedy, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Editing) and The Scoop, a Telly-award winning digital hybrid talk show featuring conversations with creative people over NYC ice cream, in addition to #single, a feminist podcast about navigating online dating. The Scoop was a Final Selection for Bravo TV’s Pitch & Development Lab and winner of the Real Pitch TV Format Competition and now streams in the educational market through Infobase Publishing's Access Video on Demand. Ghost Light partnered with digital platform Seed & Spark to land distribution with online streaming platform Indieflix.
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As a performer, Jeanette has acted professionally for over a decade. As an improviser she was a member of The National Comedy Theater for eight years and founding member of long-form improv comedy troupe American Standard. She is a teaching artist with Only Make Believe, a non-profit that brings interactive theater into local hospitals and schools for children with long term illnesses and disabilities, founded with the belief that theater heals, and an Artistic Associate of female-focused production company Clutch Productions. She received a BA in Theater and Dance from Trinity College, and is a member of both Actor’s Equity and the Screen Actors Guild. She received her B.A. in Theatre & Dance from Trinity College, CT.
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In addition to her original projects, she has continued her passion for helping other artists execute their vision as a Producer and Production Manager. Recent short film In This Life screened at twelve festivals worldwide, winning Best Experimental Film at the Brooklyn Film Festival, Best Musical at the Oscar-qualifying Rhode Island Int'l Film Festival, and screening to a sold out audience at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theatre at the Dance on Camera Festival after being named "one of the top 7 dance performances to catch" by The New York Times. Directed by Bat-Sheva Guez, the film stars Robbie Fairchild (former principal dancer at NYC Ballet) and features the choreography of five top artists in the country including Christopher Wheeldon. The film It's now available to stream at AllArts.org, a division of PBS.
Being a part of the creative process is a core aspect of Jeanette's value system. Jeanette's voice comes from a strong desire to connect truthfully with others to unearth their passion as well as a love of making people smile. She is inspired by stories that are female-forward and is passionate about improving the female representation on set and on production teams in the entertainment industry.
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She has been a licensed NYC tour guide for over ten years, is a self-professed New York history nerd, and adores showing people from all over the world her favorite city.
The bug bites.
Jeanette’s performing career started the way most young girls who crave the limelight do, dancing in recitals in horrifyingly neon spandex, singing “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” in the school choir’s Holiday Show, and even performing for no one in particular (save the living room couches) with her brother acting as MC. In high school she continued to perform with local theaters and compete with an award-winning Show Choir, ultimately choreographing these shows as well as the annual high school musicals her Junior and Senior years.
Finding a tribe.
She attended liberal arts school Trinity College in Hartford, CT, to pursue a career in theater. Trinity produced one theater production, an annual dance concert, and three musicals a year and also offered an immersion semester in NYC under the tutelage of downtown theater La MaMa. While at La Mama, she studied with greats Ellen Stewart, George Sanchez, and renowned international Butoh artist Maureen Fleming. Additionally she interned at Jose Limon Dance Foundation, and saw 45 shows, in venues ranging from Carnegie Hall to The Kitchen to BAM, in 10 weeks. Best of all, she became smitten with New York City.
Nat'l tour to NYC.
Life after graduation led to tours with educational theater company Shoestring Players and Sesame Street Live's "1,2,3 Imagine!" Eastern Seaboard Tour. After returning home, she officially made the move to New York City. In 2007 she established her production company, Kelly’s Pool Hall Productions, in order to create original content while allowing her the opportunity to collaborate with fellow artists and community. She still thinks NYC is the coolest and is a licensed NYC tour guide.