Patterson native JoHannah James’ acting and writing talents are causing the drama lights of New York City to shine extra brightly as she has won awards for her acting and is currently writing, co-directing and starring in her own feature length movie “Dirt.’’
A resident of New York City, 24-year-old JoHannah said, her movie “ Dirt’’ is set to film in August 2026 and is a southern gothic adaptation of Sophocles’ “Antigone,’’ set in 1950s Georgia.’’ This represents her present career in New York as a freelance actress, writer, producer, director and sound designer. This proves her aspirations to be an actress and writer of films and theater are coming true.
A 2024 graduate of the New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a degree in drama, her career path is enhanced by a number of drama awards. She won the Best Leading Actress in a Short Award from the Brooklyn International Short Film Festival for her role as Kate Bender in ”Hell’s Half-Acre Sojourn,’’ directed by Nicholas Nicastro. This is based on a true story and is a horror short film set on the prairies of 1870s Kansas. The short film is currently fundraising to be turned into a feature.
She said she has been in several films in the past few years with leading roles in the shorts “ Rockabye Birdy,’’ “Devoted,’’ “Devil’s Playwright’’ and “Off the Record,’’ as well as the feature films “Last Summer’’ and “ Sophomore Year, 2020.’’ The former Pierce Countian said her acting began when in plays at Patterson Elementary School and continued through Pierce Middle School and Pierce County High School, graduating there in 2020 with honors. She was part of the award-winning One Act Team all four years and had a lead role in “When She Had Wings’’ which won state in 2018. She also won several titles in school including two best actress awards. In addition to One Act, she won second place in argumentative essay as well as duo interpretation at Literary’s State competition. “I was inspired to go into acting by my grandmother, Jo Jo Kicklighter, of Patterson, my “Auntie Wynn” Carswell Plowden and uncle John B. Plowden of Fernandina Beach, FL; my aunt Tina Naylor, all of whom encouraged me to be onstage from an early age and I have been supported by my wonderful parents Dana and Rodney James of Patterson every step of the way,’’ JoHannah said. “Growing up, I took voice, piano and dance lessons, and participated in writing competitions.”
Her grandparents are JoJo Kicklighter and the late Edison Kicklighter of Patterson, the late Gloria Carswell James of Hacklebarney Community and Mary Lane James of St. Simons Island and the late Billy James of Blackshear.
