Cornelius Jones Jr.
Gig Seeker Pro

Cornelius Jones Jr.

New York City, New York, United States

New York City, New York, United States
Band Spoken Word Broadway

Calendar

Music

The best kept secret in music

Press


"FlagBoy - NY, NY"


"...highly reflective, purposeful, and raw oral history.."

-Ramon Johnson, about.com
- Ramon Johnson, www.about.com


"Midtown International Theater Festival Reviews"

"...Cornelius Jones Jr. delivers a wonderful and humbly honest solo performance in FlagBoy."

-Nancy Kim, nytheatre.com
- Nancy Kim, NYTheatre.com


"Artistic Power"

"...It is also an example of the many ways that artists use their talent as an authentic representation of their culture or personal experience. While reading her story, I thought of other artists who use their talent in this way including the work of my close friend Cornelius Jones Jr. Though not an immigrant, his writing and plays are as she states, “ a revolt against silence.” He takes on taboo issues that are often never discussed (Homosexuality, Love, Black Gay Affection and Life with a Positive HIV Status) and brings them into the light. Creating a safe place and new perspective for people to see the issues impacting our society. For young people questioning their sexuality and their friends and family, his one-man show FlagBoy, provides a conversation starter on the trials and tribulations of coming of age. It is a great platform to support the work of those looking for creative ways to address bullying and LGBT youth..." - Thenera Bailey, NotEnoughgood.com


"Life On The Fringes: Performers In The First Person (FlagBoy)"

See Link for Video Media Coverage - Trey Graham, National Public Radio (NPR)


"Hip Shot: 'FlagBoy'"

"impressive is Jones’ ability to transform that self-awareness into a frank, funny, and revealing one-man show." - Aaron Wiener, Washington City Paper


"FlagBoy - DC Capital Fringe Festival"

"the creation of a new form of myth among gay black men, a kind of “Everyman” of the modern age and this community."

-Phillip Fletcher, DCTheatreScene - Phillip Fletcher, DCTheatreScene.com


Discography

2011 Recipient, 3rd Place, The Writer's Place Poetry Competition

2011 Poetry Publication, "Momma Said...(A Hard Life)," OFF THE ROCKS, VOLUME 15

2010 Short Story Publication, "pianissimo: Memoir of a Southern Gay Childhood," MIGHTY REAL: AN ANTHOLOGY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN SAME GENDER LOVING WRITING

2010 Winner, Lorraine Hansberry-Nia Award

2010 Recipient, Leo Bronstein Homage Award

2009-2010 Newington Cropsey Fellow

2009 Winner, Capital Fringe Festival DCTheaterScene "Best of Fest" Award (FlagBoy)

2009 Recipient, Honorable Mention, The Writer's Place Poetry Competition

2009 Community Service Award, GMHC AIDS Walk - NY,NY

2008 Nominee for Outstanding Performance in a Solo-Show(FlagBoy) at the Ninth Annual Midtown International Theater Festival

2008 Union Plus Scholarship Recipient

2008 Finalist for the Catherine B. Reynolds Fellowship in Social Entrepreneurship

2008 Caroline H. Newhouse Scholarship Recipient

2008 Recipient, Honorable Mention, The Writer's Place Poetry Competition

2008 Community Service Award, GMHC AIDS Walk - NY,NY

2008 Community Service Award, The CENTER AIDS Ride - NY, NY

2006 Int'l Humanitarian Service Award, Cross Cultural Solutions - Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

1999 Recipient of The University of the Arts Director's Choice Award - Outstanding Performance in a Play or Musical

SELECTED PERFORMANCES:
PROFESSIONAL, COMMUNITY, & ACADEMIC:

Featured Performer, NJPAC Alternate Route’s Out Loud & Proud V, Newark, NJ. May 2011.

Featured Performer, NYU’s Office of LGBT Student Service’s LIVING OUT LOUD: Men of Color Creating
HIV Awareness Through Their Stories, Art, & Activism, New York, NY. November 2010.

Featured Performer, Brave Soul Collective @ The 1st Annual D.C. Black Theater Festival, Washington, DC.
July 2010.

Conceiver/Producer/Playwright/Performer, HomoAffection: Memories of a Nature Boy TheaterLab, New York, NY. April 2010.

Producer/Artistic Director, “Emerging Identities” One-person Play Festival TheaterLab, New York, NY. April 2010.

Producer/Playwright/Performer, FlagBoy
-“Transformations,” Artist/Activist Performance Series. Houston, TX. May 2010.
-Capital Fringe Festival, Washington, D.C. July 2009. The
-University of Connecticut (Stamford) Inaugural Play Reading Series. April 2009.
-Bronx Community Action for Prenatal Care Initiative Conference. March 2009.
-The Triad Theater, New York, NY. February 2009.
-The Duke Ellington School of the Arts World AIDS Day Commemoration, Washington, D.C. December 2008.
-Christina Cultural Arts Center, Wilmington, DE. September 2008.
-Three Lions Stage 2008 Benefit performance. New York, NY. July 2008.
-Midtown International Theater Festival. New York, NY. July/August 2008.
-1st Annual Left Out Festival, New York, NY. April 2008.

Conceiver/Director/Writer/Performer, For the Love of Black Men: PT. 1, Gallatin Arts Festival New York University, New York, NY. 2009.

Featured Performer, Tim’m T. West’s The Front Porch Series, Houston, TX. October 2008.

Poet/Singer/Performer, RED, BC/EFA Gypsy of the Year Competition, New York, NY. 2007.

Poet/Emcee/Performer, Driven, BC/EFA Gypsy of the Year Competition, New York, NY. 2005.

SELECTED BROADWAY/OFF-BROADWAY/NATIONAL TOUR/REGIONAL THEATER:

The Lion King (Broadway)

The Lion King (Tour I&II, Mexico, Las Vegas companies)

Thou Shalt Not (Broadway)

Smokey Joes Café (Tour)

FlagBoy (Off Broadway)

Skylar’s Story (Off Broadway)

A Chorus Line (Regional)

Big River (Regional)

SELECTED TELEVISION/FILM/RADIO APPEARANCES:

“I am Living My Truth” - PSA (MTV LOGO)

Law & Order: SVU “Rescue” (NBC)
Law & Order: SVU “Savior” (NBC)
Law & Order: SVU “Burned” (NBC)

Drama Queenz -Season 2 (Independent webseries)

Old School Hip Hop (Independent)

Finding Kevin (Independent)

Loa (Independent)

StoryPorch (BET)

"Life on The Fringes: Performers in the First Person." National Public Radio (NPR). Interview with Trey Graham about life as a solo-show performer and FlagBoy. Washington, D.C. August 12, 2009.

The Sarah and Josh Show Radio Show. HERE TV Networks. Interview with hosts Sarah and Josh. New York, NY. May 30, 2008.

Photos

Bio

Cornelius Jones Jr. (Cornelius LIFE Jones)
An actor, writer, performance/theater artist and educator, Cornelius is living “LIFE” out loud and turning pain into art. He holds an M.A. from NYU (Dramatic Writing, Educational Theater, and Performance). He is a 2010 Lorraine Hansberry – Nia Award Recipient, and a Leo Bronstein Homage Award recipient. He is the creator of the performance piece HomoAffection and FlagBoy, an autobiographical one-man show, which earned him a 2008 Midtown International Theater Festival Nomination for Outstanding Performance in a Solo-Show, a Capital Fringe Festival 2009 “Best of Fest” award and has been featured on NPR. He has also appeared in television and the Broadway stage in shows such as “Law&Order: SVU” and "The Lion King." His poems “Momma Said…(A Hard Life),” “Chicken N Shrimp Gumbo,” and “Still Swimming (I remember)” appears in the 2008, 2009, 2011 Writers Place Poetry Review and his essay “pianissimo: Memoir of a Black Gay childhood” appears in the 2010 MIGHTY REAL: Anthology of African-American Same Gender Loving Writing.

His current performance works are based in oral history of black southern culture while exploring the intersections of sexuality, gender, spirituality, and HIV/AIDS. His workshops are conducted with High School students, College students, adults, and various community organizations, using methods and techniques from the performing arts intersected with personal and social issues that bring about awareness around various social, cultural, and artistic identities.

Embracing all of who he is, Cornelius is featured in the Logo and Gilead sponsored PSA: “I AM LIVING MY TRUTH”, currently airing on MTV’s Logo Network.

For more info: www.corneliusjonesjr.com