Meet Wendi Johnson

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Wendi Johnson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with WENDI below.

Hi WENDI, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

My purpose comes from the people in my community. People of all ages. My mission is to inspire and ignite passion in others through my art and how I live my life. I see so much destruction in the world, from poverty, to racism, global warming and wars. What I know for sure that the opposite of destruction is creation, building art and creating a community of art for everyone. Not limited by finances or color of the skin or ability, creation of theatre where everyone who wishes to can participate. It is everything to me. What I have worked and failed and continue to work toward, bringing art, specifically theatre to the community

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Full Circle Players has a mission of Theatre for All with a passion for equity in access. We strive to bring our best selves into our community, rehearsal rooms, and performance places. We focus on the very new and adding a new lens to the very old theatre works.
We bring great theatre into The Inland Empire, focusing on Riverside Ca.
We produce, Free Shakespeare in the Park in the summer entering five communities and performing. We do a new play festival every year as well as look to support performances of playwrites and adapters of ancient literature. We also produce a classical
play from around the world. Moreover, we offer free acting classes into the communities. Right now, we are producing Shakespeare’s Henry V open October 3-13 at The Box Riverside.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The most important skills are moving forward even when doubt sets in. If you have a whisper in your heart, go for it!
Fear is normal. Look at the fear, put it in the backseat without radio privileges and keep moving forward.
Most people don’t achieve their dreams because they stop too soon allowing fear to keep them from reaching that dream. I myself allowed that to stop my first company Stage One Players to grow. I failed, but failing is learning. I’ve learned and now, I refuse to allow fear and doubt keep me from stopping what whispers in my heart. You got one life, no regrets! Go for it. It will be scary, but it will be worth it.
I’d add, jeep learning seek information and allow others to help you

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

When I feel overwhelmed. And I do. I’m a full time theatre educator and I run Full Circle Players. I’m a mom of four, a wife and grandma. Plus, I’m committed to my health journey. It can be very overwhelming. I listen to inspirational powerful people. When doubt sets in a video or podcast hyping me up to keep going, telling ne I’m on the right track, don’t give up, hypes me up! I get reinstated.
I also take walks
Walk away from the work and take a break.
Resting has been a big lesson. I actually get more done when I include self care, meditation, walking, sleep, massages because if you don’t take care of yourself you can’t take care of anyone else

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fullcircleplayers.com/about
• Instagram: Fullcircleplayers1
• Facebook: Fullcircleplayers
• Youtube: Fullcircleplayers

Image Credits

Holden Stackhouse photographer