Jo Ratnik (they/he/she) is an actor, playwright, and recent graduate of the BFA Acting program at Brooklyn College. Born in Australia and partially raised in the UK, they also have experience in stage management, producing, and dramaturgy. They have participated in apprenticeships with The Public Theater and Circle In The Square.

As an actor, she is drawn to characters, both classical and contemporary, that ignite feelings, perspectives, and desires usually suppressed by day-to-day life. A recent meaningful role was Sister Aloysius in John Patrick Shanley’s modern epic, Doubt: A Parable, which Jo also produced. Other recent acting credits include Mikey & Steve Face the Municipal Court (The Brick, The Vino), Sasha and the Falcon (Brooklyn College), and Adored You (Brooklyn College).

Jo also writes, creating stylistically diverse work which has a collective mission to resist bigotry, encourage empathy, and combat shame. It often dives into the nuances of queerness and religion and has been produced at The International Human Rights Art Festival and The Queens Short Play Festival. Jo is passionate about new work development, with his full-length play, Rite, being workshopped at Brooklyn College and later having a staged reading at The Tank Theater in Manhattan.

Jo nerds out over soccer, sci-fi/fantasy stories, and geoguesser.

You can find them at joratnik.com