Jonathan Rion Bethea, a native of Durham, North Carolina, discovered theatrical story telling from an early age. However, it wasn’t until High School that he found his calling. Under the tutelage of Wendell Tabb and the incomparable Hillside High School theatre department, Jonathan found his voice and began the journey towards the stage. This allowed him to tour the country, representing Hillside, and even an extended tour to London performing theatre.

His talent was honed further at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, where he graduated with a BFA in acting, performing admirably in shows such as “Urinetown”, “Big River”, “The Seagull”. He especially enjoyed roles in Shakespeare performances of “Macbeth” and “Measure for Measure”.

After graduation, Jonathan entered the professional theatre scene, working regionally in North Carolina in such shows as “Into the Woods”, “Chicago”, “Flaming Idiots”, and “Once on This Island”. Eventually Jonathan was called to New York, where he performed to acclaim off-Broadway for years: including leading roles in: “Beauty and the Beast”, “Frankenstein”, “Much Ado About Nothing”, and more!

In 2015, Jonathan was afforded his first opportunity to direct, taking the Helm of “Cinderella” at the historic Players Theatre. Other directing opportunities followed: from short plays like “F the MTA”, to “Alice in Wonderland”.

He was blessed in 2018 to have his show “The Beast of Nubia” professionally produced by Theatre in the X in Philadelphia.