Jon Koons

Jon Koons
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Born	Jonathan Koons (1962-07-15)July 15, 1962 New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, singer, director, producer, variety performer, author, editor, publisher
Spouse	Micheale Ryan Koons (m. 2001)
Children	Merlin Ryan Koons
Website
jonkoons.com

Jon Koons (born July 15, 1962) is an American actor, singer, director, producer, variety performer, author, publisher, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of JestMaster Companies, LLC, co-founder (with his wife Micheale Ryan Koons) of Metamorphic Entertainment, and the Artistic Director of The Open Book Theatre Company in New York City.

Early years

Jonathan Koons was born July 15, 1962, in New York City, the son of Irvin Koons and Leah Fay Koons. He has two siblings, older brother Adam and younger brother Joshua. He was raised in Tenafly, New Jersey, where he attended elementary school through high school. His father owned Irv Koons Associates, an industrial design firm, his mother was a painter, and his grandfather Abe Fay was a sculptor and actor in the Yiddish theatre, so Jon was immersed in the arts from birth.

At age nine, Jon began performing as a clown, ventriloquist, and magician, which led to his expansion into virtually all of the vaudeville and circus arts, including juggling, stilt walking, fire eating and more. As a young teen Jon attended both Stagedoor Manor and French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts camps to study magic with Tom Ogden and Marvin Kaye, respectively, who became his mentors. His introduction to clowning and circus skills was with Toby Sanders at Stagedoor. While there he began his acting training, with Jack Romano (with whom he continued to study) and appeared in several shows. At Stagedoor he was awarded "Best Supporting Actor" for his portrayal of Major Metcalf in Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap. Over the years Jon has studied acting and singing with many notable instructors such as Susan Strasberg, Elly Stone, Deborah Monk, and others.

After graduating from Tenafly High School a semester early, he attended Fordham University at Lincoln Center, then switched to Wagner College in Staten Island to earn his Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. During those years, Jon was also a volunteer firefighter in Tenafly, New Jersey, as well as a licensed emergency medical technician and volunteer ambulance corps member in Englewood, New Jersey.

Koons Print Shop

In 1980 Jon, with friend and associate Jim Brown, created the Koons Print Shop, a turn-of-the-century museum exhibit, featuring grandfather Frank Koons' original Chandler and Price printing press, circa 1890, which was brought from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania when Frank and his wife Rose moved to New Jersey. Living in their former house, Jon used all of the antique printing equipment to build the museum in the basement. The working museum, then still used to print small jobs, was open by appointment for visitors. The equipment and trappings were donated in the mid-1990's to Cooper Union in New York City, which recreated the exhibit in part, and used it as a historic teaching environment.

Irv Koons: The Man and His Art

In 1982 Jon's father, Irv Koons, was named the Packaging Person of the Year by the Packaging Designers Council. This was a rare award, having been presented only three times before. Jon and co-producer Jim Brown of Optisonics Productions, produced a multi-image show using state-of-the-art technology for the time. Nine slide projectors were aimed at a single wide screen and computer-coordinated with the soundtrack. It told the story of Irv Koons' life and accomplishments. The groundbreaking show was forty minutes long, unheard of for a nine-projector production. It was presented at the award dinner at the St. Regis New York. Subsequently it was shown for various events throughout the country. A low resolution copy of the show is available to view online.

Career

Performing Arts

Variety Performer

Having auditioned with hundreds of other performers for a promotional campaign, Jon was awarded the title "NYC's Plum Craziest Performer" by Sunsweet Growers in 1998, and as Grand Marshal led a cast of other select entertainers performing as a troupe in and around New York City to introduce a new flavored prune product.

Armed with virtually every variety skill, including magic, ventriloquism, stilt-walking, fire eating, juggling, mime, and more, Jon is a multi-talent who has performed for corporations, colleges, festivals, parties, and events of every description around the country and around the world, from Atlantic City to Los Angeles, from Russia to Kenya.

Actor / Singer

Jon began acting at Stagedoor Manor performing arts camp, and continued acting throughout high school and college, eventually finding his way to Broadway in 1983 in a revival of Terrance McNally’s farce, The Ritz. Jon has appeared in productions Off-Broadway and Off-off Broadway, as well as in regional and local theatres. Some of his most notable roles have been Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, McMurphy in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Fagin in Oliver!, Sydney Chaplin in Chaplin, Hawkeye in M*A*S*H, Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, among others. He appeared in the role of Dahl Papadam in Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation, and minor roles in various films and television shows; he has also appeared in commercials.

Entrepreneur

Striking Images Design and Photography

As the son of Irv Koons, one of the foremost industrial designers of the last century, Jon learned the importance of design and aesthetics, as well as the technical skills necessary to create finished products. He designs and creates all of the promotional materials for JestMaster and himself, as well as for other performers and varied clients. Like his father before him, Jon designs logos, packages, products, advertising, websites, book covers, museum exhibits, and virtually anything. Jon is also a photographer, and shoots both in studio and on location for headshots, portraits, portfolio shots, and events of all kinds. The Striking Images name was adopted in 1995.

On Location Medical, Inc

Having been certified as both a firefighter in New Jersey and an emergency medical technician in both New Jersey and New York in 1980, Jon was asked to work on a film set by a friend, to stand by in case of any medical mishaps. Shortly afterwards Jon teamed up with fellow EMT John Meuser to fill a gap in the emergency medical services industry to create On Location Medical, Inc. (OLM), an emergency medical and consulting company specifically for film, television, and events when dangerous stunts and/or special effects were performed. Joined by Allison Kendall, a New Jersey State EMS Coordinator, OLM grew to three ambulances and three support vehicles and employed over a dozen specially-trained New York and New Jersey EMTs and paramedics. OLM provided emergency medical standby, vehicles, talent, and consulting to Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Tri-Star, Columbia, and others on over a hundred productions including Ghostbusters II, The Equalizer, Scrooged, Crocodile Dundee II, as well as a Rolling Stones concert and the MTV Video Music Awards. OLM was sold to Allstate Ambulance and Medical Services, Inc. in 1992, providing twenty additional ambulances, staff, and 24-hour dispatching. Jon remained with the company for one year as a consultant. Business Journal of New Jersey featured Jon and On Location Medical in 1987, and then again, on the cover, in 1990.

Jon Foolery Co. / JestMaster's Foolery Shoppe

Jon Foolery Co., Jon's unique retail business selling exotic and unusual puzzles, began in pushcarts and kiosks at malls and festive marketplaces in the 1980s, and produced a printed mail order catalog and several supplements in the early 1990s. In 1995, to match the theme of the Jester's Academy at the New York Renaissance Faire, the retail business was renamed JestMaster's Foolery Shoppe and became the retail outlet for the attraction. Subsequently an online catalog was launched, featuring Performer Essentials (professional performer supplies), Unique Unusual Useables (unique, themed gift items), and The Music Shoppe (musicians' supplies). Although the catalog has been discontinued, The JestMasters Foolery Shoppe still sells in specialty locations and festive marketplaces as a pop-up outlet.

Jon Koons Productions, Inc. / JestMaster Companies LLC

In 1980, while still in school, Jon formed Jon Koons Productions, Inc., an entertainment and theatrical production agency, providing entertainment for parties and events of all kinds. The company was subsequently renamed JestMaster Productions, Inc. in 1999 as a nod to Jon’s renaissance jester character, JestMaster Wince the WowBeGone. The company is now called JestMaster Companies, LLC.

Metamorphic Entertainment

Jon and his wife, Mikki Ryan, opened Metamorphic Entertainment in 2020 as a not-for-profit theatrical organization that provides entertainment and concerts for seniors, students, and any worthy group without the funds to pay.

Metamorphic Press

In 2020, Jon established the hybrid publisher Metamorphic Press. In addition to his own books, Metamorphic Press has published Quest For The Pastried Peach, by Marvin Kaye, Your Sparkle Cavalcade of Death, by Robert Shiarella, The True Colors of Weedle by June Rachelson-Ospa, and American Canticle by Robert Carroll.

G.O.A.T. Films

Having been in the film industry both in front of and behind the camera throughout his career, Jon created G.O.A.T. (in the vernacular: Greatest of All Time) Films to produce his own. Just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic Jon completed Millennial Misadventures, Episode 1: Bella Donna's Audition, a 24-minute humorous short film that he wrote, directed and appeared in. It was released online on April Fools Day, 2020. Subsequent episodes are vignettes which each run only several minutes. Jon has also released COVID parodies based on Broadway show songs. G.O.A.T. Films continues to produce short, humorous films.

JestMaster Academy

JestMaster Academy, formerly Ye Olde Cambridge Jesters Academy, is an entertainment and educational attraction that ran for several years from 1995 at the New York Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo, New York. At the Faire, The Academy taught juggling, magic, and snake charming on its own outdoor stage and grounds, as well as presented stage shows. An outgrowth of JestMaster Productions, JestMaster Academy continues to present private theatrical, circus, and musical instruction, entertainment and educational programs, and workshops for schools and other organizations.

Personal life

Jon Koons was married to Micheale Lou Ryan on May 15, 2001 in Sarasota, Florida. In 2008, Jon and Mikki adopted their son, Merlin Ryan Koons, from Izhevsk, Russia. They all live in New Jersey along with an ever changing cast of characters, both real and imaginary.

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