I fight with grace and fire for the unseen—for the queer, the Black, the brilliant souls who’ve had to be ten times better just to be half as noticed—because our stories aren’t just worthy, they are divine. ~J.R. Whittington
J.R. Whittington
JR Whittington is a multidisciplinary artist whose work as an actor, writer, and teaching artist centers Black queer narratives with unflinching honesty and literary precision. A New York City-based creator, JR's storytelling excavates the intersections of identity, desire, and survival with poetic cadence and unapologetic truth.
As an actor, JR's Broadway and national tour credits include A Chorus Line (Revival), Mamma Mia!, Bombay Dreams (Original Cast), and Annie Get Your Gun (Revival). His television appearances span The Blacklist and General Hospital, and he will appear in Ryan Murphy's upcoming Hulu series The Beauty. Regional theater credits include Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, Walnut Street Theatre, and Houston Theater Under The Stars.
JR's original theatrical work includes GAY SHIT (naked in the dark), a 75-minute solo performance exploring the intersections of Blackness, queerness, and vulnerability. He also created Mixed Up!, a metafictional one-act examining trauma, colorism, sexuality, and faith within the Black community.
As the creator of Blog by J.R., JR crafts original short fiction that weaves together realism and supernatural elements, centering queer Black men—a genre first. His stories explore themes of memory, survival, and transcendence. The blog also features theater reviews from a Black lens—filling a vital gap in a landscape dominated by white critics—alongside incisive political commentary and intimate, visceral diary-style essays. His YouTube series gay shit the diary features explosive, raw diary-style monologues that have cultivated a loyal following drawn to his fearless excavation of identity, desire, and survival.
JR is passionate about arts education, having taught musical theater and devised work with Broadway Bound Kids and other organizations throughout New York City.
Whether on stage, on the page, or in the classroom, JR Whittington creates space for stories that refuse to stay buried—stories that demand to be seen, heard, and remembered.
