Previously seen in small roles on "30 Rock," "Law and Order SVU" and "Boardwalk Empire," Bloomsbury native Jen Ponton is now making her off-Broadway debut in the upcoming comedic play "How to Make Friends and then Kill Them."
From New York playwright and actress Halley Feiffer, known for her work in "The Squid and the Whale" and "He's Way More Famous Than You," comes a story about two sisters with a toxic relationship who use Ponton's character Dorrie as their pawn.
"I've always been a goofy person," said Ponton, who loves to make people laugh. "The trajectory set at a very young age, that this is what I wanted to do."
Starting with drama sessions at Camp Carr day camp in Clinton Township and involvement in Phillipsburg High School's summer youth theater program, Ponton developed a passion for her craft that she brought to Ramapo College of New Jersey.
"I always knew what I wanted to do with my life, so I thought mostly of University of the Arts, Julliard and NYU," she said of her original choices that were not financially realistic.
"But before it could really become a big face off, one of my closest friends was the year above me and I went to visit him at Ramapo ... and I completely fell in love with the school," she said.
Utilizing the adjunct professors hailing from the city and working on their own careers, Ponton studied comedy as an art form, including a clowning class from a clowning professional.
During her last semester she began an unofficial internship at a theater company in Manhattan helping with auditions, stage tech and other behind the scenes tasks.
After graduating in 2005, she began auditioning for "shoe-string" productions and commuting to the city from her new home in Bergen County.
"It was all unpaid but I was definitely earning my stripes, getting the experience and being a part of the city's theater community," she said.
Ponton's first break, a paid position in a children's theater program, came one year after graduation. The performance earned her $20 a night, but Ponton never gave up.
"For a long time, I basically told myself this story that it's such a far way to get there, I have to struggle and struggle," she said.
However, a new business coach reconstructed her theory, telling Ponton to set her sights a little higher, and in one month she landed a role on the hit comedy "30 Rock."
Season five's fifth episode, "Reaganing," nominated for an Emmy in 2011, guest stars Kelsey Grammer playing himself and partaking in a Carvel cake scam that results in the firing of the Carvel employee played by Ponton.
"It was a dream come true to be surrounded by these comedic legends," Ponton said of the experience. "Everyone was so warm and encouraging."
Ponton, who is inspired by the work of Christopher Guest and Judd Apatow, hopes to one day star in a sitcom with a live studio audience, calling it a rare combination of long-term work where actors perform in the moment.
Aside from her acting work, Ponton keeps herself busy with her actors' marketing company Ships Ahoy, which helps actors by providing head-shots and resumes; running a series of industry blogs; and producing the family friendly puppet web series Packay Productions, inspired by the work of Jim Henson.
To all of the young aspiring actors in the area, Ponton says to stay positive and participate in community theater programs like Pax Amicus Castle Theatre in Budd Lake.
"My love and my ease with (comedy) made want to pursue it for the rest of my career," she said. "I love the healing power of laughter."
"How to Make Friends and then Kill Them" opens on Nov. 7, running through December 14. Tickets can be purchased at Rattlestick.org.
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