Meet Justin Gordon | Actor, Producer, Artistic Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Justin Gordon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Justin, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk has been the through-line of almost every meaningful decision I’ve made. Growing up in a tiny mountain town and choosing to pursue a life in the arts was the first big one. Then it was co-founding FallBack Plan Productions and betting on independent horror. We produced “Absentia” with Mike Flanagan on a shoestring budget (one of the first features to be released through Kickstarter funding), and that led to being part of Oculus, which became a wide-release hit. Those early experiences in indie film taught me a lot — about the business, about collaboration, and about what I ultimately wanted to build for myself.

Because what I realized over time is that I didn’t just want to be part of other people’s projects. I wanted to create something where the mission and the values were mine from the ground up. On the theatre side, that’s New Canon Theatre Co. During the pandemic, when theatres went dark, I started building a company from scratch in Monterey — a place with a thriving arts scene but a real gap for edgier, more experimental professional work. I like to do “autopsies on classic plays” — break them open, find what’s still alive thematically, and reimagine them for today. Our first production was a candlelit Macbeth with an ensemble of eight. That’s a bold way to introduce yourself to a community.

Then with the Theatre Lab, we went further — world-premiering new work like “Finding Chase,” which dealt with suicide and queer identity in the Black community. We were the first professional local company producing original BIPOC and LGBTQ+-themed work in the area. That’s a real risk when you’re still building your audience.

And on the film side, I’m now developing a slate of my own pictures through my company, Undiscovered Country Productions, with a focus on personal stories largely rooted in New Mexico, where I now make my home. It feels like a full-circle moment — taking everything I learned in indie film and in building a theatre company and channeling it into projects that are entirely my own.

What I’ve learned is that the risks worth taking are the ones where you’re betting on yourself and your own vision. New Canon and Undiscovered Country both exist because I stopped waiting for the right opportunity and decided to build one.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m an actor, stage director, and filmmaker — and I think what sets me apart is that I’ve never been willing to pick just one lane. I act in film and television, I direct and act in classical theatre, I run a nonprofit theatre company, I teach at colleges and a pre-professional arts high school, and I’m now developing my own film slate. Some people look at that and think it’s scattered. I look at it and see one through-line: I’m someone who makes things, and I don’t believe you have to shrink your creative life to fit someone else’s idea of a career path.

I grew up in Posey, California — a tiny mountain town in the southern Sierra Nevadas. No stoplights, the closest movie theatre 90 minutes away. Mostly open space and solitude (apart from the cows, ranchers, and folx who don’t want to be found). That isolation gave me an imagination, and it gave me hunger. I knew early on that I wanted a life in the arts, but there was no roadmap for that where I came from. So I built one — piece by piece, risk by risk.

I studied directing and Elizabethan literature at Cal State Bakersfield (after theatre pulled me away from wanting to study archaeology), trained at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, and earned my M.F.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I’ve worked in regional theatre across the country — Shakespeare festivals, new play development, everything from “Othello” and “The Fantasticks” to gritty cafe theatre in NYC. I moved to Los Angeles and co-founded FallBack Plan Productions, where we produced Absentia with Mike Flanagan and helped develop Oculus, which became a wide-release hit. I’ve acted alongside Kate Bosworth, Eric Roberts, and worked as a series regular on “Age of the Living Dead,” before the pandemic came and cut the series short. I’m a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity.

Is it easy? No. Not even close. This is an industry that will test your resolve constantly. I’ve dealt with the politics of Hollywood, with projects that didn’t go the way they should have, personal and business relationships that vanished, with financial instability, and with the pandemic shutting down the entire performing arts world overnight. There have been moments where I seriously questioned whether I could sustain a creative life.

What got me through is something I think I inherited from growing up in the mountains: stubbornness, resourcefulness, and a deep belief that if the path doesn’t exist, you build it yourself. That’s exactly what I did with New Canon Theatre Co. During lockdown, when theatres were dark and the industry was in freefall, I started dreaming about building a company from scratch. Not in L.A. — the market is too saturated. I chose Monterey, where I had a lot of close friends, some history, and where there was a vibrant arts community (but a real gap for edgier, more experimental professional theatre). I like to say I do “autopsies on classic plays” — I break them open, examine what’s still alive thematically, and reimagine them for a contemporary audience.

We launched in 2022 with a candlelit Macbeth — an ensemble of eight, staged through movement and performer-driven soundscapes. Since then we’ve produced an anti-war “Henry V” in a tavern, an anti misogynistic “The Taming of the Shrew” in a brewery, a “Much Ado About Nothing set in a WWII-era Hollywood canteen,” and world-premiered original work through our Theatre Lab, including “Finding Chase,” which dealt with suicide, loss, and queer identity. We were, I believe, the first professional local company in the area producing original BIPOC and LGBTQ+-themed work. Everything we do is rooted in the belief that theatre should reflect the full complexity of who we are. Times are hard under the new anti-arts administration running the federal government, and our production costs are higher and resources leaner as a result–but we press on. The work is too important not to.

What I’m most proud of is that New Canon exists at all. Building a nonprofit theatre company from nothing, in a new community, during a pandemic — that’s not something that’s supposed to work. But it did, because the work was good and the mission was real.

And I’m not slowing down. I currently serve as Chair of the Theatre Department at the New Mexico School for the Arts, where I get to shape the next generation of young artists. And through my company, Undiscovered Country Productions, I’m developing a slate of my own films with a focus on stories to be largely filmed in New Mexico. It feels like everything I’ve done — the indie film hustle, the theatre-building, the teaching — is converging into the most creatively exciting chapter of my life so far.

The biggest lessons I’ve learned? Bet on yourself. Stay curious. Don’t be afraid to build something unconventional if it aligns with who you are. And never underestimate your audience — they are smarter and hungrier for meaningful work than this industry often gives them credit for.

Everything I do — whether it’s acting, directing, building a company, or teaching — is rooted in connection and intention. I want people to feel something. I want them to feel seen.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh, this is a fun one. I’ve got to split this between LA and Santa Fe — because my life has always lived in more than one place.

If we’re in Los Angeles, I’m starting with the classic Griffith Observatory hike — it’s basically a rite of passage. The views never get old, and it’s one of those things that reminds you why people fall in love with this city. After that, we’re grabbing lunch somewhere in Silver Lake or Los Feliz — dealer’s choice, but I always end up back at those neighborhoods when I’m close to Hollywood or the East Side. For cocktails, I’d have us check out Thunderbolt in Echo Park. I recently discovered it, and they are making magic over there. Dinner somewhere on the Westside, maybe Scopa in Venice (I used to live over there, and my buddy worked there for a long time–incredible food). If you’re up for it, we’re catching something at one of the smaller theatres — because LA’s intimate theatre scene is one of the best-kept secrets in the country.

Now if we’re in Santa Fe — and this is home now — buckle up, because this town punches way above its weight.
Morning one, we’re starting with coffee at Iconik on Lena Street, or with French pastries from Mille. Then I’m taking you on a hike up Atalaya Mountain. It starts right by St. John’s College, winds through piñon and juniper, and when you get to the top you’ve got panoramic views of the whole city and the Sangre de Cristos. It’s a rite of passage.

For lunch, we’re going to The Shed or La Choza — owned by separate sides of the same family, both serving killer New Mexican food. The Shed’s been around since the ’50s, housed in a 17th-century hacienda, and the red chile enchiladas and posole are the real thing, and La Choza’s Carne Adovada Stuffed Sopaipilla is incredible–plus margaritas are killer at both locations. Or if you’re feeling more adventurous, Jambo Cafe on Cerrillos Road — East African cuisine with Swahili, Indian, and Arabic influences. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the food is extraordinary.

Afternoon, we’re walking Canyon Road — gallery after gallery, and it’s one of those experiences where you just wander and let things find you. We’ll end up at the Teahouse for a breather.

For cocktails, I’m taking you to Secreto Lounge at the Hotel St. Francis or Bar Norte on Marcy St.. Garden-to-glass programs, seasonal cocktails (Bar Norte’s parent, Los Poblanos, distills their own gin), incredible craft. As someone who used to consult on beverage programs, these bars I deeply respect. If the vibe calls for something different, Tonic is a gem — tucked down an alley, intimate, with really inventive drinks. And if you want something with more history and atmosphere, the Dragon Room Bar at the Pink Adobe is a must. There’s literally a tree growing through the floor.

Dinner — it’s going to be Joseph’s Culinary Pub on Guadalupe — the chef was shortlisted by James Beard, and it’s the kind of place where the food is serious but the atmosphere isn’t, the cocktails are classic (with NM spirits), and the wine list is both niche and approachable. My wife and I love this place.

One day we’re driving out to Bandelier National Monument to see the ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings — it’s history and landscape at a scale that just stops you in your tracks. Another day, Tent Rocks if it’s open — the slot canyon hike through those volcanic formations is otherworldly.

And honestly? Some of my favorite time here is the simplest. Making pasta from scratch at home, taking Basil and Nutmeg — our two Australian Shepherds — on a trail, or attempting to paint outside (I’m a dedicated hobbyist) are great joys. Santa Fe has this quality of light that changes everything. You understand immediately why so many artists have landed here and never left.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Photographer Tim Navis.

Website: https://www.justingordon.info

Instagram: @justingordonofficial

Other: Threads: @notflashgordon

Image Credits
Main Photo: Brenden Wedner, BRW Digital