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About Josh Pohja
Biography
JOSH POHJA is the Managing Artistic Producer of Wisconsin Classic Stage (est. 2025) and co-founder of Vanguard Productions in 2022 bringing his distinctive creative vision to its launch helming its annual audience favorite All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, Antigone and its critically acclaimed production of My Name is Rachel Corrie. Josh co-produced Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's Young Playwright's Festival in 2022, and assistant directed Molly Rhode on its production of Great Expectations. JP is a graduate of the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama for Acting during the residency of the Moscow Art Theatre; Anatoly Smeliansky, Andrei Șerban, Natalia Fedorova, as well as Bulgarian director Mladen Kiselov, Ibsen Scholar Brian Johnston, Victoria Santa Cruz, Gregory Lehane, Don Marinelli, and Don Wadsworth. These scholars and teachers shaped his love for re-imagining classical theatre. As a teacher, he has mentored nationwide and locally through his training ground Ignition Actors Lab in Milwaukee. As an actor, Pohja has performed nationally with, most notably, The Guthrie Theater (A Midsummer Night’s Dream; dir. Joe Dowling), The Acting Company (Richard III dir. Eve Shapiro), Old Globe (The Full Monty Broadway Workshop dir. Jack O’ Brien), Alley Theatre (A Christmas Carol; dir. Stephen Rayne), Judson Church, HERE Arts Center, NYC Fringe Festival and more. Josh is also a proud alumni of the Wisconsin Directors Lab, Saratoga International Theatre Institute (SITI) under the guidance of Anne Bogart and the SITI Company, and the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. He is a 25 year member of Actors Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA.
My Purpose
Wisconsin Classic Stage
My Approach
My purpose is to ignite creativity, sharpen instincts, and shatter the limits of what live theater can be. I mentor fearless artists that bring extraordinary stories to life—stories that burn with radical urgency, unrelenting passion, and a drive to make the live experience unforgettable, immediate, and necessary. The audience's presence
My purpose is to ignite creativity, sharpen instincts, and shatter the limits of what live theater can be. I mentor fearless artists that bring extraordinary stories to life—stories that burn with radical urgency, unrelenting passion, and a drive to make the live experience unforgettable, immediate, and necessary. The audience's presence is a gift, and it’s my responsibility to make sure their time is honored with work that challenges, moves, and stays with them long after the lights go down.
My Approach
Wisconsin Classic Stage
My Approach
My approach is to cultivate an environment where artists harness the full force of their imagination—where bold risks aren’t just encouraged, they’re essential. My philosophy is called high-impact theatreciulaismwhere storytelling is raw and immediate, where the stage becomes a laboratory of possibility, and where confidence is forged thr
My approach is to cultivate an environment where artists harness the full force of their imagination—where bold risks aren’t just encouraged, they’re essential. My philosophy is called high-impact theatreciulaismwhere storytelling is raw and immediate, where the stage becomes a laboratory of possibility, and where confidence is forged through the fire of real, daring work. Imagination isn’t an escape—it’s the driving force that pushes us to defy expectations, break barriers, and bring something urgent and alive to the stage. Art should shake us, challenge us, and demand something deeper—not just from the work, but from ourselves.
Wisconsin Classic Stage
Wisconsin Classic Stage
Wisconsin Classic Stage
Wisconsin Classic Stage brings timeless stories to life with bold, immediate, and fearless productions that speak to modern audiences. We honor the classics not by preserving them in glass cases but by making them pulse with energy, relevance, and authenticity. These works are not relics—they are weapons against complacency, ignorance, an
Wisconsin Classic Stage brings timeless stories to life with bold, immediate, and fearless productions that speak to modern audiences. We honor the classics not by preserving them in glass cases but by making them pulse with energy, relevance, and authenticity. These works are not relics—they are weapons against complacency, ignorance, and oppression. Rooted in Milwaukee’s rich artistic culture, we believe theater is an act of defiance, a rallying cry against the forces that seek to silence, control, and divide. We do it for the craft, for the community, and for the culture
Contact
Contact Info
JOSH POHJA
josh [at] joshpohja.com joshpohja.com wisconsinclassicstage [at] gmail.com Wisconsin Classic Stage jpohja[at] vanguardmke.com www.vanguardmke.com
"Pohja and company pull together a strong sense of brotherhood in the immensity of the space. Pohja keeps the production elements to a minimum in a presentation that focuses squarely on the human element of a strikingly tragic point in history."
Russ Bickerstaff - Shepard Express
ALL IS CALM: THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914 | Vanguard Productions | December 2024
ALL IS CALM: THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914
dir. Josh Pohja
Lighting by AntiShadows
Photography by Ross Zentner
Vanguard Productions
ALL IS CALM: THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914
dir. Josh Pohja
Lighting by AntiShadows
Photography by Ross Zentner
Vanguard Productions
ALL IS CALM: THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914
dir. Josh Pohja
Lighting by AntiShadows
Photography by Ross Zentner
Vanguard Productions
ALL IS CALM: THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914
dir. Josh Pohja
Lighting by AntiShadows
Photography by Ross Zentner
Vanguard Productions
MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE | VANGUARD PRODUCTIONS | 2024
MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE
Maya Danks as Rachel Corrie
Photography by Jake Badovski
dir. Josh Pohja
MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE
Maya Danks as Rachel Corrie
Photography by Jake Badovski
dir. Josh Pohja
ANTIGONE | VANGUARD PRODUCTIONS | 2024
ANTIGONE | 2024
Chantae Miller as Antigone
dir. Josh Pohja
AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE | FIRST STAGE YOUNG COMPANY | 2024
AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE
dir. Josh Pohja
Photography by Paul Ruffalo
Lighting by Shane O'Neil
AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE
dir. Josh Pohja
Photography by Paul Ruffalo
Lighting by Shane O'Neil
AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE
John Eash-Scott as Dr. Stockmann
dir. Josh Pohja
Photography by Paul Ruffalo
Lighting by Shane O'Neil
"Directed by Joshua Pohja, the concerns of a small town are staged with unflinching immediacy....Pohja has a sharp sense of the tension in Miller’s script, which is based on Henrik Ibsen’s 1882 drama En folkefiende."
Russ Bickerstaff - Shepard Express
HAMLET | FIRST STAGE COMPANY CLASS | 2024
HAMLET (2024)
dir. Josh Pohja
HAMLET (2024)
Alice Rivera as Hamlet
dir. Josh Pohja
Hamlet
dir. Josh Pohja
"Pohja’s blocking…make the play feel lyrical and appropriately deterministic. embodying it with a tragic beauty…and does nothing to dampen the considerable impact of the play’s tragically elegant ending. I’ve seen many great things at First Stage, but this represents a new height in sophistication."
- Lawrence Riordan - Around The Town Chicago
The Skin of Our Teeth - First Stage Young Company
The Skin of Our Teeth
First Stage Young Company
dir. Josh Pohja
The Skin of Our Teeth
First Stage Young Company
dir. Josh Pohja
BLUE STOCKINGS | FIRST STAGE COMPANY CLASS | 2018
Blue Stockings
Photography by Paul Ruffalo
dir. Josh Pohja
Blue Stockings
Megan Watson as Tess Moffatt
Photography by Paul Ruffalo
dir. Josh Pohja
Blue Stockings
Megan Watson and Nahjee Robinson
Photography by Paul Ruffalo
dir. Josh Pohja
COLLEAGUE AND STUDENT TESTIMONIALS
CHANTAE MILLER; Actress
JP was my very first Shakespeare teacher and took away the intimidation surrounding classical work. To feel intelligent next to one of the smartest directors and teachers this generation gets to experience is something I’ve kept close to my heart through the years.
JOSIE TRETTIN - Artistic Producer at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
As a director, JP not only challenged and enhanced my work as an actor, but he set a foundation of self-worth and discovery for the rehearsal room that allowed for real personal growth that I still benefit from.
JAYNE PINK; Choreographer, Dialect Coach and Artistic Associate at Renaissance Theaterworks
JP has a curiosity and generosity that is truly infectious in the room. All ideas are welcome and deftly curated in service of the piece
GEORGE LORIMER; Theatre Artist and Executive Producer of Vanguard Productions
Josh's imagination, attention to detail, and love for the craft of storytelling has consistently elevated my acting. There are a handful of mentors and teachers I owe my career in theatre to, and Josh is one of them.
ADAM QUITAISHAT; Theatre Artist & Associate Artistic Director of Music Theatre of Madison
JP Pohja is an expert and passionate collaborator. JP is genuinely excited to trade ideas for the growth of the art and is an expert in instilling that passion into his collaborators, building art that is intricate, informed, and driven by the community of performers who create it.
SARAH ZAPIAIN; Theatre Artists and Artistic Director of Summit Players Theatre
I always feel like I am in capable, caring hands with JP whether in a workshop, production or coaching scenario. His love for the work is only surpassed by his passion for sharing it, and ensuring that my voice will shine in the process. I will always jump at the chance to work with JP because I know I will be collaborating with someone who is wholeheartedly invested in excellence. Actually, I think that's the best way to describe JP's style-- wholehearted.
LIV MAUSETH; Theatre Artist, Stage Manager and Vanguard Company Manager
JP has a uniquely collaborative attitude that has greatly shaped the way I perceive everything that a rehearsal hall could be. Opinions are weighed equally in creation of a scene, moment, or transition no matter the source they come from, without losing sight of the greater artistic integrity of the production.
ELLIOTT BROTHERHOOD; Theatre Artist and Artistic Producer Secret Handshake Productions
Working under JP over the years has helped me come to some very important realizations as an artist. JP emphasizes the importance of intention in both action and stillness through his direction, leading to striking pieces that enrapture audiences and stop time. JP’s vision is singular and distinct, and I have learned much from him over the years.
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