Her Story
About Johanna
Johanna Carlisle-Zepeda is a professional actor and Patron Experience Manager with extensive experience in theater, performing arts, hospitality, and business operations. She has been with Phoenix Theatre since 2008, where she combines her career as a stage performer with responsibilities in patron experience and theater operations. As an actor, she has appeared in numerous productions, including Carmen in Curtains, Sarraghina in Nine, Lita Encore in Ruthless, and Martha Watson in White Christmas, and has also performed multiple roles in Mary Poppins. She is a professional member of Actors’ Equity Association.
Alongside her performing career, Johanna brings a diverse operational background spanning theater management, hospitality, revenue management, reservations, business analysis, training, and customer experience. Before and alongside her work at Phoenix Theatre, she spent nearly two decades with Pegasus Solutions, progressing through business analysis and implementation responsibilities, and later worked in revenue management and hotel operations. Her multidisciplinary experience allows her to move comfortably between the stage, front-of-house operations, hospitality, and business environments. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music with a concentration in Vocal Performance from Cornell College, with additional studies in mathematics, English, and theology.
Johanna is passionate about creating welcoming experiences for audiences, supporting artists, and expanding opportunities for women and marginalized communities in theater. She has supported fundraising efforts for LGBTQIA+ youth organizations and advocates for greater representation of Latina artists in the performing arts. She credits her mother and the strong women in her life for shaping her resilience and approach to success, while family, faith, humor, and perseverance remain central to her personal and professional philosophy.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Johanna
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute much of my success to the strong women who have influenced my life, particularly my mother. I was raised by women and have intentionally surrounded myself with strong, supportive women throughout my career. My family has also been a central source of strength and perspective, and becoming a mother has had a profound influence on who I am and how I approach both my personal and professional life.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I have received is that life will sometimes knock you down, but you have to get back up, brush yourself off, and keep moving forward. I believe in making the best of difficult circumstances and finding a way to turn challenges into something positive. I have carried that mindset throughout my career, including after experiencing a serious accident that resulted in significant injuries. I refused to allow that experience to stop me from moving forward.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I encourage young women entering theater to explore every aspect of the industry and not limit themselves to a single role. Throughout my career, I have worked in many areas, including set painting, costumes, sound, lighting, house management, and performance. Each experience provided valuable knowledge and perspective. I also encourage people not to take rejection as a final answer and to continue pursuing opportunities, learning new skills, and finding different ways to contribute.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the challenges I see in theater is that the industry remains male-dominated, particularly in leadership positions. I do not see enough women leading theaters, and I believe there is still significant work to do to create greater opportunities for women and marginalized people in the performing arts. Expanding representation and leadership opportunities can help create a more inclusive theater community.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Family is extremely important to me and has been a central part of who I am. My faith and belief in a higher power are also important influences in my life. I value maintaining perspective and not taking either work or life too seriously. Humor and the ability to laugh are important to me because they help me remember what truly matters and maintain balance through life's challenges.
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