Bio

Jonathan is widely acclaimed for his mesmerizing, hilarious venriloquist shows for a wide variety of audiences, including kids/family/adult events and corporate entertainment. He was the ventriloquist consultant for the 2013 Tina Fey movie, Admission, teaching Tina's co-star, Nat Wolff, how to play a ventriloquist for his role in the movie.

Excerpts from a show for all ages

Excerpts from a summer camp show

Jonathan is renowned for his unique shows for Jewish audiences. Fluent in Yiddish and fairly fluent in Hebrew, Jonathan's shows include "Maccabee Mishegoss" for Hanukah, "Megillah Mishegoss" for Purim, and "Mish Mash" for any other Jewish (or non-Jewish) event or occasion, including fundraisers, summer camps, sisterhoods, brotherhoods, bar/bat-mitzahs, sheva brochos, and more...

Excerpts from a show for a Jewish audience

Excerpts from a show in Yiddish

A one minute promo for the Jewish Children's Museum, Brooklyn NY 

A special Purim program on Shalom TV

Jonathan has been sponsored by the New York City Board of Ed. to perform his popular anti-drug show, We're No Dummies, We Don't Take Drugs, at schools and housing projects throughout the city, and has written and been featured in a series of anti-drugs Public Service Announcements on national TV. 

He has written, co-produced and starred in the award-winning educational children’s video series, Puppet Power! and Puppet Pride! and Fun with the Alefbet! These videos, and others, feature a variety of Jonathan’s unique puppet pals, and have been used in thousands of schools and other institutions throughout North America and beyond. 

Excerpts from educational videos

Jonathan currently offers these educational shows: All Together - Against Bullying!; We're No Dummies, We Don't Take Drugs!; We Take Care! (Health & Safety); Earth Mirth! (Protecting the Environment)

Jonathan wrote and starred in Oxford Park, a short film produced by Farnham Films, UK, that introduced the characters of Trillo & Suede to dozens of audiences at film festivals in the US, Japan, Denmark, and Swaziland, Africa. 

Oxford Park

Mini-documentary about the Making of Oxford Park

Jonathan has written screenplays for several Trillo & Suede feature films. Having come close to funding his films several times—only to see the elusive money disappear each time into the dreaded Indie Film Makers’ Twilight Zone—Jonathan decided to turn his screenplays into novels. While the Village Sleeps is the first in a projected series of Trillo & Suede mystery novels.

While the Village Sleeps

Intro Video to the Trillo & Suede characters

And outtakes from that Intro Video...(Warning: includes adult language!)

Jonathan also performs for adult audiences

Jonathan teaches ventriloquism, in classes and workshops, as well as privately. 

Jonathan is based in the New York City area, but travels to perform in other parts of the USA and beyond. 

Jonathan is also a pianist and accompanist, with an MM in Piano from Manhattan School of Music. Here he is playing Gershwin...

Jonathan plays Do, Do, Do

Jonathan plays That Certain Feeling

Connect with Jonathan...

Facebook.com/ventriloquist Linkedin Twitter: @jongeffner Instagram: @vantrillo www.facebook.com/trilloandsuede