Actor. Musician.

I’m a working actor-musician, moving between Chicago and New York, a proud Chicagoan at my core. I found performance early. I staged one-child productions of “I Have Confidence” from The Sound of Music and “Mary Poppins” in our apartment (I'm in love with Julie Andrews, if you can't tell). I grew up surrounded by a city of fearless artists, with Steppenwolf Theatre Company as an early compass; the bold, unflinching storytelling of that ensemble helped shape my own.

Over time, music found me, too, first through jazz. As a pianist, improvisation, its rhythm, and soul continue to inform the way I listen, create, and take risks in my art. My work now lives at the intersection of acting, music, and producing—three practices that, for me, are always in conversation.

Today, I’m based in New York City as an NYU Tisch Student, but I carry the grit and soul of Chicago with me. I’m always looking for my way back to that artistic home—not just for work, but also for the unrivaled Mexican food. 


Hi, I’m Jonah!

Photo by James Will Davis

Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Atlantic Theater. Theater Row.

“Our History”

(a scene).

Written and performed by Jonah Sarno and Juliana Bell. Produced by Reel Arc.

Check out my
first gig at Smalls Jazz Club

This project was produced by Becca Ford as the first episode of the Dream Journal Social Media series for the company MoonBrew.

This video features the raw footage, where I perform two of my favorite Standards: “On the Sunny Side of the Street” and “Body and Soul”.

Piano Shoot. Photos by Mason Jin

Let’s work together!