We recently connected with Sonja Washington and have shared our conversation below.

Sonja, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

To be honest, I’ve always been interested in comedy. Growing up, I admired my aunt, a singer; my mom, a dancer and cheerleader; and my uncle, a professional photographer. When I hit my formative years, I noticed that I had a humorous and sarcastic take on life that my peers and family enjoyed. When the pandemic hit, I had a lot of time to myself. I had been doing comedic skits and videos on Instagram and Facebook a few years prior, so when the world started opening up again, I wanted to see if I could be as funny on stage as I was online. So, I went to an open mic at what used to be called “The Blended Kitchen” in Norfolk, VA. The response from the crowd and the feeling I got from just being myself were overwhelming. I knew right then that this was what I wanted to pursue!

Sonja, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Sonja Washington, but you can call me Just Sonja. I’m a native of Virginia who’s been doing stand-up comedy for four years now. I started by performing at open mics, which allowed me to showcase my talents, network with other comedians, producers, and promoters, and build relationships that are crucial in this craft. These connections eventually led to show bookings.

There are a few moments that stand out as my proudest achievements. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I was honored and proud to perform at Busch Gardens and Push Comedy Theatre during Pride Month. Additionally, despite already having several years of stand-up experience, I decided to attend The Funnybone Comedy School taught by Tim Loulies. This training significantly improved my material structure and taught me essential professional etiquette. It was undoubtedly the best investment I could have made in my craft.

Recently, I’ve won the incredible opportunity to perform in Hollywood at The Laugh Factory for Chocolate Sundaes First Impressions. I’m thrilled and eagerly looking forward to this exciting experience in the weeks ahead!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

That you don’t know what you don’t know! As I mentioned earlier, I had been performing stand-up comedy for quite some time before I decided to invest in my craft and take classes to enhance my skills. I enrolled in Improv 101 and 201 at Push Comedy Theatre and also attended Funnybone’s Stand Up Comedy Class. Let me tell you, it was a significant turning point for me. It helped me develop better stage presence, comedic timing, and overall stage presence. In short, the lesson I learned is that you should always be a student because there’s always something new to learn and improve.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I get to be completely myself and share my experiences and unique perspectives on life and the world through comedy. I’ve discovered that comedy is a truly fulfilling, enjoyable, and at times therapeutic art form.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @justsonjacomedy
• Facebook: Sonja Micaela / page: JustSonjaComedy
• Twitter: _justsonjacomedy
• Youtube: JustSonja Comedy
• Other: TikTok: JustSonjaComedy

  Email: Sonja490@gmail.com

Image Credits

Jounte Ferguson
David Mörch
Trevon Woodhouse