Reason #23 to attend Mountain-Con: Penny Johnson Jerald

Reason #23 to attend Mountain-Con:
Penny Johnson Jerald

Mountain-Con is excited to announce two brand-new guests to our convention... Penny Johnson Jerald and her talented husband Gralin Jerald.

PENNY JOHNSON JERALD’s biography describes her as a “nasty piece of work, Penny’s from heaven, hell on wheels, powerful, and just plain talented.” She played the scheming, conniving, JR of television character, Sherry Palmer, on the Fox television hit, 24. Ms. Jerald won critical acclaim for her role as Sherry and made the list of television’s “50 Most Powerful Divas.” She recently completed two seasons as Dean Etwood on ABC’s drama series, October Road.

Ms. Jerald has also recurred on the sitcom, Eve, as the sassy, sexy, and outspoken mother of the young star. She was nominated for both a Cable Ace Award and NAACP Image Award for best actress in a comedy series while creating the quick-witted assistant, Beverly, on the Larry Sanders Show for HBO. Ms. Jerald spent four seasons on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Captain Kasidy Yates, Commander Sisko’s love interest and then loving bride. (She also did a single guest role on TNG’s “Homeward.”) She is proud to have a huge Trekkie following and honored to add her incorrigible role in the hit sci-fi series, The 4400. Penny Johnson Jerald has had the pleasure of portraying the most powerful African-American woman in U.S. politics, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, in both Showtime’s and ABC’s reenactment of September 11.

When not shooting film or television, Ms. Jerald can be found working side by side with husband Gralin for the couple’s theatre group, OCTC (Outreach Christian Theatre Company). She may be directing a play, teaching a class, producing vocals with her manager/husband in their recording studio, Behind the World Productions (http://www.behindtheworld.net/), or imparting knowledge in areas of strength to those who seek it. She continues to do public speaking engagements, personal appearances, and charities close to her heart. Ms. Jerald is currently producing a documentary, Women in Power, a story about an historical political event in Baltimore, Maryland, Penny’s hometown. For the first time in history, Baltimore’s top government positions are filled by African-American women: mayor, city council president, city states attorney, and city comptroller.

GRALIN JERALD is the “behind the scenes tour de force” of the hard-working husband and wife duo at Behind the World Productions, Inc. Mr. Jerald is CEO of BTWPROD and heads all engineering at BTWPROD Recording Studio. He is the silent leader of the company, making final decisions in budgets, projects, travel engagements, and scheduling. He serves as the musical director and producer of OCTC (Outreach Christian Theater Company) in Los Angeles. The company is a non-union corporation specializing in projects that present moral issues using original works from up-and-coming playwrights and innovative music.

Mr. & Mrs. Jerald founded the company in 1994. Having written songs for Renee Geyer and Billy Davis & Marilyn McCoo early on, Mr. Jerald felt a certain freedom and passion for what a career in music would afford him. However, marriage and fatherhood had plans of their own. He would end up managing his wife’s career while extending his talents outside of the home by teaching.

Gralin Jerald holds a BA in classical guitar and an MM in commercial music, and has served on staff at various colleges in the Los Angeles area, teaching voice, all genres of guitar, arranging, songwriting, and music business for the past 20 years. With over 100 songs written and having engineered other artists’ ideas and efforts, Gralin Jerald is ready to hang up his professorship and give us an idea about what the “real” Gralin Jerald is all about. He is now geared up to showcase his own talent in BTWPROD’s newly released “400 YEARS REMEMBERED.” Partial to the music of the oppressed Black American, Mr. Jerald has intertwined his musicianship, ancestral background, rich-rooted voice, and quest for equality to create a body of work that should be heard and embraced throughout this country.

We look forward to meeting Gralin and Penny in person at Mountain-Con 4 in (can you believe it) three short weeks! Please visit their table as well for special Mountain-Con rates on their CDs.

To recap:

Reason #1 to attend Mountain-Con: "Because it's just that COOL!"

Reason #2 to attend Mountain-Con: Brandon Sanderson

Reason #3 to attend Mountain-Con: KidCon

Reason #4 to attend Mountain-Con: "Location, location, location!"

Reason #5 to attend Mountain-Con: Kevin Sorbo*

Reason #6 to attend Mountain-Con: Cool props

Reason #7 to attend Mountain-Con: Club Fahrenheit 451

Reason #8 to attend Mountain-Con: Sarah Douglas

Reason #9 to attend Mountain-Con: Star Trek: Of Gods and Men

Reason #10 to attend Mountain-Con: "We are YOUR people!"

Reason #11 to attend Mountain-Con: Herb Jefferson Jr.

Reason #12 to attend Mountain-Con: Banquet with the Stars

Reason #13 to attend Mountain-Con: Fan Film Festival

Reason #14 to attend Mountain-Con: "Starfleet Academy" classes at the Wasatch Campus

Reason #15 to attend Mountain-Con: Costume Contest & Masquerade

Reason #16 to attend Mountain-Con: Brandon Mull

Reason #17 to attend Mountain-Con: Mark Goddard*

Reason #18 to attend Mountain-Con: Richard Herd

Reason #19 to attend Mountain-Con: Scott Schwartz

Reason #20 to attend Mountain-Con: Victor Brandt

Reason #21 to attend Mountain-Con: SHINY! (New Stuff)

Reason #22 to attend Mountain-Con: David Reddick

Reason #23 to attend Mountain-Con:
Penny Johnson Jerald

* Due to professional commitments, Mr. Kevin Sorbo is no longer able to attend Mountain-Con. Also, Mr. Mark Goddard has a personal conflict with our convention dates. Please stay tuned to our Web site for up-to-date information on replacements.