John is the author and star of many personally written one-man shows and has received critical acclaim all over the country. His first show, "Midwest Side Story," opened to rave reviews at the Baliwick Theater in Chicago. He has won numerous awards for this show including the 1994 John W. Schmid Award for "Best Writer of a New Work" and the "After Dark Award" for outstanding performance by an actor. John has toured to sold out houses in many states across the country including his hometown of Milwaukee.

Through the years his shows have taken on slightly different names including "More Midwest Side Stories,"  "John McGivern Live," "One of the Boys, "Late Night with John McGivern," "That John McGivern Thing," "An Evening with John McGivern," and "Midsummer Night McGivern." These monologues are based on his real life experiences as a Catholic boy growing up in an Irish-Catholic family. His stories about family and friends are told with sincerity, compassion, and humor. Born in Milwaukee, one of six children in an Irish Catholic working class family, his topics include parents, nuns, school, and being the one who could never throw a ball!

John has appeared in numerous productions written for the stage. He is probably best known for his role of Tony Whitcomb in the long running comedy hit, "Shear Madness."  He has played the role in Chicago, Milwaukee, Washington, D.C., Tampa, St. Paul, and San Francisco. He is also proud to have been part of the Studio Theater's Helen Hayes award winning production of "March of the Falsettos" as Mendel. John was also seen in "A Lawyer, a Priest and an Atheist Walk into a Bar" at The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center .

John is also a frequent guest on the WKLH-FM 96.5 Dave and Carole morning radio show in Milwaukee. He can also be seen on Fridays on TMJ 4 on the "Daily Dish" segment.
 

John has appeared many times on stage in his hometown of Milwaukee:

He appeared in the production of  "Lovers and Executioners" in the role as Guzman the servant.
He performed over forty characters in a one-man show entitled "Fully Committed," where he played an out of work actor
(Sam Peliczowski) who mans the red hot reservation line at New York’s number one posh restaurant.
He played a seedy diplomat in the production of "Homebody/Kabul," the story about an eccentric middle aged
British housewife who travels to Afghanistan.
He took on the role of Felix Unger in the production of "The Odd Couple."
He played an elf in the David Sedaris play entitled "The Santaland Diaries."
He was Mason the accountant in "Take Me Out."
 

In 2001, John made his big screen debut as Bruce McIntosh, the trolley driver in the Disney movie "The Princess Diaries," starring Julie Andrews. "The Princess Diaries" is available on video and DVD.

To see John's listing on the Internet Movie Database: Click Here
 

His repertoire includes several national television commercials for Sears, Philadelphia Cream Cheese,
and Kohl's Department Stores.

John has been featured on the HBO special, "We're Funny That Way," a comedy documentary filmed in Toronto at the world's largest gay and lesbian comedy festival. He was also seen in "Out There II," the all gay comedy special on Comedy Central.

In 2003, he ventured into the world of on-the-spot reporting doing live remotes for Channel 4 in Milwaukee.
His segments highlight various attractions around the city and he is referred to by his fellow coworkers as
"Milwaukee's Own."

In 2004, John released his first DVD recorded live at The Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, Wi.

 

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