Cerne is in his 11th season as Producing Artistic Director of Theatre Workshop of Nantucket, a Small Professional Theatre (SPT) on the island of Nantucket. While with TWN, he has directed, curated, collaborated, and produced over 100 theatrical events. Directing highlights at TWN include Mamma Mia!, Boeing Boeing, Terms of Endearment, Meteor Shower, Into the Woods, and Neil Simon's The Odd Couple (Female Version). Cerne's choreographic work can be seen in the film Damsel's in Distress (Sony Classic Pictures) starring Oscar Nominee Greta Gerwig and produced, written, and directed by Oscar Nominee Whit Stillman. In 2023, Justin's stage adaptation of New York Times Best-Selling author Elin Hilderbrand's Winter Street novels made its world premiere on Nantucket with a sold-out run. Before his tenure at TWN, Cerne directed and choreographed across the country and has had the pleasure to work with talents such as Meryl Streep, as well as some of Broadway's best, including Marin Mazzie, Jason Danieley, Liz Callaway, Heidi Blinkenstaff, Patti Lupone, Audra McDonald, and Analeigh Ashford. As a playwright and in addition to Elin Hilderbrand's Winter Street Cerne's other plays include Truth or Consequences, March of the Isabelline Penguins, and Polar. Cerne holds a BA from Marymount Manhattan College and an MFA in Dramatic Writing from The University of Idaho. Justin is a member of the Actors Equity Association (AEA), Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers (SDC), SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild), and the Dramatist Guild.
