Learning to see the "glorious".

by Guest Blogger, Jonas Cohen

Forgive me those few and faithful who might be reading this blog. It's been nearly 2 weeks since my last entry and even this entry is behind the times. Nevertheless I hope you'll enjoy:

With 2009 drawing to its inevitable conclusion we did our inevitable run-thru of the entire show. It seems fitting to finish the year with a kind of review - a culmination of the work we've done in rehearsal thus far. This particular run-thru had a particular energy to it though as we had a bit of an audience. In attendance were our house manager Mary Alice, our Executive Director Liliy Zarda, our sound designer Donna Miller, our lighting designer Shane Rowse, our musical director Anthony Edwards, and our marketing supervisor Tricia Kyler Bowling. Officially this is known as a producer's run-thru. It's a chance to show the boss what you've been up to all this time. Just so everybody knows we're not only laughing, giggling, eating treats and drinking coffee. (Speaking of treats Bill whipped up a batch of banana muffins that elicited cries of ecstasy and heavenly praises from the cast - but I digress). The run-thru also helps our designers begin to tailor their designs for this particular production.

Sometime before we started the run, Paul told us a fascinating story. He'd been watching a play recently that he was not enjoying in the least. Now as you might think, theater folk have different critical standards when they go to the theater. The more you know about what it takes to put on a play, the more theater you've seen, the more theater you've helped create, well... invariably it's gonna affect how you watch a play, right? So it was with Paul. He freely admits he was watching the play with his own opinion of what makes something successful or not. Although the first act of this play wasn't quite cutting it for him, he said that by the end of the second half his opinion had changed. The show had impacted him quite positively. And the reason was fascinating... "I didn't give up hope," he said. "I stuck it out. And I realized by the end, 'don't let your critical standards keep you from seeing the glorious.'" A fitting message for life and for our play. It's made me think.

At one point in our play, Glorious, the character I'm playing says,

"The world was in chaos. But even so, if you searched carefully you could still find people living in their own cocoons. Determined to live their lives exactly as they wanted and to view everything about them through rose tinted spectacles, all appearing bright and pink and happy. Now I happened to own a pair of rose tinted spectacles, but these were only worn on rather obscure occasions and failed in my experience to make anything look prettier than it actually was. It took several drinks to achieve that. But I'm not as skilled as some people in the art of finding everything delightful. And I now realize that that's a shame."

I have to confess that on a personal level I identify with that view. I find it very hard to view things and take them in and discover what's delightful about everything I encounter. It's ironic then because actors strive to encounter the world with wonder and curiosity the way a child would. Part of creating truthful behavior onstage is to view things in that way. I had an acting teacher who reminded us that to enter the 'kingdom of heaven you must be as a child..." In other words, to approach each moment onstage with the same wonderment and curiosity a child does would yield our strongest work as actors. I suppose how one chooses to live one's life and how one chooses to approach one's work are different things - or at least they can be. Nevertheless it'd be nice to find a little more delight - I'm working on it...

Insofar as playing the part of Cosme though it's very helpful. I can take that cynical aspect of my personality and slide it quite neatly into place for this show. Acting is a form of self-exploitation. We take certain parts of our own lives and personalities and amplify, enhance, heighten and augment those aspects to create a character. After all, inside each of us there is a great lover, an imperious dictator, a poet, an athlete, an orator, ok ok... you get the idea. The fact is we are all capable of just about anything. For actors this is very good news because it means that we can play many different parts. Perhaps we learn along the way. In tracking the journey of Cosme in this play. He starts off excited at the prospect of having a well-paying job as a piano accompanist, frets when it's for a woman who can't carry a tune, acquiesces to the lure of the money, finds himself moved by the audacious spirit that Florence has - a spirit he lacks and can stand to learn a thing or two from. Ultimately he learns to admire, and respect the determination, confidence, and joy with which she devours life. In essence, he learns to love her. I think we seek out these kinds of people don't we? People who have in abundance those qualities that we admire and want to cultivate in ourselves.

I do hope that when our audiences come to see the show they will be entertained, but perhaps consider something that I've learned from working on this play. Don't let your critical standards keep you from seeing the glorious. I'm not talking about whether people should like this play or our production of it - although I do hope they will. What I mean is I hope people will walk away with a renewed sense of the importance, the art if you will, of seeing the delightful in everything - even those people, ideas, situations, etc that might otherwise run counter to everything you believe in. We don't have to change our beliefs or our values - sometimes those are the most important things we have. But what would happen if we chose to find the delightful in everything even those things we're sure we could never find delight in? What would that look like?
Ultimately it's just beliefs not facts. It's amazing I suppose how far belief can take you, isn't it? Some folks'll start wars over beliefs. Florence Foster Jenkins creates a wonderful life and career for herself that reaches its zenith with a performance at Carnegie Hall. Belief can take you pretty far. Finding delight can take you even further. I'm working on it.

The First Rehearsals

by Guest Blogger, Jonas Cohen

Friends will ask me how I like going out-of-town so often - that's the parlance for an actor who leaves their home base and goes to another city to work. Are you kidding? I love it! A chance to go away for a few months to a new city and do what you love and get paid to do it? What could be better? The stressful part though is getting acclimated to new surroundings and new co-workers. Just imagine starting a brand new job every few months!

In some ways, perhaps that's why the first few days of rehearsals can be the scariest. Beneath the warm smiles and hearty handshakes of the first day cast members who have nothing in common beyond the play at hand, try to bury their fears that they don't get put in a dressing room with someone they quietly loathe, size up which actors they get to kiss onstage versus those they HAVE to kiss onstage, pray that no one else is questioning why they were cast as much as they're wondering themselves, decide 'I've never met these people before but I'm going to at least try to pretend I trust them!', and then hope for the best. For our first day we smile and shook hands, sorted through administrative business, took a tour of the theater, and before long we were laughing and chatting like old friends who'd agreed to get together to do a play called GLORIOUS by Peter Quilter.

The actors in the company include Deb Bluford as aspiring opera singer Florence Foster Jenkins. Bruce Roach as Florence's love interest St. Clair Bayfield. Marilyn Lynch as Florence's best friend and biggest fan Dorothy. Katie Kalahurka tackles two roles - Maria, Florence's somewhat aggressive Mexican maid and Mrs. Verrinder-Gedge one of Florence's more outspoken detractors. And then there's yer man (Jonas Cohen) as Cosme McMoon - Florence's piano accompanist. With the exception of Deb whose terrific work makes her a fan favorite here in Kansas City, this is the first time these actors are working at the American Heartland Theater. So thank you to Paul Hough our director for bringing us all together and for not hitting us in the face when we misbehave.

One of the challenges of the play is the significant amount of live music that is performed. You'll get to hear Deb/Florence put her unique stylings on songs from Mozart to Cole Porter. Yep she's just that versatile. Towards the end of our first rehearsal day Deb and I spent time with our musical director Anthony Edwards (come hear him play piano in It's A Wonderful Life!) and set to work on all things music. The real challenge for Deb is that the part requires the actor to play a character who sings badly but tries EARNESTLY to sing well. On top of that, the character believes she's succeeding... and does she? Well, not so much. I looked on bemused as Anthony and Deb figured out how and when to sing badly.

Another challenge for us is staging the play in just such a way that the audience sitting on three sides of the action can see us all clearly at any given moment. Paul's got the right eye for that. No easy feat that. How DO you get two people to stand next to each other and have a conversation in such a way that everyone in the audience can see? Audience members have sometimes asked, "once you know the lines and know where you're supposed to go, what do you do in rehearsal?" The answer is that the rehearsal process is like creating new habits. How does this character walk, talk, stand, sit, move, when DO they pick up the cup, etc? You decide which habits you want to create and spend as much time as possible practicing them until they become like, well... like a habit - you don't have to think anymore. As I write this we've just finished our third day of rehearsal. We've accomplished a lot (the entire first act is staged) but we still have plenty to go. We went back and reviewed what we've accomplished so far - making tweaks and adjustments along the way - and so far ... not too shabby. Things aren't quite a habit yet, but they're getting there.

Have I mentioned our stage manager Bill Christie? Bill keeps things running, notates the staging, sets the props and furniture in their proper places, makes the schedules, files rehearsal reports, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. The biggest challenge for him though must be keeping us on task. We're a playful group. It's like being on vacation and getting paid. What could be better?

A Glorious Christmas.

by Guest Blogger, Jonas Cohen

I've always had a problem with Christmas. For someone who's jewish - and jewish friends and relatives will corroborate this - it's a sad lonely time. While many people are singing songs, spending time with their families, going to church, eating bountiful meals, exchanging presents, and engaging in any number of holiday related rituals and traditions, many jewish people will often eat Chinese food and go to the movies. Now on any given day, there's nothing wrong with eating dim sum and getting the chance to catch up on the numerous soon-to-be-Oscar-nominated films that are all released this time of year. But knowing that a large percentage of the population is having a joyous holiday while you're eating out of white cardboard containers is akin to having chicken pox and having to sit on the side while the rest of the kiddies get to play in the pool.

For actors it can be a difficult time of year as well if they're unemployed. There are only so many parts to go around in any show so invariably, someone's gonna end up without a job. Imagine being unemployed during the holidays? Yech. If you don't have a lot of money, than affording a plane ticket to see family isn't exactly in the cards. Spend time with friends you say? Many of my friends (both gentile and some who are jewish) are often out of town at this time of year. Lots of folks are too busy it seems to answer an email or answer the phone. And so I confess I've been a VERY grumpy actor at Christmas time. And while lots of folks have tried in vain to reach out to me at this time of year, I fixedly remained a curmudgeon.

The cast of Glorious had the day off for Christmas and I spent most of it in the comfort of my room at the Westin watching videos and eating snacks and napping. Not bad, right? But I was miserable. And somehow, content to be so. I guess when you get into a habit of being grumpy every 25th of December it gets so comfortable that to let go of the grumpiness just ain't easy. You've lived with it so long with the discomfort you almost don't want to let it go.

When we came back to rehearsal today (Dec 26th) I was still a sour puss (in Yiddish we say a 'farbisina punim' - a grim bitter face). I sat at the piano trying to give the day's work its due attention. After lunch Deb and I worked on music with Anthony. As I've said Deb has the challenge of singing badly. She's also creating a character that is based on a real person. Now it's important to understand that professional opera singers are fiercely proud of what they bring to a piece of music. They each have their own interpretations of the great arias in the canon. A diva's gift is her own true voice and Florence Foster Jenkins was no exception. To that end, Anthony and Deb have been very precise about honoring Madame Jenkins original phrasing and interpretations so that you can get a sense of what it was like to hear this highly unusual songstress. Deb will listen to a passage of music and then sing it a half tone sharp or flat on purpose. Imagine singing one song while someone else was singing something entirely different in your ear. Yet even while I marvelled at this I realized I didn't have much 'oomph' myself. Come on Jonas! Get with it brother!

As it happened the theater was not being used for the early part of the day so Paul opted to rehearse in the theater on the set of It's A Wonderful Life. We'll have an entirely different set of course, but since many of us in the company are new to the theater this gave us a chance to get accustomed to working in this somewhat unusual space. Sitting at the piano during a down moment I continued to feel listless. Why was I still in this funk? It was as though some bratty kid inside of me was set on being annoyed at Christmas no matter what. I thought to myself, 'Christmas is not my holiday! I wasn't raised with it. I've not been to a Christmas mass and although I know the story of the Nativity and of the life of Christ and know of his teachings it's never been a part of my consciousness. What I know of Christmas is not based on years of family tradition and fond holiday memories, but, like an outsider looking in, from the post-Thanksgiving songs on the radio and what I see in the movies. When someone says Merry Christmas to me it makes me bristle.' I sat and brooded.

As I sat at the piano letting my attention wander I noticed the script for It's A Wonderful Life on the music stand. I flipped through the pages but still couldn't focus. Looking over at the actors as they rehearsed I thought of the lovely new friends I've made here in the last few days. Deb, who's been so kind and encouraging and who's laugh is completely infectious. Marilyn who invited me to her home on Christmas Day for chili and who introduced me to all of her friends as 'my new friend Jonas'! Bruce who opened his home to me for Christmas Eve and welcomed me into his family. Katie who fearlessly gives so much onstage. Mary Alice - who introduced me to as many people as she could on the first day. Lily and Bill and Jeff who have made sure I had everything I needed to be comfortable. Paul who let me know how very glad he is I'm here. Anthony who is fiercely dedicated and finds such joy in what he does.

I'm darn lucky to be doing something I love with artists who work hard and know how to have fun doing it. What's more, they are as open-hearted in their lives as they are in their work. They have a ready laugh and a smile and always a word of encouragement. I'd been so fixated on feeling low about the holiday time that I'd neglected to see what was right in front of me - joy for the work and for the people I get to share that joy with. I shouldn't kvetch right? I've got a job. I'm not stuck eating by myself with only chopsticks and DVDs to keep me company. This year, my gift has been these new friends, this experience, this theater. And then, wouldn't you know, as I sat at the piano in rehearsal I just happened to flip to the final moments of It's A Wonderful Life. The main character George Bailey is given a copy of Tom Sawyer. He opens it and reads the inscription that his new friend a newly winged angel named Clarence has penned for him: "Dear George, Remember, no man is a failure who has friends. Clarence."

Check back frequently for more from Guest Blogger, Jonas Cohen, and others as we take Glorious! from the rehearsal hall to the stage.

And So It Begins...

by Guest Blogger, Jonas Cohen

A New York City taxi made its way through 14 inches of snow to the LaGuardia airport at 8:30 am on Sunday. Sitting in the backseat I wondered would the flight to Kansas City be cancelled as hundreds of others had been? Would the airport be a sea of stranded would-be passengers trying to make it home for the holidays? Would there be a delay on the tarmac filled with drinks that were more ice than drink, little bags of pretzels that leave you sucking on the ice cubes and debating whether or not to actually push the call-button for a refill, and a sore backside?

Hello, American Heartland Theatregoers. My name is Jonas Cohen. I'm an actor playing the role of Cosme McMoon in Peter Quilter's play "Glorious! - The True Story of Florence Foster Jenkins the worst singer in the world..." The title says it all. Glorious! is the true story of a woman - Florence Foster Jenkins - whose desire to sing opera far exceeded her ability to sing it. At no time though, does the play belittle or make fun of Florence's less than dulcet tones. Instead it celebrates her will to succeed and a belief in herself that was infectious and delightful. That belief carried her fans, her supporters, and even some of her nay-sayers along with its unflinching optimism. As we start rehearsals this week I know the company is hoping you'll be carried along as well.

Thus begins the online blog for this show. I hope it'll provide an inside look at the rehearsal process as a company of actors, director, designers, technicians administrative staff, volunteers, all toil to bring this comedy to the stage. At one time the phrase, 'it takes a village' was used to death. But without a doubt that is exactly what is required to realize this or any piece of theatre. What's also required is the support of audiences and donors especially 'in this economy...'. Now there's a phrase that's even more worn out. It makes my eyes cross just to type it. But please know that we are so very grateful to you all. Right now, for many of us, not just artists, we can't help but be concerned about what life has in store for us. It can be overwhelming. Yet a dear friend and director told me recently that despite those concerns the theater should continue to serve one of its very important functions. In the musical Cabaret, he said, we are exhorted to forget our cares and that "in here [the theater] life is beautiful" - maybe for a little while we can do just that.

Whenever I leave my home in New York for an acting project - there is invariably a certain amount of terror. What will my collaborators be like? Will I be any good in this part? How WILL I learn all those lines? Lots of little voices in our heads fretting, asking questions, and saying, 'uh oh!' I guess artists learn to love 'uh oh.' We trust against the odds, that somewhere between reading the script for the first time and stepping into the rehearsal room inspiration will strike. It always does. Isn't that true for all of us?

As it turned out the gods of the airlines were in a beneficent mood that day. The flight left on time. People were not stranded and shoelessly moved through security with nary a delay. And most importantly the airline not only provided us with drinks but also warm cookies that didn't require a credit or debit card for purchase! Landing in Kansas City, MO I was greeted with blue skies, no sign of snow, the ebullient American Heartland Theatre house manager Mary Alice, and the huge comfy king-size beds at the Westin Hotel. Ah life upon the wicked stage...


Check back frequently for more from Guest Blogger, Jonas Cohen, and others as we take Glorious! from the rehearsal hall to the stage.