Introducing: Cocteau & Colette at the Grand Véfour

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I am pleased to be performing as a creative hero of mine, Jean Cocteau, for a staged reading of a brand new play by William Emboden on June 23, at 7pm at the West Hollywood Public Meeting Room & Council Chambers (the brand new stage and multi-use space located below the library).

Making the play doubly exciting for me is the opportunity to perform alongside my longtime friend and artistic collaborator, R. SKY Palkowitz, who will be playing the French author, Colette. The play is an exploration of the close bond and friendship between these remarkable creative figures of 20th Century France. The special one-time production is also part of a two-month celebration of Cocteau’s artwork sponsored by the City of West Hollywood, and several rare pieces are on display in a gorgeous exhibition in the West Hollywood Library through July. I will be posting several blogs over the next few weeks about the show and the iconic figures — so be sure to check back in to JasonJenn.com periodically for more.

My own experience of Cocteau began many years ago while in college at the University of Iowa as a double major in Theatre Arts and Film. His name came up during my studies, although the time we spent on him was brief. In my theatre history classes he was mentioned as making posters and designing productions for the Ballet Russes. In my film history classes he was mentioned as making ground-breaking films like “Blood of a Poet”, “Orpheus” and “Beauty and the Beast”.

As I read up more about his diverse career, I was quite fascinated by just how many different creative outlets he had and as I discovered more about his persona, he became a hero for me in several ways. I was still newly coming to terms with my own sexuality at the time, he became an early example of both an openly homosexual man and creative force.

While I profiled him in a blog last year (see here) as a great example of being a “Jack-of-all-trades” his lover Jean Marais proclaimed that no matter what Cocteau did in his life, he was always a poet in those mediums. In interviews Cocteau believes that when he draws, he is making poetry with the strokes of the brush and in the lines of the pencil.

 It is both an honor and a challenge to embody the role of Cocteau for this production. There are several examples available of Cocteau speaking in interviews or within his own films.  He possesses a very distinct and unusual cadence in his voice, but more than merely imitating his style of speaking, I am given the task of interpreting his character for a modern audience who will mostly have very little experience. He can be a playful trickster of a man, who loves to entertain people with stories. He can also be deeply intellectual and serious. He was a larger than life at times to be sure and the line between characterization and human portrayal is a delicate one.

I am very fortunate to have the support of a beautiful script by Cocteau scholar Emboden, which possess many scrumptious lines befitting Cocteau in that they read like poetry. The process of doing this production is allowing me to become closer Cocteau, and I am quite humbled by the task of representing a man I so admire.

More to come about the other great figure of this play: Colette!

Hollywood Arts Council - Songs & Stories

Here are some pictures from the May 12th production of "Songs & Stories For Our Days" held at the unique and eclectic venue of Harvey's Art Gallery and Showroom, for the Hollywood Arts Council. It proved to be a really fascinating evening performing in the unusual environment. Audience members got to sit in the varied furniture on the sale floor and I did my best to really work the room. It was a sublime experience...and I am looking forward to all the unusual and intimate spaces I will be performing at in the near future!

 

 

 

Hive World Waggle Dance Dispatch April 2012

I’ve heard many people proclaim they long for a proper Waggle Dance* update – wanting to know where to get their creative honey! Well prepare yourself, for Spring 2012 is blooming with all manner of goodies. To find out more information about the subjects below just visit: http://hiveworld.org/currentbuzz.html

1. I’m presenting 6 Encore performances of “Songs & Stories For Our Days” happening these last two weeks of April on Wednesdays & Fridays at 8pm and Sundays at 7pm. It was a joyful January first performing these original a cappella songs alongside my versions of some rare folk tales and myths with modern connection. So please share in the continued uplifting journey of universal themes through chaos toward bliss of what I call “An Unorthodox Spiritual Cabaret” 75 minutes of alchemical musings will keep you in alignment for 2012. Just $15, but if you saw it the first time around and want to see it again, you can for just $10.  You can now watch a 5-minute video trailer here:

http://vimeo.com/40436480

2. As some of you know I’ve been working with the Abraxas Talent Agency and recently edited demo reels for iconic actress Tippi Hedren (Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds) and 4 time Emmy-Award winning Michael Learned (The Waltons). This week I am organizing several performance artist friends for the agency in a production happening at the Elephant Theatre. It’s a gallery fundraiser exhibit called “It’s A Dog Eat Shark World” with renown artists Andre Miripolsky and Josh Rosenthal. It happens Saturday, April 21^st between 2-5pm (show at 3pm) and Wednesday, May 9^th from 7-10pm (show at 8:30pm). The live show features acts by Jose Promis, R. SKY Palkowitz, April Hava Shenkman, Jeff Freeman, Jake Dyson, and myself.

3.  I also have four works of art on display for sale in a group exhibition opening on April 26^th from 6-9pm at Harvey’s Art Gallery and Showroom curated by Chevalier Tony Clark. The show is called REPURPOSED and will include all manner of mixed media art with the theme of new beginnings, rebirth, and metamorphosis.

4.  As if that wasn’t enough this month you can also catch me performing two new performance pieces at both Queer Mondays and Wig Out! I’ve been so fortunate to have seen and helped document some of the finest gems of performance art sparkling at these monthly clubs.  The first will be on Monday, April 23^rd at Akbar at Fountain and Sunset Blvd in Silverlake at 8pm, with special guest artist and iconic playwright Robert Patrick headlining. The best reason to stay up late in Los Angeles on the fourth Thursday of the month is always Wig Out! Hosted/created by Jean Natalia for the past six years, it is THE place to get your freak on! Bands at 10pm and cabaret performances at 11pm unfurl at the Three of Clubs bar at Santa Monica Blvd & Vine.

5.   I can’t recommend enough that you see Ian MacKinnon’s Gay Hist-Orgy part 1 and 2 extended for the next two Friday evenings April 20 & 27 It’s quite the wild romp through gay history, which will not only leave you wiser about some important gay figures, but you’ll give your abs and mouth a good workout from all the laughter! More info at: http://www.gayhistorgy.com/

6.   And finally – a Dirty Face Creek Farm Update. Last summer I spent 5 amazing and sweaty weeks helping out on the organic farm my cousin, Mike Stutsman founded with his wife Jessica in 2005. I’m part of the wonderful team keeping it going and aiming to fulfill Mike’s original vision. Please check out the new online “Dirty Face” of organics at www.DirtyFaceCreekFarm.com and consider joining us as a “Friend with a Dirty Face” to immediately give us a boost our ambitions and help keep the farm going strong.  We need all the friends we can get to achieve an amazing dream of dirty faces with clean, organic food – a cause more important than ever!

* A Waggle Dance is special type of choreography that bees do for each other utilizing the infinity symbol (figure eight) in order to communicate where great sources of nectar and pollen are to be found -- in this case to feed the creative soul!

So many blessings – so many artistic blossoms to gather the creative nectar and pollen and make honey. I hope to see you there sharing in the BLISSINGS!

Jason Jenn

"The Un-Examined Life Is Not Worth Living"

So proclaimed Socrates many centuries ago. Well, now I can feel a little more worthy in life, for I have recently been interviewed by Xavier Axelson, columnist of LA Fringe Artists such as myself for the Examiner.com. Xavier is quite the culture maven and prolific writer, so I was quite honored when he asked to take a peek inside my world and had me answer some questions about my work.

You can "examine" the answers for yourself here:

http://www.examiner.com/fringe-artists-in-los-angeles/jason-jenn-shares-his-bliss-with-his-show-songs-and-stories-for-our-days