Mimes and contortionists and sopranos, oh my!
James Thiérrée’s “The Junebug
Symphony” employs everything from carnies to Spanish opera
singers in a dream-like extravaganza at UCLA’s Freud
Playhouse.
Born into a family of circus folk with a prominent lineage
including grandfather Charlie Chaplin and great-grandfather Eugene
O’Neill, Thiérrée began performing as a
“walking suitcase” (managed by being stuffed into a
suitcase with “leg holes” in it) at the age of 4. Since
his “magic prop use” days, Thiérrée has
blossomed into a director, acrobat and mime, among other
things.
“Being used as a “˜magic prop’ in my younger
years was a fond memory,” Thiérrée said. “It
made performing a nurturing, growing environment for me.”
Thiérrée began acting in French and Italian films as
an acrobat and a mime, using the memory of his grandfather Charlie
Chaplin as guidance.
“I returned to the theater and to the circus after
realizing that acting in movies was not fulfilling,”
Thiérrée said. “On stage, I feel at home ““ I
can express myself accurately and play off the reaction of audience
members.”
Now, at the age of 27, Thiérrée returns to his
performing roots with his new production, which takes audience
members on what he calls a simple journey of the simple night of a
simple man.
According to Thiérrée, his new play has a basic plot:
Man goes into his bed, man falls asleep, and man dreams. With the
help of the other three members of the group, Uma Ysamat, Raphaelle
Boitel and Magnus Jakobsson, Thiérrée aims to help the
audience experience a night of unexpected surprises.
“I want audience members to think of this play as a
treat,” Thiérrée said. “It’s not like
the “˜new circuses’ of Europe that make inherent
statements about life; in fact, it’s just an experimental
play that combines different varieties of performance ““ from
contortionism to dancing.”
Set against the plain backdrop of a splotchy forest, painted by
family members in France, along with homemade furniture, “The
Junebug Symphony” is a play that presents a situation to
audience members and comes together to work itself, but it
doesn’t show audience members what to think, according to
Thiérrée.
As different and unique as this play seems to be,
Thiérrée is reluctant to pigeonhole the production.
“You can’t classify “˜Junebug’ into
avant-garde ““ it’s too strong of a term,”
Thiérrée said. “The play is what you think it is;
it’s in a different league or category because it connects
with audience members.”
Though Thiérrée has moved on to theater, there is
something about the circus that he won’t let go. To him the
circus is a very humble environment that elicits a connection with
the audience. According to Thiérrée, the audience’s
reaction is the fuel that keeps the production going.
“The Junebug Symphony” attempts to drive the
audience to a mysterious place they haven’t yet seen or
explored by the means of language, rhythm and mutations of the
plot, said Thiérrée. As it does this, it hopes to stir
reactions in the audience members that will make them think about
the actions of the characters.
“Entertainment is something that is universal for audience
members,” Thiérrée said. “Everyone recognizes
it and sees it happening. “˜The Junebug Symphony’ is
just entertainment that people can see happening every day and will
hopefully make them think about their daily lives.”
THEATER: “The Junebug Symphony” will play Oct.
17-20. Tickets are $40 (half-price for children 12 and under) and
$15 for UCLA students. Tickets can be purchased at UCLA’s
Central Ticket Office or through Ticketmaster. For more
information, call (310) 825-2101.