2017 Issue 6 Nov/Dec - Focus Mid-South Magazine

In your childhood home, what
were the predominate sounds?
Silence, a TV rumbling in the
distance, a lawn mower in some
or other yard, kitchen sounds, a
cacophony of teenagers, washer and
dryer, the occasional Mantovani
record on my grandparents’ hi-fi.
Who in your opinion has the
most beautiful voice?
I love Annie Lennox’s voice. At
the end of the day, she’s my diva. So
much feeling, clarity and texture in
her voice.
Also, my grandmother. Her
voice had a kind of sadness and
gravel and effort inside it. It
wasn’t pretty, per se, but it was
beautiful nonetheless.
What sounds make you happy?
Nostalgic? What is your
favorite sound?
Water moving over rocks,
cicadas, ice cream trucks, wind
through aspens, the waves
breaking at Big Sur, slow moving
trains, thunderstorms, and all
things Fall.
Did young Jerre put on shows?
Oh, yes. Regularly. I was
obsessed with The Little Rascals
as a child and wanted to put
on shows just like they did.
Usually we (me and a bunch of
neighbor kids) would lip-sync to
the cast albums of Grease or Annie
or something. We also created
elaborate haunted houses in various
basements and garages. Lots of
exciting enterprises.
But more often than not, I was
perfectly contented to perform
for myself. I recall getting a pair
of roller skates for Christmas
around the time Xanadu came
out at the movie theatre. I spent
hours rollerskating up and down
the freshly poured driveway of our
suburban, Mississippi tract home
pretending to be Olivia Newton
John. Such a queen.
Also, when I was much younger,
I recall a fabulous Christmastime
“long-playing record” containing a
number of ridiculous holiday ditties
sung by a brigade of ruthlessly
white people. My portable record
player was my best friend.
My first performance, though,
was singing Delta Dawn at around
age 5. I wore my grandmother’s
apron and would make my entrance
from behind my grandfather’s Lay-
Z-Boy recliner with tremendous
fanfare.
Like many queer kids my age,
I was lucky enough to grow up
with The Lawrence Welk Show, The
Muppets, and all the delicious 70’s
variety shows. The desire to perform
and make theatre has always been a
part of me.
Baby Jerre with his parents and older
brothers. His mother, Dye said, nurtured
his love of, and need for, performing.
Did your parents suffer these
shows or really enjoy them? Did
you charge admission to your
parents?
I’m not sure if we charged, but
I’m pretty sure there was some sort
of elaborate ticketing system that
we created for shear effect. I was
always partial to a stem to stern
kind of theatrical experience.
My parents pretty much thought
of me as a kind of melancholy
unicorn. They were always
supportive of my creativity coming
up. The irony, of course, was that
I was also really painfully shy. So,
these kinds of productions were
a lifeline for me. My mother, in
particular, recognized the worth of
it. She always recognized my gifts
and fostered my imagination.
If musical instruments were
living beings, which would be
best suited to be actors? Which
instrument would you be?
There are two: the cello and the
accordion. A cello for the deep
resonance and the way it can convey
these massive waves of meaning.
It’s an instrument of great emotion.
The other is an accordion for its
ridiculousness, power and the way
it breathes and bellows, mimicking
the human body.
I aspire to be both.
What was your favorite song
when you were 15?
Just one? Oh, come on!
There’s too many for just one.
When you’re 15 you get to be an
unabashed Top 40 whore. And it
was 1986, so…
West End Girls by Pet Shop
Boys; Life In a Northern Town
by Dream Academy; Perfect Way
by Scritti Politti; All Cried Out
by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam; Nasty
by Janet Jackson; Sweetest Taboo
by Sade; Kiss by Prince and the
Revolution.
I mean, come on. I could go
on and on. For some reason I
recall being obsessed with Cass
Elliott at that time too.
What song best describes your
work ethic?
Free Fallin’ by Tom Petty
You’ve invited us to your place
for a home cooked dinner of
Southern fare. What are you
cooking?
Cornbread, collards, pork butt,
deviled eggs, and for dessert… more
cornbread with honey on it.
Who’s your acting crush?
I have several: Sandy Dennis,
younger Brando, Holly Hunter,
Forest Whitaker, Katherine
Hepburn, Cary Grant, Meryl
Streep, Jeff Bridges, Ellen Burstyn,
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Gene
Wilder, Geraldine Page, Ginger
Rogers, Malkovitch, Rosalind
Russell. I’ll stop.
And when it comes to more of
a pure crush? Jake Gyllenhaal and
Ed Harris
Who is the funniest person that
you know?
I know so many funny people.
That’s a hard one. My partner, Scott
Duff, who’s a stand-up comedian
and certainly, Steve Swift (AKA
Sister Myotis).
Who do you know who has the
best laugh?
Josie Helming, my dear friend
and acting mentor who recently
passed away. Hers was less
laugh and more of this fabulous
guffaw. You always knew when
she was attending one of your
shows. Her laugh was big, bold,
generous, assertive and completely
unashamed.
What’s do you have coming up
that we can see or read?
My last play, Distance, will be
published this year. Also several
opera’s for which I wrote the
libretti:
The Falling And The Rising, a
commission for the U.S. Army
Soldier’s Chorus, Opera Memphis,
Arizona Opera, San Diego Opera,
Seattle Opera, Texas Christian
University and Seagle Music
Colony.
Taking Up Serpents, a commission
for Washington National Opera
at The Kennedy Center; By/In
for Opera Memphis; Parksville
Horror, an interactive VR opera for
Opera On Tap, New York; and an
upcoming commission for Opera
Philadelphia
What is Sister Myotis up to?
Plotting her revenge, you can be
sure. There’s a new full-length show
on the horizon.
A huge dog walks into your room
right now wearing a colorful
Christmas tree skirt and a string
of colored lights around his neck.
What does he say to you?
“What the f*#$k are you lookin’
at, asshole?”
Joyful Noise/ NOV+DEC 2017 / focusmidsouth.com / Page 23