Giving Back to Brooklyn

Thanks to Urban Outfitters, BreakThruTV's Chelsea White got to take a paddle with Jens Rasmussen, founding member of the North Brooklyn Boat Club, and learn about their programs.

Watch the video below for a quick and humorous peek into to this surprising and scrappy community organization, dedicated to getting people on the NYC waterways and protecting those waters.



To see more about Jens' outdoor adventures in NYC and beyond check out the videos and links on this page.

Rasmussen: Comic Good Sense & Sizzle...

Jens Rasmussen in Conference of the Birds

In the 13th century the Catholic Church, an opponent of drama and its lusty spectacles since the days of the 3rd century theologian Tertullian (whose near Ayatollah-like rants against public amusement will surely earn him a spot on a future Homer Simpson episode), broke its theatrical prohibition and allowed Franciscan and Dominican missionaries to spread the gospel through storytelling. The leap from storytelling to theatre is but a hop and a skip, and theatre’s revival throughout Europe began, albeit didactically.

Although theatre in the Muslim world was not prohibited, Islamic strictures against representation, and hence spectacle, generated similar tensions. As a result, poetry, which is focused on the word and not the body, spread rapidly, and with music, became the Muslim world’s most popular artistic medium.

The Folger Theatre’s Washington area premiere of Peter Brook and Jean-Claude Carrière’s stage-adaptation of Farid Uddi Attar’s master poem, The Conference of the Birds, captures that sense of the sublime. Without being overly didactic or dogmatic, its theatrical story offers its audience the unique opportunity to go on a spiritual adventure.

Yes, The Conference of the Birds is an unabashedly sacred tale with no mythical land of Narnia or magical sovereigns like the Wizard of Oz or Voldemort to distract our focus. Rather, these birds and their oh so human foibles begin their journey with clear intent: to find their one true king, Simorgh, and in so doing overcome the discord of the world. Their king, they learn, lives somewhere beyond the seven valleys and, unlike more earthly kings, Simorgh won’t cut off a subject’s head for answering a question incorrectly.

And then there was music. Even before the play began, composer Tom Teasley enchanted us with an wondrous array of percussion instruments and original compositions that skillfully blended the intonations of the ancient with the rhythms of the modern. His music transported us to the poetic shores of Persia without being solemnized by the exoticism of it. We were restrained.

Helping hold us in check was the scenic design by Meghan Raham. On the one hand mirrored surfaces reflected back at us images of ourselves. On the other, large burlap sculptural banners hung from the mirrored columns. These expressionistic designs defied representation, being textured landscapes invoking geography and poverty more than symbol.

When the birds finally assembled on stage we were once again struck by the restraint—but not in the casting. A visually dynamic cast of birds had assembled: this was indeed a conference of the world’s birds, and they were indeed fed up with its condition. No, we saw the restraint in their visualization.

To be sure, birds offer a costumer’s imagination a vast palette of possibilities, particularly when you have such a wide variety of species to choose from: falcon, sparrow, owl, peacock, partridge, nightingale, duck, parrot, hoopoe, dove, magpie, heron. For some reason, however, these feathered creatures were muted and toned down, almost as if—following the warning of the church fathers—someone feared that audiences might be bedazzled by the spectacle of it all and miss the message.

Indeed, because of this visual restraint, the challenge of this production lay entirely on the shoulders of the production’s performers, as narrators, actors, singers, dancers, musicians, and movers. Their job, it seems, was not so much to entertain us but, as the hoopoe did them, guide us through the spiritual terrain of the play. They would be aided by designer Jennifer Schriever’s lights, which not only cast many of the ensemble’s more dynamic tableaus in a memorable light, but also by the sudden transitions those lights provided. For the most part, however, with no grand spectacle to assist them, the ensemble would have to rely on the details of character and performance to carry us through to the play’s conclusion.

For the most part, this flock of strange fowl put in a strong performance, engaging us in splendid details, from the shimmering of duck’s feathers (played by Katie deBuys) to the immaculate head movements of falcon (played by Jay Dunn). Tara Giordano’s partridge seized our imaginations each time she waddled across the stage, and the adorable jitters of Britt Duff’s sparrow, plus her stunningly simple rendition of love, held our attention each time she wanted to take flight. And I have to mention the mesmerizing presence of Tiffany Rachelle Stewart’s heron; indeed, when Stewart portrays the princess in love with the slave, played with comic good sense by Jens Rasmussen, the two quickly and effectively shift the play into a sizzle of romantic images.

The most difficult role in The Conference of the Birds is that of the hoopoe, however, played by Patty Gallagher. Like Virgil in Dante’s Comedy, she has to guide her spiritual yearners, being optimistic when necessary yet clear and stern when needed. She more than any character also has to act as liaison between the audience with its modern sensibility and this 12th century Sufi poem that speaks of a transcendental reality which most westerners might know only if they’ve spent years exploring Jungian psychology. Ms. Gallagher does well embodying the encouraging mother figure to this tribe of feathers; but when this chick or that hen struggles too vociferously against the way, she resorts too frequently to the choices of a harried schoolteacher.

A part of her struggle seemed to be with the text itself, which came across as too flat in places. The first act is particularly difficult as it focuses on the birds’ fears and their resulting loss of faith in the journey. Director Aaron Posner’s sense of the pictorial is strong, but he needed to find more variety in the birds’ choices when it came to their resistance to the trek and to the hoopoe’s way of rallying them.

These first act missteps do not take the vitality away from the splendor of this epic journey of enlightenment, however; and Peter Brook’s work in the modern theatre is well represented here. We cannot be reminded too often of the fact that if theatre cannot achieve a purpose greater than entertainment, then it will not long serve any purpose at all, other than as an amusement for today’s equivalent to the kings and queens of yesterday. Brook has spent a good portion of his theatrical life seeking to lend theatre that larger function, as an organizer of community across regional and national boundaries.The Conference of the Birds is a fantastic vehicle for this type of cross-border work, and the Folger’s production is well worth the enlightenment.

by Robert Michael Oliver

Rasmussen's Bob Cratchit Brings Much Appreciated Humor

Jens Rasmussen in A Christmas Carol

Clarence Brown Christmas Carol Review

KNOXVILLE — The holiday season has officially begun. Turkey, Black Friday and television holiday specials tend to mark the advent of a seemingly compartmentalized mindset focused on vacations, gifts and - if we're lucky - a quiet moment to reflect and remember the reason for it all.

With modern schedules as they are, taking this moment can be impossible, but the Clarence Brown Theatre's perennial production of "A Christmas Carol" provides a genuine opportunity.

Tightly adapted by Edward Morgan and Joseph Hanreddy, this rendition of Charles Dickens' novel moves smoothly through the well-trodden tale of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge "bah-humbugging" his way through tradition until, by the gift of spirit (and spirits), he comes to learn his micromanaged ways are in fact a horrible miscalculation of his eternal soul.

The cast is wonderful, especially Terry Weber's portrayal of Scrooge. From his stomping and imposing Act 1 to his supplicating finale, Weber skillfully walks the tightrope where one missed step could drop his Scrooge into a stereotypical caricature. Jens Rasmussen's Bob Cratchit, Neil Friedman's Mr. Fezziwig, and the courtship between Ricardo Birnbaum's Mr. Topo and Magan Wiles' Miss Lucy bring much appreciated humor.

James Kronzer's set, Kathryn Rohe's costumes and Beverly Emmons' lighting provide an ideal context, color and focus.

And, of course, the music. "A Christmas Carol" without Christmas carols would be something else entirely, and the sonorous voicing of seasonal tunes is welcoming.

However, on opening night Friday, a surprising moment occurred possibly by happenstance but more likely by design. Throughout the evening, as the ensemble harmonized Christian tradition, a voice or two could be heard from the seats. A crackled soprano here and a dusty bass there tried to contain their impulses to join in and, much to the delight of some fellow patrons, failed.

It was in this moment that Clarence Brown's "A Christmas Carol" reached its most profound mark. For a few members of the audience to become so engaged as to forget the theatrical protocol of only clapping, laughing and standing when culturally appropriate is not only theater at its best, but also a reminder of what is at the heart of the holiday season: a happiness and joy readily at hand for each and every one of us, should we have the opportunity to remember, embrace and share it.

Complete History of America (abridged)

Jens Rasmussen in Complete History of America (abridged)

Jens Rasmussen was prepared to work with director Lisa Cesnik again.

In his first Springer Opera House production, Rasmussen performed in the Reduced Shakespeare Co.’s play, “The Bible: The Complete Word of God (Abridged).”

Cesnik made cast members shave their heads.

When he discovered Cesnik was directing “The Complete History of America (Abridged),” Rasmussen shaved his head again.

He was a bit premature, though.

Fellow actors JJ Musgrove and Adam Archer refused to shave their heads and Cesnik decided it wasn’t necessary for this production, which begins its run on the Springer Mainstage tonight. It’s the final show of the season.

Fortunately, Rasmussen doesn’t care about his bald head. It makes taking wigs and hats on and off that much easier, he said.

Small cast, many roles

Cesnik is pleased with her three-person cast.

“From the general auditions (last spring), I made a list of the potential cast,” Cesnik said. “I looked at videos. I pretty much have a perfect cast.”

As with the other Reduced Shakespeare plays, this one is very funny, Cesnik said.

“I get to laugh all the time, which is very healing,” she said. “It’s nice to have a job where you can laugh.”

Rasmussen agrees. “I think it’s funnier than ‘The Bible.’ ”

Cesnik said costumes and props are such a big part of the show that together they serve as the fourth actor on stage. She called the audience the fifth actor.

Without the audience’s reactions, the play simply won’t work, she said.

Because the three stars and Cesnik have worked together before, Cesnik said it’s almost a sort of shorthand that makes directing easy for her.

Each actor takes on at least 18 different roles throughout the American history lesson, which begins with Amerigo Vespucci’s discovery and continues to current events.

In fact, before the rehearsals began, Cesnik said she got revisions that included current events that had been added to the play.

Musgrove’s favorite role is that of the late President Richard Nixon.

Musgrove said he plays the “leader” of the ensemble as someone who “loves to hear himself talk.”

Archer, on the other hand is the youngest and “gets picked on.” He also plays all the female roles.

Advice to the audience

Rasmussen said this play is perfect for someone who loves musicals, but wants to try other forms of theater.

“It’s the perfect play for people who are 18-25,” Archer said.

“Especially for people who think plays are stuffy,” Musgrove added.

Older audience members will understand jokes that the younger ones may not, and vice versa, Archer said.

The actors and director agree that the show is rated PG-13. Not so much because of language, but the content may not strike a chord with anyone younger than 13.

Since the play’s authors allow local theaters to add area history, there are plenty of references to Columbus, Georgia and Alabama in the Springer script, Cesnik said.

What other play, Cesnik asked, has a car chase, food fight, music and a fly-over?

Just “The Complete History of America (Abridged),” she answered.

Stage Combat Comedy

‘Star-Spangled Girl’ Blends Politics & Love

You’re convinced her logic is flawed and her ideals are faulty.

But she smells sooo good.

With each whiff — each engaging smile — you bend your standards. Maybe a shared political vision is overrated.

Sound familiar?

Politics and love collide in “The Star-Spangled Girl,” a Neil Simon play that begins its run at the Springer Opera House tonight.

It tells the story of Norman and Andy, two friends who run a left-wing liberal magazine.

Their world turns upside down when Sophie, a conservative girl from the South, moves next door. Despite their opposing political views, Norman falls in love with Sophie.

“It’s all very surface. It’s nothing more than physical attraction,” said Jason Horne, the actor who plays Norman.

The romantic feelings aren’t exactly mutual.

“She is really annoyed by his persistence,” said Maria Maloney, who plays Sophie.

Updated setting

Simon set “The Star-Spangled Girl” in the ’60s, when the Vietnam War ignited national political interest.

Audiences at the Springer will see an updated version set in 2008 — right before the national presidential election between Barack Obama and John McCain.

“I think people will be surprised by how fresh we’ve made this particular piece,” said director Kimberly Faith Hickman.

To enhance the modern feel, the set is decorated with political art by artist James Schroeder from Rome, Ga.

But the play’s content didn’t have to be changed too much to allow for the updated setting.

In fact, the characters give only one spoken reference to a contemporary politician: George W. Bush.

The strong political views that characterized the ’60s are similar to many of the discussions that surfaced during the 2008 election.

The Springer’s version highlights the contemporary appeal of a decades-old show.

“They’re going to think he (Neil Simon) wrote this play last year,” said Jens Rasmussen, who plays Andy.

The moral

Not into politics? Don’t worry.

Political beliefs play a role in “The Star-Spangled Girl,” but actors say the play is primarily about relationships.

“It is a romantic comedy above all else,” Horne said. “I think the politics is a nice side dish.”

Also, “The Star-Spangled Girl” doesn’t declare a winner in the debate between liberal and conservative views.

“The play doesn’t take sides. It explores both sides,” Hickman said.

That kind of exploration makes the plot very relatable to audiences.

Cast members say the show tells a story that could easily play out as a real-life scenario, thanks to the “opposites attract” principle of love.

“I know married couples who are just canceling each other’s votes out,” Horne said.

Sure, the relationship world could consist only of couples who reflect each other ideologically.

But that would be too easy.

“Why would everybody want to be on one side?” Horne asked.

By Sonya Sorich

Springer ‘cuts loose’ with No Shame Theater debut

No Shame Columbus - founded by Jens Rasmussen

Magic, music, dance and drama, even stand-up comedy or acrobatics - you might see all this and more in one night of No Shame Theater, said Jens Rasmussen, director of No Shame Theater, which debuts in Columbus Friday at the Springer Opera House.

"You don't know what you're going to get," he said. "It has this stability and this complete wild card kind of feel."

Created in 1986 and now a nationwide movement, No Shame gives a twist to the traditional talent show or open mic night.

For the artists, it's first come, first served, and the pieces, which must be original and no longer than five minutes, are not censored or reviewed in advance, Rasmussen said. That leaves audience members with the chance of seeing everything from performance poetry to juggling.

"I was just blown away by it," Rasmussen said. "It was so exciting and such a broad range of people came in. When you go to No Shame, you're going to see something that no one has ever seen before. It's shameless; it's risk taking. Even if the art is not polished, the spirit of it is just so engaging. That's really at the core what No Shame is."

Ashley Laughter, campaign coordinator for the Springer, said she is excited about opening night.

"It's like an adventure," she said. "Come with an open mind. Come prepared to be shocked - but in a good way."

Laughter said the unique form of entertainment will help the Springer cater to a younger audience and will be particularly good for Soldiers, since it's a weekly event with no sign-up necessary.

"We always try to get Soldiers involved here at the Springer, but it's hard for a Soldier to make a commitment to a show because it can be time-consuming," said Laughter, wife of a Sand Hill drill sergeant. "But this is ‘bring what you got and do it one night.' I think No Shame is going to offer the Columbus area something brand new. All the works are original, which is something you just don't get to see as often as people should."

Laughter said she plans to perform with a burlesque dance group - "kind of reminiscent of the vaudeville era."

She will be joined by other local talent, including Becky Macy, an actor in the Springer's current production of Footloose and wife of an Infantry Mortar Leader Course instructor on post.

Macy said participating in No Shame will appeal to people of diverse backgrounds.

"It's less pressure. You don't have to audition. It's an outlet for your own creativity," she said. "I just think it can be inspiring … everybody has something to put out there."

To "cast themselves," people 18 and older should show up at 10 p.m. at the Springer, Rasmussen said. The first 15 in line get to perform.

The show starts at 10:30 p.m., lasts roughly 90 minutes and costs $5 per person, performers and attendees alike.

"It's a small investment, and it's going to be a really welcoming, laid back, enjoyable group … a great place to meet people, to make new friends, to talk about new ideas," Rasmussen said. "It's about fearlessness; it's about putting yourself out there and not censoring. It's about cutting loose — individual expression. There's no limits."

The Springer saloon will be open during the show. For more information, call the Springer at 706-324-5714. For more about No Shame Theatre, visit www.noshame.org.

By Cheryl Rodewig / The Bayonet

Rasmussen Brings New Works to Springer Theatre

No Shame Columbus Founder, Jens Rasmussen with Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce’s mind never stops. He’s always thinking of ways to get people into the Springer Opera House. Of course, as producing artistic director, it’s his job to do that, as it is for the top people at every arts organization in town.

When Jens Rasmussen told him about the No Shame Theater concept, Paul thought it was a great idea. Not only to get people in the seats, but to get people on stage.

Jens has become a favorite on the Springer stage and off it. Before he even began acting at the Springer, he was teaching in the Springer Theater Academy. Once he hit the stage, people couldn’t get enough of this talented man.

Jens is the director of Columbus’ No Shame Theater.

It’s an easy concept. It happens every Friday at 10 p.m., starting Sept. 25.

At exactly 10 p.m., you sign up to do something — sing, dance, tell jokes, do a monologue, whatever.

There are three rules: Everything you do must be original. You have five minutes, no more. You cannot break any laws.

“Or yourself or the theater,” Paul said.

Only 15 people will be allowed on stage on any given Friday. So it would be good to show up and get in line earlier than 10 p.m. if you want your chance to get on stage.

There’s a rumor that a local dancer wants to do a burlesque act for her five-minute time slot.

When I said her name, Paul looked at me and said, “Has she talked to you about it?”

No, but from another venture she mentioned a couple of years ago, she would be my first guess. And I was correct!

There’s one other rule: You have to be 18 or older to get in.

A cash bar will be available in the Springer Saloon.

I’m thinking that’s going to be way too small, because I think it will be an alternative for people who want to go out but don’t want to go to a bar on a Friday night.

Paul’s hoping someone like my colleague Tim Chitwood would do some social commentary on current events. Tim would be great! He’s got this wry sense of humor and a wonderful way of writing. Paul really wants writers involved.

Playwrights would be able to come in with a scene and ask if anyone would like to read the scene. That’s if the playwright’s not an actor, of course.

Jens went to see the Chattahoochee Shakespeare Co.’s production of “Goobers!” and was so impressed with Alyssa Farmer’s songs that he’s hoping she’ll do five minutes of her original songs.

And the No Shame part comes in because with an audience of actors, you’ll find nothing but encouragement.

I know because I’ve done shows and I know I can’t sing, dance or act, but everyone made me feel welcome.

So for $5, it’s a lot cheaper than going to a movie. You’re going to have fun, too.

ContactSandra Okamoto at 706-571-8580 orsokamoto@ledger-enquirer.com  see original article here.

'Big River' sets adventures of Huck Finn to music at Springer

Jens Rasmussen as the Duke in Big River

Springer Opera House Artistic Director Paul Pierce is well aware of the controversy around Mark Twain’s classic tales of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. And so are cast members of the musical “Big River” which is based on Twain’s book “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” The production comes to the Springer stage tonight.

Much of the controversy surrounds the use of derogatory and offensive terms used to refer to Jim, the slave that Huck befriends. Jim is a runaway slave who joins Huck on his adventures.

“You have to remember this is not Mark Twain talking,” Pierce said about the language.

“This is Huckleberry Finn. Twain takes an ignorant child and plops him on a raft with a runaway slave.”

Jens Rasmussen, who plays several roles in the musical, admits some of the language is “a little rough.” But he hopes the audience takes the derogatory terms in the context in which they were written.

And 20 years ago, when Pierce was entering his first full season at the Springer, “Big River” was the season opener. Pierce had already faced controversy when he consolidated various boards of directors and hired professional actors.

When the late Madison Rivers Jackson, who was hired to play the role of Jim, arrived in Columbus, he was met with picketers in front of the theater.

Eventually, the protesters came around, many of them reappearing on the Springer stage. Pierce became a fixture in Columbus theater. And Jackson went from being a pariah to a well-loved regular on the stage before his death in 1996.

It’s different this time

Pierce is 20 years older, and he’s viewing the work differently now than he did that first year.

“It’s almost like I’m looking at it for the first time,” he said.

“Jens and I have been reading ‘Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ during rehearsal. Some of the stuff we’re struck with is how faithful it is to the book. And how Roger Miller’s music amplifies the script.

“I’m in awe of the script. Day after day, I see multiple layers,” Pierce said. “That’s what I don’t remember. I see it very differently this time. What’s become clear to me is how enduring this literature is.”

In the end, Pierce says “Big River” is a boy’s adventure.

He’s also struck by how “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” has become an allegory for America, including the “horror of our history and all of the wonder and the beauty of our history.”

The audience will learn about the Civil War, the relationship between a young boy and girl, a slave and a boy, water and land, right and wrong, light and dark and society vs. individualism.

A new Jim ... and Huck

Keith Patrick McCoy, originally from Portsmouth, Va., met with Pierce and associate artistic director Ron Anderson at a national theater audition in Memphis.

He’s done the role of Jim twice before. In fact, he loves the part so much that he actually seeks out the role.

“I always approach it differently,” McCoy said.

The first time, in 2003, he played Jim as a victim. In 2007, he played him as a rebel. This time, he blends the two approaches.

And he says there’s always a different director and a different Huck.

He really likes the chemistry between his character and Mike Morin’s Huck.

Morin, from Marietta, graduated last year from Shorter College in Rome. He met the Springer staff at the Southeastern Theater Conference auditions in Charlotte last year.

It was his first big audition and it was the final one of the day.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better ending,” he said.

“I saw three Hucks that day,” Pierce said. “It was clear Mike was Huck.”

The Duke and the King

One of the characters Rasmussen plays is the Duke, a conman.

“It’s great fun,” he said. “The Duke and the King (played by Brian Pecci) are the most fascinating characters. It’s so interesting that you never find out about their pasts. You only know what Huck knows.”

But he said what people do know is that Missouri was part of the Western Territories and a lot of people moved west to reinvent themselves.

“It’s a great American story,” he said.

Rasmussen slyly said many people may recognize the Duke and the King from the movie, “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.”

“These guys are the original dirty rotten scoundrels.”

By Sandra Okamoto - sokamoto@ledger-enquirer.com --

The imaginative ‘Peter Pan’ returns!

Rasmussen as Smee

Summer McCusker, who just graduated from Columbus State University with a degree in theater performance, is happy to be tiny enough to play Peter Pan.

In past Springer Opera House productions, she’s played JoJo in “Seussical” and 12-year-old Frankie in “The Member of the Wedding.” Now she can add ”Peter Pan” to her resume.

McCusker loves children’s theater so much that right after the holidays and the end of run of “Peter Pan,” she’ll be touring for three months with the National Theater for Children of Minnesota, the largest children’s theater in the United States.

It was her first tour as a CSU student in “The Garden of Rikki Tikki Tavi” that made her fall in love with children’s theater.

“My forte is in children’s theater,” she said. “I toured with ‘The Garden of Rikki Tikki Tavi’ and that’s when I found my niche.”

Playing Peter Pan has been one of McCusker’s dreams since she was a little girl growing up in Miami.  “I used to play Peter Pan when I was a kid,” she said. “I am an only child, so I had to play by myself.”

To “fly,” the Springer had to hire Flying by Foy, the riggers that invented the system that allows actors to fly across the stage. This company is the only one licensed to fly actors for “Peter Pan.”

“Jason White from Flying by Foy was just great,” said director and Springer artistic director Paul Pierce. “He brought some new flying tricks. I wasn’t prepared for anything new. We will have some real ‘wows!’.”

McCusker adds: “Peter Pan has a few tricks up his sleeve.”

It’s been seven years since the Springer last produced “Peter Pan.”

Last time, Pierce used high school and college students as the Lost Boys. This year, he’s using Springer Theater Academy students.

“The Lost Boys are significantly younger,” he said. “They are a handful because they are real boys.”

Kimberly Faith Hickman, who currently is the assistant to the producing artistic director at the Springer, is the associate director and choreographer for the production.

“Kimberly has really put her mark on this show,” Pierce said. Because he was directing “Why, Baby, Why,” he couldn’t be at the first few weeks of rehearsal. Hickman took over that role while he was in Foley Hall.

“She just started directing the play,” Pierce said. “She brought a unique and very special touch to the show.”

“You’ll love the pirates’ choreography,” said Jens Rasmussen, who is playing Smee.

Rasmussen just finished a production of the drama “Doubt,” in Virginia. He did the role of Father Flynn, who is accused of molesting a boy, at the Springer last season.

“I’m playing Smee,” Rasmussen said. “It’s very silly. It’s great because I just did ‘Doubt’ again. This is a nice change.”

Another pirate, Cecco, played by Adam Archer, loves the play.  “It’s so much fun,” he said. “It’s nice to do some character work.”

Rasmussen said the pirates are so over the top that they can get away with a lot. For handsome Adam Clough, who is mostly cast as the leading man in musicals, he’s loving the time as Capt. Hook.

“I do a lot of leading man stuff,” Clough said. “So it’s nice to be bad for a while. It’s so good to be bad. I’m really enjoying myself.”

Pierce is pleased to find an exceptional comic actor under Clough’s good looks, he said.

Besides McCusker, Heather Willis as Wendy, Dustin Dawson as John and Jacob Lowery as Michael, all fly.

“I really liked it,” Willis said. “The first thing I asked was if I get to fly.”

Even though “Peter Pan” is a children’s story that’s been read to millions of children around the world, there is a little controversy, especially in the way the Indians are portrayed.

“You have to remember that this is a story told through the eyes of privileged English children,” Pierce said. “So this is what 19th century English children thought pirates and Indians were like.”

Pierce is aware that the depiction is “an unpolitically correct” element. But he didn’t want to shy away from it.

“We stereotype fairies, too,” he said with a laugh.

And during the holidays, he wanted to present something familiar and something fun.

“For 138 years, the Springer has been doing shows through wars, bank panics, the Depression. Stage entertainment goes on. You can sit in a dark, windowless room and let the outside world disappear for a few hours.”

BY SANDRA OKAMOTO

from an original article appearing in the Ledger-Inquirer

Petruchio, expertly portrayed by Jens Rasmussen

At the outset, you’d think an umpire had yelled “play ball!” The antics, cavorting, double entendres, and mistaken identities in the wickedly funny opening production of Virginia Shakespeare Festival’s 2008 season, “The Taming of the Shrew”, never stop. This rascally

entertaining comedy of misdemeanors and intentions is off and running from the moment you sit down.

Kevin Stidham as Lucentio and Matt McGloin as Tranio

In the Italian city of Padua, a rich young man named Lucentio, (perfectly cast in Kevin Stidham), arrives with his servants, Tranio, (near–genius comic timing by Matthew McGloin) and Biondello, (a winning performance by Connor Hogan), to attend the local university. Lucentio is excited to begin his studies, but his priorities change when he sees Bianca, a beautiful, mild young woman (charmingly played by Amaree Cluff), with whom Lucentio instantly falls in love.

There are two problems: first, Bianca already has two suitors, Gremio and Hortensio; second, Bianca's father, a wealthy man named Baptista Minola, has declared that no one may court Bianca until first her older sister, the vicious, ill-tempered Katharina gets married. Lucentio

decides to overcome this problem by disguising himself as Bianca's Latin tutor to gain an excuse to be in her company. Hortensio disguises himself as her music teacher for the same reason. While Lucentio pretends to be Bianca's tutor, Tranio dresses up as Lucentio and begins to confer

with Baptista about the possibility of marrying his daughter.

The “Katharina problem” is solved for Bianca's suitors when Hortensio's friend Petruchio, (expertly portrayed by Jens Rasmussen), a brash young man from Verona, arrives in Padua with the intention of marrying a rich woman. He does not care what she is like as long as she will bring him a fortune. He agrees to marry Katharina sight unseen. Let the games begin.

Now we are into the next round of mayhem, which ceases only with the final curtain call bows.

This is a fast-paced, warmly funny, deftly acted and directed company of performers interpret the Bard with glee and endless humor. Director James Alexander Bond has brought much intelligence to the text without updating, altering or resetting the play. No need to reinvent the

wheel. (This too often is the case with productions of Shakespeare and sometimes not successful.)

Bond has brought out many honed, well-defined performances from his cast.

(Sorry, I can’t write about each one of them but my compliments to all and to the departments.)

With lightning agility, the actors execute cleverly staged action sequences designed by David Doersch. Their comic vaudevillian feats are performed with razor-sharp precision. Always in character, the actors leap, cavort and hurtle their bodies and things toward one another with

complete abandon: a theatrical cousin to “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” without wires.

Though “Shrew” is oftentimes criticized for its misogynistic, anti-feminist views, the resolution at the end found in Katharina’s long final speech, (well-delivered by Catherine Gowl), shows us that the tamer can be tamed because, as with everything, politics underlie all: that winning doesn’t always mean you have laid down the highest hand. Rather, if you listen well to Shakespeare’s text and glean from it his pearls of wisdom on the ways of the world, you may learn this: It’s how you use the cards in all the hands you are dealt that brings meaning and success to your life.

Whatever critics and academics argue from both sides of the aisle over what Shakespeare was saying about women and gender divide, in the end, Bond gives us a satisfying conclusion in that both Petruchio and Katharina consider themselves equal to one another. That’s evolution.

by Victoria Racimo for the Williamsburg Yorktown Daily

Backstage Feature on Jens Rasmussen

Role: Petruchio

Project: 'The Taming of the Shrew' at the Virginia Shakespeare Festival

Jens Rasmussen won the role of the egotistical, mercurial Petruchio in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew -- running June 25-July 6 as part of the Virginia Shakespeare Festival at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg -- without ever auditioning in person. It wasn't the first time he'd gotten a part sight unseen. The Wisconsin-born actor has had success by submitting video auditions and reels when he can't be physically present at the casting call.

Being out of town is common for the New York City-based Rasmussen, who has a good deal of experience in regional theatre. Among other projects up and down the Eastern seaboard, he's done plays at the Springer Opera House in Georgia, Mill Mountain Theatre in Virginia, and the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival. He never got a degree in acting or theatre, deciding after high school and a short, unsatisfying stint in the theatre department at the University of Wisconsin that he'd get more experience and challenges out of internships and apprenticeships at professional theatres. "I've sought out learning in various places," he says. "The most important thing was I just auditioned a lot...and then through people I met, I just started getting involved."

When Rasmussen found the BackStage.com casting notice for The Taming of the Shrew, he was performing in To Kill a Mockingbird at the Springer Opera House, but he was undaunted that the auditions were being held in New York and Washington, D.C. He had a strong film reel and had been cast as Father Flynn in a production of Doubt, also at the Springer Opera House, after recording his audition, posting it on YouTube, and sending the casting director a link. There aren't any special tricks to video auditioning, Rasmussen says. He uses a simple webcam attached to his Mac to record his monologues.

Rasmussen's video audition reminded The Taming of the Shrew's director, Christopher Owens, that he'd seen the actor audition twice before, for Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet in 2007 and for Orsino in Twelfth Night the year before that. Rasmussen wasn't cast in either role, but his diligence made an impression. "It wasn't his video audition that totally prompted his casting," says Owens. "His video audition reminded me of him. His two other auditions...impressed me a great deal, kept him in my mind -- his persistence and not being discouraged."

Rather than getting burned out from all his travel and time away from home, Rasmussen says his experience in diverse venues has only increased his passion for and dedication to the process of putting on a play. "Being in the rehearsal room collaborating with other artists is almost as gratifying as sharing that with the audience and taking them on that journey, being a storyteller," he says. "It's been creatively fulfilling. When I have something better in New York, then I'll stay there. But I'd rather be out of town doing what I love than sitting in New York waiting for the phone to ring."

By Anna Bengel for BackStage.com