Argo to Alice

Jesse J. Perez joins the cast of Alice

From The Lookingglass Alice 2007 Issue of ArtAntica
Mentioned in this entry: David Catlin, Mary Zimmerman and Tony Hernandez

Jesse J. Perez appeared as the prophet Idmon in Argonautika. He joined the cast of Lookingglass Alice as the Red Queen and other characters for it's run at the Arden in Philadelphia. He will continue for the Chicago run this summer.

How did the process of working on Alice, a well-established play, by Lookingglass standards, compare with the process of working Argonautika a play being written during your rehearsals?

Starting work on both of these projects was really daunting for different reasons. I had pretty much a week and a half to join the cast of Alice, which was a very well-oiled machine, and be at performance level. I saw the show when it was performed at the New Vic, not knowing I was going to replace anybody yet, and I was blown out of the water as an audience member. So when I was given the opportunity to audition I was really excited, and knew it was going to take a lot of stamina because it's such a physical show. There was already such a firm structure to Alice that I jumped right in and started to play within that structure, and was encouraged to bring my own imagination and comic timing to the roles. I was given a DVD of the Alice show as done at Lookingglass and I only watched it a few times in fear that I would lock Tony's performance in my mind. I wanted to make it my own. I mean, there had to be a reason why I was cast. I had to keep telling myself this in order to create, and the whole cast and Catlin encouraged me to go further with what I was doing. But all in all it was a really rushed job, and not until recently have I felt like I finally own it. Working on Argo was different in that I was there from the outset, and having worked with Mary before I knew how much she expects of her actors. But I remember showing up the first day and there only being two scenes written and a prologue. I had only done Shakespeare with Mary, but this was starting from scratch. We took it day by day, and every day new material would show up and we would throw it on its feet to see what worked and what didn't. Before I knew it, she had written a full character for me and my sensibility. It was exciting to see it all come together. It was as if she tricked us all into becoming our characters.

Working on literary adaptations like Argo and Alice, do you as an actor draw on the source text in addition to the adapted scripts?

The source materials for both of the productions were very important to me. I still read Alice in Wonderland and Through the Lookinglass because they are so much fun, and Catlin leaves certain lines for us to play with every night and I grab them right out of the source material to keep the Lewis Carroll wit. But the Alice stories are such a part of us, the stories are in our bones and you could hear the audience recognize that for themselves every night. All I knew about Jason and the Argonauts was that old movie with all the claymation that I watched as a kid. When I read the two sources for Argonautika, I realized how much material there was — enough to fill up four movies, and God knows how many plays. I found it difficult to get through it, but I did and in the long run it was worth it. My character was a mixture of two characters in the story so it was good to know both of those characters and draw from both of them to create the prophet Idmon.

How has Tony Hernandez's approach to the Alice roles affected your work?

Tony Hernandez was born into the circus and I wasn't, so I knew right away that things were going to change. Tony created an amazing structure that I get to play with every night, but like I said, I didn't want to lock Tony's performance in my mind, so I had to find a way to bring myself to the roles and I think with the help of Catlin and the cast, that is exactly what has happened. The performance has been modified to fit the actor Jesse J., and I hope it’s just as exciting.

You've now worked with two of Lookingglass' most prominent directors, Mary Zimmerman during Argonautika and now Artistic Director David Catlin. Are there commonalities in their working style? How are they different?

Both Mary and Catlin put so much trust on their actors so part of their genius is their casting. I haven't been through a whole rehearsal process with Catlin, so it’s something to look forward to, but the support and direction I did get was completely encouraging. He is so playful and sometimes he would say things that would be the key to the character. I remember him telling me to find my own Red Queen and to trust my own comic timing, because it’s better than his. I don't know if that’s true. Now Mary Z. on the other hand I've worked with a lot, and we have gotten to a point where she doesn't need to say much and I know exactly what she wants. I feel completely free in her rehearsal room and not afraid to try anything. I have fallen flat on my face so many times in front of her that there is nothing to hide. I remember her having a conversation with her lighting designer once during tech, and he was trying to figure out where I was going to stand on stage so he could light me and Mary turned to him and said, “He hasn't found it yet, so just keep following him until he does.” This made me feel like a real actor and part of a collaborative team with endless possibilities. I felt myself being part of something special. Both of these directors are amazing and I could see myself working with them forever. I consider both of them really close friends and colleagues, which makes the work that much easier and that much more exciting. And I have so much love and respect for them as artists. Lookinglass really knows how to pick them.

Jumping into such a physically demanding play, were there any moments in the show that were especially hard or easy to do?

The caterpillar and the mad tea party are the two hardest scenes for me. Not only because they are the two most physical scenes, but because your focus has to be at its highest point. There is no room for error. There is no resting in Lookingglass Alice. There are a lot of tricks in these scenes and I always get really nervous, but I'm getting better at them. The Red Queen scenes are easier, because I feel like I know her really well, and there is a nice through line written out for her so I just follow the text and listen.

Who is your favorite character to play in the show?

The Red Queen is my favorite, because I control the world. She preaches, but definitely doesn't practice what she preaches. She's mad royalty and needs to get what she wants, otherwise, it’s off with your head! No reigns could hold her back. There also is a bit of a sad clown quality to her, which I love.