Jonna’s Body, Please Hold
Wellington Performing Arts Centre, Wellington
15/05/2009 - 15/05/2009
20/05/2009 - 20/05/2009
The Theatre Pitt, next Pitt St Methodist Church, Auckland
22/05/2009 - 22/05/2009
Production Details
JONNA’S BODY, PLEASE HOLD
"Captivating…Thoroughly original…Hilarious" – Daily Variety
"Witty," "Delightful," and "Unabashedly theatrical" – LA Times
"Jonna stole my heart…Heartfelt, funny and poignant" – Showmag.com
Nominated for Best Lead Actress and Best World Premiere Play – 2004 LA Ovation Awards
The one-woman play has been called "Captivating…Thoroughly original…Hilarious" by Daily Variety and "Witty…Delightful…Unabashedly theatrical" by the LA Times, while Showmag.com raved, "Jonna stole my heart…Heartfelt, funny and poignant". Nominated for two Los Angeles Ovation Awards – Best World Premiere Play and Best Lead Actress, the play is a cancerous dark comedy that ventures inside the crazy world of Jonna’s Body.
There life’s daily chaos is corralled by Pearl, Jonna’s loyal, internal receptionist, as she takes calls from the likes of Sgt. Coif leading a head full of unruly troops; Upper Back, frantically knotted and uptight; and Uta and Ula, begging to be released from their brassiere imprisonment.
When two intruders move in, killers who will stop at nothing to take over, the offbeat citizens of Jonna’s Body are suddenly thrown into their greatest battle ever, the fight to save Jonna’s life. It’s a wild ride into the realm of health, illness, joy and the beauty of life.
After the shock of surviving cancer, Jonna began writing about her experience. Her idea was to challenge the despair that so often dominates works dealing with similar issues. Because of her background in comedy writing and performing, a multi-character format emerged. The show has built a tremendous following and tours throughout the United States.
"What I really hated about having cancer was watching my identity narrow down to just this: being sick, having to go through treatment, and sitting around hoping to get well. There’s so much more to life than the sadness, seriousness and frustration that we associate with C-c-c-c-cancer. I wanted to make a show that expresses the fullness of life: the laughter, joy, silliness and power as well as the struggle," explains Jonna Tamases.
Jonna Tamases was raised in Palo Alto, CA. She attended Columbia and Stanford Universities and honed her comedic skills performing with several improv companies in San Francisco before touring the U.S. as a Ringling Bros. Circus clown. Now making her home in Los Angeles, Jonna writes and performs on stage, television and movies, including the recently completed movie version of "Jonna’s Body, Please Hold".
Director Randy Schulman has been honored with several major awards including the 2002 LA Weekly Awards Production of the Year and 2002 Garland Award Best Director for his play "La Gioconda." He was also awarded an Ovation in 2001 for Best Lighting Design for "Infinity," which also took home a 2001 LA Weekly Award for Best Sound Design and Best Lighting.
Running time of the performance is 1 hour with no intermission.
Themes:
The Patient Experience
The Magnificent Body
Transcendence, Perseverance, A Joyful Life
Demystifies the cancer boogeyman.
Educates new patients, families and friends, healthcare professionals about the patient’s experience.
Motivates patients about their lives during and beyond their treatment.
Promotes creative outlets to deal with the stresses of treatment.
Inspires joy, inner strength and perseverance.
Wellington
Friday, May 15 at 7:00pm
Wellington Performing Arts Centre, 36 Vivian St, Te Aro
TICKETS: $10 Ph: 04 389-8421
Presented by Cancer Society Wellington
Nelson
Wednesday, May 20 at 7:00pm
Suter Art Gallery, The Suter Te Aratoi O Whakatu, 208 Bridge Street, Nelson
TICKETS: $20
Buy your tickets from The Suter (548 4699)
or the Nelson Cancer Society (539-3662)
Presented by Cancer Society Nelson
Auckland
Friday, May 22 at 7:30pm
The "Theatre Pitt", Beside the Pitt Street Methodist Church
Pitt Street, Auckland
TICKETS: Suggested minimum "Koha" $10
Ph: Marie at 09 835-1890
Presented by Breast Cancer Support Inc., and Pilgram Productions Inc.
1hr, no interval
A triumph
Review by John Smythe 15th May 2009
The best show not in the Comedy Festival is Jonna’s Body, Please Hold – and if it was, it would be one of the best shows in it. About having cancer, and being a cancer survivor, it is funny, insightful, ingenious, dramatic and finally moving, not because it is sad, painful or overwhelming but because it has great spirit.
L.A.-based Jonna Tamases (married to a "little Kiwi grumpy clown") had worked with Californian improv troupes before the big C waylaid her, and in remission she became a clown with Ringling Bros Circus. This show sees her playing a range of parts of her own body, all trying to communicate with Jonna’s consciousness via a central ‘switchboard’ operated by consummate telephonist Pearl.
From Sergeant Coif, in charge of her hair, through her upper back, boobs and bowels to her long-suffering little toe, the internal struggles are played out inexorably while Jonna – not really listening to her body initially – attempts to fulfil her assumed destiny as a woman. Intriguingly Coif is English (Monty meets Henry V); her boobs, Uta and Ula, are East European, while the unwelcomed guests are Gallic: one suave and charming; the other malevolent and murderous.
Splendidly characterised, physically and vocally, the body activity scenarios are interspersed with direct address chat to the audience: Jonna simply telling her story. Being true, life-threatening and life-affirming, it is a dramatically rich experience, enhanced by her extremely engaging personality, sense of humour and performing skills.
In short: a triumph.
Having played once only in Wellington, it has single showings in Nelson then Auckland (click on title above for details). There is also an award-winning film version on DVD (go to www.jonnasbodymovie.com for details).
_______________________________
For more production details, click on the title above. Go to Home page to see other Reviews, recent Comments and Forum postings (under Chat Back), and News.
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
Comments