The incomparable Jill Bari Steinberg, currently appearing in our production of Carson McCuller's stunning play The Member of the Wedding, was just named one of STYLE Weekly's Top 40 Under 40- the young men and women who are transforming Richmond! Which means it's high time for me to get on the ball and get Jill Bari's answers to Pivot/Lipton's questionnaire.JB has also appeared in Barksdale's productions
of Brooklyn Boy, The Constant Wife, The Syringa Tree (after a Phoebe-award winning turn in Theatre Gym's production), Fifth of July, The Man Who Came to Dinner, and The Laramie Project (in association with Richmond Triangle Players). AND she appeared in Theatre Gym's productions of My Children! My Africa!, A Devil Inside (by Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright David-Lindsay Abaire), Heathen Valley, The Cripple of Inishmaan, and How I Learned to Drive. AND at Theatre IV in Peter Pan and Babes in Toyland. AND at the Firehouse Theatre Project in As Bees In Honey Drown, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Bat Boy: the Musical.Where have I been? It is so past time! So here goes:
1. What is your favorite word?
Such a hard question. Words are amazing. I love them all. But one of my favorites is Life.
2. What is your least favorite word?
I really love all the bad words too but Extermination is a bad thing.
3. What turns you on [creatively, spiritually or emotionally]?
Humor, wit, humility, vulnerability
4. What turns you off?
Arrogance, conceit and when somebody THINKS they are funny.
5. What sound or noise do you love?
My Father's Voice
6. What sound or noise do you hate?
Gun shots
7. What is your favorite curse word?
(have it at it. I obviously won't post it for real, but in some approved somewhat censored fashion) !@#$%^ &*()_+ is hilarious but it is so hard to pick just one. I am also learning some interesting lingo from the kids in the cast of MOTW such as “What the Krunk?” and “That is so sketch!”
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
OK – This is seriously the hardest question to answer. The list is long but to narrow it down as much as possible I will say food critic, art curator or art historian, wine maker, photographer, children’s talent agent, judge on Top Chef.
9. What profession would you not
like to do?
Knife throwers assistant or anything involving Clowns. (please do not post a clown pic here or it will scare me)
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Welcome Jill Bari, meet your Grandfather Bernard. We have been waiting for you for a long time.
--Billy Christopher Maupin
6 comments:
What about your ma's voice?
(:
Of course JB was also a Phoebe award winner for How I Learned to Drive, but more importantly was a part of several winners. Opinions of the Phoebes aside, this speaks highly to her contribution to an overall production. One of my favorite people to work with, congrats JB.
The many nominations do speak highly of her work. However-and I was also mistaken in this until Jill Bari set me straight-she was nominated for How I Learned to Drive, but her other award was from 1991 in A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller.
Oy, Ma! You know I love you! But how telling that the first comment here was from my mother? That cracks me up. And thank you Steve and Billy Blogopher for your kind words.
Mama Mia! Your Mother and My Mother must meet! So funny!
On a non-theatre note I will also mention that JB works with me at the Library of Virginia. Within her first three months on the job, JB planned our Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign (this is the states way of asking you to donate to your favorite charity), a luncheon honoring our volunteers, a holiday breakfast with over 50 gifts that she solicited from business in the community and our yearly Service Awards. I thought her head would explode, but no…she somehow managed to juggle (no clowns used) all these events with style and grace and never once screamed “Calgon take me away!”
You are multi-talented JB and I am glad to call you friend!
Jill Bari and her work are a perfect example of why Richmond needs Theatre Gym. With all the not-so-long-ago blog chat on the Timber-Line about innovation, it occurs to me that Theatre Gym was one of the few truly innovative ideas in Richmond theatre in recent memory. When you comin' back, Red Ryder?
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