Poet, playwright and actress
Sarah Jones is poised on the brink. She's worked hard to get there, dazzling the underground poetry-slam and theater crowd for some time, garnering the adulation of audiences and peers. That brink may have reached its tipping point, however, with Jones debuting on Broadway in her reprised one-woman show, 'Bridge & Tunnel,' a staunch testament to the humanity of immigrant Americans.
Produced off-Broadway by actress
Meryl Streep, 'Bridge & Tunnel' hits the Great White Way for two months tonight -- in the tradition of another comedic black woman who amazed Broadway audiences over 20 years ago -- Whoopi Goldberg.
"Sarah Jones writes with spirit and daring, acts with heart and reckless abandon, and is as flat out hilarious as any of the fellas who kill doing standup," says Streep. "It's a great night, don't miss it."
In 'Bridge & Tunnel,' Jones seamlessly takes on the persona of a Pakistani accountant, a Haitian homebuyer, a Dominican teenager, a Vietnamese rapper, a Russian senior citizen -- and many more -- their pain and passion as evident as their accents.
"I get to zero in on somebody else story," Jones remarks. "I would call it traveling or visiting. I really want to demystify it because when I hear people saying, 'I'm channeling, yes it just moved through me,' that sounds like a digestive problem. It's not magic, it's the height of concentration."
In a long tradition of what she terms "one-person people," Jones comments that performers who can literally get into the skin of others are, in fact, a unique breed. "It's the connection to other people -- the idea that story telling is enhanced somehow by looking at it from multiple perspectives, instead of just one," she says.
Sarah Jones shares with Black Voices those actors and poets who have come before her and who have influenced her life and her work:Anna Deavere Smith, playwright, actress, recipient of MacArthur Genius Award; best known for two Obie-Award winning one-woman plays about racial tensions in America's cities - 'Fires in the Mirror' and 'Twilight: Los Angeles 1992.'
"She came to see 'Bridge & Tunnel,' I was so happy. I love her, I think she's great and brings a wonderful, intellectual passion to multi-character shows."
Whoopi Goldberg, actress; introduced to audiences through her one-woman show, 'Live on Broadway,' which was recently reprised. Oscar winner.
"She brings a comedic passion to her shows. There's no denying that she's a trailblazer. I think part of the reason that I'm able to do what I do is that she did what she did first."
Dael Orlandersmith, poet, playwright; Nuyorican Poets Caf‚ alum; won OBIE Award for one-woman play, 'Beauty's Daughter,' Pulitzer Prize nomination for play, 'Yellowman'
"Really strong. Honest. I don't want to call her an unsung hero because many people know who she is. She's an excellent example of one of those people who came up out of the underground scene. I think she's one of those voices that more people should be aware of."
Lily Tomlin, actress, introduced one-woman shows to audiences in the '70s; two Tony Awards: in 1977 and in 1986, the Best Actress (Play) Award for her one-woman show, 'The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe,' Won Mark Twain Prize for Humor in 2003.
''She's been really helpful to me and my career. And I think she is particularly unique because she's one of the only white people I've seen do a person of color in a way that reflects a basic humanity. I talked to her about it, she grew up in Detroit. She had black folks in her building and in her high school, so it shows. When you have a close proximity to people, it comes through in the work. And that's not the only reason I love her, I think she's this tremendous pioneer."
Danny Hoch, playwright, poet, actor; star of film 'Whiteboys (1999)' based on a character from his one-man show, 'Jails, Hospitals & Hip-Hop'
"I think he's devoted to a vision of multi-culturalism and especially his emphasis on hip hop. I think he's one of the best people I've ever seen do this kind of work. Ever."
John Leguizamo, comedian, actor, nominated for two Tony Awards in 1998: as Best Actor (Play) and as Author of Best Play nominee for his one-man show titled 'Freak'
"He's one of the first people I saw and I was like, how's that guy do it? Does he ever stop to take a break? Drink some water? I mean, he's like this crackling current of energy.''
Tracey Ullman, actress, comedienne; performed in black-face on her show, "Tracey Takes On..." (1996), without any controversy.
"She's really great, she's really accurate. A lot of the time, I think about what it would be like to have make-up and all of that kind of stuff, but I think she'd be brilliant without the make-up."
Ruth Draper, sought a professional career in the theatre in the 1920s by performing her own dramatic monologues, performed into her 70s.
"It sounds to me like she's the precursor to all of this stuff. And I'm fascinated that she's a woman. Because that empathy -- the ability to transcend the boundaries of your body -- seem particular to women. I can imagine that she could probably portray a man or a person outside her experience with better skill than maybe a man could, because they're not encouraged to learn to be like, or think like other people."
'Bridge & Tunnel' runs Jan. 12 - July 9, 2006 at Helen Hayes Theatre, 240 W. 44th Street, New York, NY, Telecharge: 212-239-6200 www.sarahjonesonline.com