Steel Drums and Dreams

Juliette Jeffers is an actor, writer, producer, director and educator. She has graced the stage, the screen, and the internet, for over twenty years--with no signs of stopping anytime soon. We asked Juliette a few questions about her experience as a performer to see just how she manages to do it all.

Juliette Jeffers in "Pan Gyul" at the 2015 Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival

Having experience in many different aspects of entertainment (writing, directing, acting, producing), do you have one area that you prefer, or one that you are particularly passionate about?
I love all aspects but am particularly passionate about acting, mostly because it's my first love. It's something I've wanted to do since I was a young child. So, succeeding in this field has been rewarding on so many levels.

Can you briefly describe your experience in taking your solo show on the road?
My favorite experience on the road was performing Batman and Robin in the Boogie Down in the Virgin Islands. It was through the Women Wise Conference on St. Thomas and St. Croix. The whole experience from the travel arrangements and accommodations through the actual performances went smoothly. But the biggest joy was being able to inspire young Caribbean girls. That was priceless.

How many solo shows have you now written?
I've written three solo shows.

And how do you feel about each of them, since they are all different?
Batman and Robin in the Boogie Down has a special place in my heart because it was my first piece, and it was inspired by my brother's death in 1996. It was also nominated for a Drama Desk Award in New York, which was such a huge validation for me. After the intensity of my first solo show, ChocolateMatch.Com was pure comic relief. As a Caribbean-American, I'm always looking for opportunities to share our stories and I'm able to do that with Pan Gyul. It's also a great educational tool.

What were the most difficult moments in your solo plays to share with audiences?
In Batman and Robin in the Boogie Down, I reveal that I was sexually abused by my uncle when I was a child. That was difficult to share in the beginning, but I've had countless women come up to me after the show and thank me. So the fact that it has such healing potential dissolves any fear that I had. In ChocolateMatch.Com, I was concerned about appearing desperate. In Pan Gyul, my biggest challenge was learning to play the steel pan drum.

You have experience as an educator teaching workshops. Do you have one specific piece of advice you would give to aspiring performers?
Some people are stuck because they want to figure out the structure and the whole story, so they won't begin writing until they figure it all out. JUST START WRITING! Figure out the structure later. Nothing is a waste of time. Writing is therapeutic whether you share it or not.

What exactly do you teach, and how does teaching add to your creativity as an artist? 
I've been teaching acting for about six years, but I really found my niche when I started teaching solo show workshops. My solo show workshop is entitled, "Release and Let Go". Release the story. Let go of the fear. Helping others find and share their voice through the structure of my class has deepened my creativity. It continues to inspire and fuel my profound need to express. It validates the fact that I was born to do this.
 


See Juliette Jeffers in her one woman show, "Pan Gyul", on June 19th at the Ivy Substation. To buy tickets, please go to our website, www.lawtf.org.