A Conversation With Playwright/Actress Shelley Cooper, "Jenny Lind Presents P.T. Barnum," Asylum @ Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre, Hollywood Fringe Festival, by James Scarborough

Shelley Cooper’s “Jenny Lind Presents P.T. Barnum” blends historical research and operatic performance to reimagine the story of one of the 19th century’s most intriguing figures. Cooper’s portrayal of Jenny Lind, the Swedish Nightingale, captures the internal conflict of a woman who was simultaneously celebrated and exploited. The production examines Lind’s complex relationship with P.T. Barnum, exposing the moral ambiguities and societal challenges of their era. Cooper’s performance transitions between dramatic monologues and operatic arias. Her voice breathes new life into Lind’s repertoire, transforming each song into a poignant reflection of Lind’s emotional journey. Dr. Michelle Crouch’s direction maintains a dynamic pace, balancing historical narrative with musical interludes. Megan Hoppe’s evocative costumes allow Cooper’s performance to shine. The production comments on fame, exploitation, and personal agency. Cooper reclaims Lind’s voice, offering us insight into the struggles and triumphs of a pioneering artist.

JS: How did you conceive the idea for “Jenny Lind Presents P.T. Barnum”? What inspired you to bring this historical narrative to the stage?

SC: This answer has a few moving parts that I will do my best to explain here. I was performing my other one woman show La Divina: The Last Interview of Maria Callas in the Quad Cities (where I live) that has a rich Scandinavian Heritage. I was being reviewed by our local paper, the River Cities Reader, and the reporter, Rochelle Arnold, said “her performance reminded me of that of Jenny Lind, another famed opera singer who was also known as the “Swedish Nightingale” due to her beautiful voice.” I knew of Jenny Lind, but not much specific information. I work for Augustana College that was founded by Swedish Immigrants and they used to offer the Wallenberg Grant, which supports scholarship and promotion of Scandinavian culture. I had vaguely remembered an email I received a couple months prior calling for grant proposals that I brushed off at the time because I did not have a project in mind. I quickly looked in my e-mail inbox and saw that the deadline to apply was in 5 days! So I wrote a grant proposal in 5 days to write and produce this new show on Jenny Lind….and I received the grant! Some of the other signs where I knew I needed to write this piece was when I began my early research, before I even wrote my grant application, I saw the repertoire she sang and it’s the same as mine. Also, the one concert she gave in Indiana was at my Alma mater, Hanover College. The same stage I learned how to sing classically. It was fate!

JS: In portraying Jenny Lind, what aspects of her character and story did you find most challenging?

SC: I find her dedication to her religion one of the most challenging. She was a very religious woman and had such a strong faith. I am not an atheist, but I am certainly not super religious like her. Her Swedish dialect and making sure its authentic and not cartoonish is a huge challenge.

She quit opera because did not like playing characters with loose moral values; my favorite part of singing and performing is playing characters of all walks of life, so while I cannot relate to why she quit opera, I love the challenge of playing someone who is not like me. The challenges have made the piece that much more fun for me to perform!

One of the most challenging parts of writing and performing this show is that I do not have footage of her singing or speaking. With my first show, there is a TON of footage of Maria Callas in performance and interview. I could watch a lot of this and learn how to portray her. With Jenny Lind, I am making a lot of assumptions based on historical research, studying Swedish and religious culture in general. I was able to find a book of letters she wrote to one of her best friends in Germany that were translated to English. Finding this book was SO helpful in understanding the way she spoke, how to find her voice as I was writing her.

JS: How did your background in musical theatre and opera influence your approach to writing and performing this show?

SC: My show would be nothing without my background in Musical Theatre and Opera. I am also a director, and this has had a huge influence on me in terms of how to structure a story, how to pace a show, and always remember my why. Why am I on stage in this moment? With all of my experience in Musical Theatre and Opera, not only being involved, but seeing a lot of it, I have learned to be very specific. For my style of solo theatre, I like it to take place in one evening and to not span many years. I have seen historical productions that span many years and even with multiple characters, that is really challenging, let alone, one character. Also, there needs to be a clear reason WHY I am on stage. I am not just here to chat with an audience, I’m here to pursue some sort of objective, to get something out of someone. This because super challenging when you are the only one on stage, but that’s where my actor’s imagination comes in.

JS: What do you hope audiences will take away from Lind’s story of her relationship with P.T. Barnum?

SC: Firstly, I hope audiences see the true story of Jenny Lind and what actually transpired between her and P.T. Barnum. Let’s just say, The Greatest Showman tell a very, very different story that I hope my show can “fact check”. Also, the universal message of what it feels like to have a vocational crisis and how you handle that. How do you still have a career you love, while keeping your core values intact.

JS: Elaborate on the research process for this production. Were there any surprising discoveries that shaped the narrative?

SC: Yes! I would say the biggest discovery of this piece, what I have called my smoking gun, was when I discovered the racist history of P.T. Barnum and how Jenny dealt with that. When researching Jenny Lind, I was discovering that she was a very Godly woman, almost perfect. I thought, well this is going to be a very boring night at the theatre! But once I started doing more research into her tour with P.T. Barnum and discovering how he became to be “the greatest showman”, I realized there was a rich social justice history here. And Jenny herself was not perfect in her initial reaction to slavery in the United States, but as she toured in the US, she saw her silence on the topic was deafening and ultimately needed to quit the tour because of it. When Jenny Lind came to tour with P.T. Barnum, she witnessed a nation torn a part over slavery and she was on the wrong side of things

With this show specifically, imposter syndrome reared it’s ugly head quite a bit. I was excited about the project, and then I would judge what I wrote. I tried so many different styles and tools to make my story clearer, when in all reality, it made it more complicated. I had a zoom reading where I was raked over the coals (and I deserved it). It was hard. Really hard.

However, falling on my face in this Zoom reading was the wake up call I needed. I took a few months off from writing. After these few months, I went back to my script and simplified some things. I had a scheduled an in person reading that I was very tempted to cancel….but I didn’t. I’m glad I didn’t. This reading not only showed me how to right Jenny Lind’s story for history, but to highlight this universal idea of vocational crisis. So the biggest lesson I keep learning on this theatrical journey is: dare to fail. (This advice is easier said than done).

JS: How did you collaborate with Dr. Michelle Crouch on the direction? What elements did she bring to the production?

SC: Collaborating with Dr. Michelle Crouch has been my favorite part of the process. She is a constant collaborator and someone I trust immensely, which is vital when creating a piece like this. She is an opera singer herself, so she knows the repertoire and importance of music very well. What she also brings with her a wealth of knowledge of Swedish culture, because she is of Swedish Heritage, and she is a very religious woman. Her faith is something extremely important to her. She was able to help me with the moments where I reference specific bible passages and more importantly, she is the one that made me zero in on this idea of vocational crisis. I had never heard of this idea of vocational crisis until her and she informed me that it is a major part of the Lutheran Faith, which Jenny was.

JS: The show critiques Barnum’s exploitation of Lind. How do you think this historical exploitation parallels modern issues in the entertainment industry?

SC: Barnum represented an answer to Jenny’s prayer. She wanted to be able to continue doing what she loved to do which was sing, not having to perform opera roles, while making a large amount of money to open music schools in Sweden. Barnum was able to offer this, but not without a huge cost to her well-being. She faced a moral crisis because she did not agree with relentless marketing of her and her touring conditions. She would sing an average of one concert every 3 days under every imaginable condition and in geographical areas requiring long journeys, often make with questionable transportation. She felt trapped and suffocated because if she left this tour, her dream of sharing her voice with the US and making money to give the charity would be impossible. The modern parallels with this are endless, sadly, especially for women. As theatre artists we are taught to never say no in an audition or a rehearsal. If we stand up for ourselves, we are seen as difficult and will not work again. There are so many unpaid gigs, but good for exposure, which the industry relies on. JS: Your performance includes operatic pieces by composers who admired Lind. How did you select these pieces? What do they add to the narrative?

SC: I did a lot of research looking into old programs listing the selections she would sing. Michelle also sent me some sheet music to look into for more ideas. I would do a lot of rehearsals without music to get the script down solid. However, what I discovered through that process was how vital music was. Jenny LOVED giving concerts and sharing her voice with people. It was such an intrinsic part of her, such a joyful part of her, that without the music, you lose an enormous amount of what makes Jenny who she was.

JS: What are the differences between portraying historical figures like Jenny Lind and fictional characters in your previous works?

SC: It’s honestly very similar, but if I had to say the major differences, with historical pieces, I have so much research on a specific person to build a character. With a fictional character, my character work begins with script and score study. I look at what other characters say about her and how she describes herself-this tells me so much about my character. Both require a lot of research on time period, style, music, etc.

JS: Are there other historical figures or themes you are interested in exploring?

SC: Yes! I am currently in the very, very early stages of writing a one woman show on Lotte Lenya, the wife and muse landmark composer, Kurt Weill. One of my favorite directing experiences was directing The Threepenny Opera in May 2022. While this production took me out of my comfort zone in terms of style, the challenge was exhilarating. Since Threepenny, I have had the idea of writing a solo show on Austrian/German singer and Broadway performer, Lotte Lenya, but could never figure out; Lenya’s story requires a lot grit, vulnerability, and discussing topics that make me uncomfortable. Lenya’s story is from literal rags to riches. She went from being a physically abused victim by her father in Austrian poverty to the muse of Theatre Greats, Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht. She was a child prostitute turned Tony award winning Broadway star. Lenya was hugely successful in developing musical theatre as an art form that makes bold statements on society and politics.

Performances are Wednesday, June 26, 2024, at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, June 27, at 11:00 p.m., and Sunday, June 30, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are a suggested donation of $15.00, or Pay What You Can. The Asylum @ Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre is located at 5636 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90038. For more information, click here.

Here’s a preview of Cooper bringing her character to life.

A portion of the proceeds of this performance will go to the LA Women’s Theatre Festival to continue to encourage female writers to share their stories.