In the grand tradition of the greats whose comedy dances with the darkness (a la Bill Murray), Jennifer Simard has a rare brand of humor that is rooted in pathos. She embodies her roles, even the larger-than-life characters, as whole humans who you can imagine having a full life outside of the scenes of the play. Her Broadway resume includes a litany of musical comedies, such as The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Shrek the Musical, a Tony nominated star turn in Disaster!, and a scene-stealing performance as Ernestine in Hello, Dolly!
Simard will be taking her astute sensibility to the solo performance sphere when she presents Stigma at The Green Room 42 on September 9th, tackling mental health stigma through song and performance. I spoke with the actress about her upcoming show, including what audiences can expect from Stigma, the relationship between comedy and tragedy, and her fears about tackling the topic of mental health.
What inspired you to put this show together?
I was initially inspired by language. I became very aware of how often I heard people refer to others they purportedly like as crazy.
What kind of material can people expect from your show?
It’s less a cabaret show in my mind and more a theatrical piece of storytelling, stand-up and ZERO musical theater songs. It’s 85% rock/alternative, 10% pop and 5% other. I love the songs and can’t wait to rock out. While I do reveal things about my own life, it is in service of a larger arc and I hope, universal.
This show will mark your NYC solo debut. How is performing as yourself different than as a character?
It feels both more empowering and more vulnerable to perform as myself. Keep in mind there is still a heightened theatricality to the piece so in a way, it’s still a character. I mean I’m not gonna be up there in my jammies and sipping coffee, which is the real me.
You are known for your comedic roles on and off-Broadway. It appears that this show may be a darker delve. How do you conceptualize the relationship between comedy and drama?
I truly believe the best comedy always has pathos underneath it. Pain and comedy are interlinked. I love the push-pull of it. Plus, the light loves the darkness.
Simard in Disaster! (Photo: Jeremy Daniel)
You were most recently seen as Ernestina in Hello, Dolly!, which is a musical comedy about rejoining the world after devastating loss. How does comedy help you to cope?
Comedy always makes me feel close to my late Mother. She was the funniest woman I knew. It reminds me of the importance of letting some things just roll off your back and to enjoy life. You never know how many rotations around the sun you’ll get so enjoy it.
What has been your own experience with mental health struggles and stigma?
Ahh, these I reserve for my viewing audience. It’s one thing I love about theater. It’s a moment in time, just for us.
You show is named “Stigma”. What role do you think mental health stigma plays in the theater community? Do you think there is a stigma that prevents stage actors from being more open publicly about their mental health struggles?
I think we’re in the infancy or adolescence of talking about it. Glenn Close was a pioneer in 2010 when she formed “Bring Change To Mind” [you can visit their website by clicking on Bring Change to Mind]. This is an organization dedicated to destigmatizing mental illness. I absolutely think people have not discussed it more out of fear of not being hired. I’ve been working on this show for well over a year and was scared the day we dropped the announcement i.e. what would people think? We dropped the title and photographs (fear and all) and literally the next day, Patti Murin came out publicly with her Instagram post about anxiety [you can read Murin’s essay about her anxiety by clicking on Refinery29]. My shoulders dropped and I thought, “Ahh, sign from God? I don’t know, but I’m not the only one who wants to talk about this.” Also note, my show touches upon other areas that are stigmatized such as beauty and sexuality both of which can also feed into one’s self- esteem and mental health.
Stigma at The Green Room 42
What do you hope the audience takes away from “Stigma”?
This show on Sunday September 9th at The Green Room 42 will be its maiden voyage. I’m excited to see what we have and what its future may hold. I hope my stories make people feel more comfortable to share their own. There’s a school of thought that evenings like this should just be about the music without too much about oneself. I honestly see the wisdom in that and it’s value and intend on that ideology for other shows I’m currently working on. In this case, however, I think it’s imperative to the overall point. If one person, who appears to have all the trappings of success shares their story, warts and all, then another one might and then another and then another, and that’s how you destigmatize. You talk about it. You share. You release the shame one word at a time.
To find out more about Stigma at The Green Room 42 on Sunday, September 9th at 7:00 pm, please visit The Green Room 42 website. Following her show at The Green Room 42, Simard will be taking on her next role in Mean Girls. To get tickets, visit Mean Girls.
