[NEohioPAL] Berko: Spotlight on Jacques-Pierre Brault

[Roy Berko]

Profile: Pierre-Jacques Brault—theatre founder with an
eye on the future

Roy Berko 
Member, Theatre Critics Association

In this age of diminishing corporate support for the
arts, the tight economy, limited theatre venues and a
competitive market for audiences, what would motivate
a young college graduate and some of his friends to
create a professionally based, not-for-profit
community supported stock theatre?

The odds obviously didn’t phase creative and dedicated
Pierre-Jacques Brault and his life-partner, Brian
Marshall.  In 1998, they dedicated themselves to
providing entertaining, enlightening and high quality
premiere or rarely performed works for the audiences
of Greater Cleveland.  Ten years later, while other
well-intentioned theatrical venues have come and gone,
Mercury Summer Stock (MSS) is alive and well.

How and why did MSS come into being?  In a recent
interview, with eyes flashing and an endearing smile
creasing his handsome face, Brault, a 1997 Notre
Dame-Cathedral Latin graduate, related the story of a
stage struck Beachwood kid, with a dream to create
theatre.  He started at age 8, being the only child in
the Music School Settlement’s ‘AMAHL AND THE NIGHT
VISITOR.’  He continued to perform under the guidance
of Jill Koslen and Laura Gee, the artistic directors
of the Beachwood and the Heights Youth Theatres.  He
even found himself on stage with his mother in Solon
Player’s production of ‘MAME.’  It was only natural
that he gravitated to Baldwin Wallace, with its
nationally recognized musical theatre program headed
by Vicky Bussert.  

During their freshman and sophomore years, Brault and
Marshall wanted a new challenge.  They realized that
Cleveland had no musical summer stock company. 
Borrowing seed money from friends and family, the
dynamic duo, produced ‘FALSETTOS’ in the Ensemble
Theatre space in the Civic in Cleveland Heights.  They
continued to use the venue through 2001 after which
Ensemble had to abandon the space when the building
was sold.  

Brault, who has directed and taught at Stage Door
Manor, the well-known Catskill Mountain summer theatre
camp for aspiring theatre students (grads include
Natalie Portman, Zach Braff and Jon Cryer), directed
at the Virginia Musical Theatre, Chagrin Valley Little
Theatre and Willoughby Fine Arts.  He also was
involved in productions of the Repertorie Theatre of
St. Louis and the Great Lakes Theatre Festival, where
he was the assistant to Choreographer Janet Watson for
‘GYPSY,’ which starred Donna McKechnie. 

Kids often recognize Pierre-Jacques for his run in
‘BLUES CLUES.’  Broadway?  Well, close.   He appeared
in the off-Broadway show, ‘IN MY DREAMS I’M SURROUNDED
BY NAKED MEN.  (“Yes,” he said, with a sly grin and a
slightly red face, “I was a naked man!”)

Since MSS found a home at Parma Little Theatre, it has
grown its audience by 47%.  The patrons include young
families, adults ranging from 25-45 and a strong
senior citizen following (about 40% of the audiences.)
 Braunt feels the theatre is having an impact on the
west-side of Cleveland, Parma, Parma Heights and
Bedford Heights.

The future for Mercury Summer Stock?  For its 10th
anniversary MSS will present revivals of ‘HONK,’
‘BLOOD BROTHERS,’ and a premiere production of ‘THE
UTTER GLORY OF MORRISEY HALL.’

The future for Pierre-Jacques Brault?  Next spring he
will be directing ‘THE FANTASTICS’ for Ensemble
Theatre and the summer will find him directing at Cain
Park.  He and Marshall, who is presently appearing in
the Hanna Theatre’s ‘FORBIDDEN BROADWAY,’ have been
out and partnered since their freshman year of college
and are house looking.  The duo who graduated from
Baldwin Wallace in 2001, have “a healthy jealousy” and
“challenge and learn from each other.” “I’m looking
for a place to do my masters.”  “I’d like to direct in
New York.”  “I’d like to 
!  “You know, anything is
possible!” 

Yes, for this special and talented young man, anything
is possible!






Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2007, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info
      
Roy's theatre and dance reviews appear regularly on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/neohiopal.  His reviews also appear on www.coolcleveland.com


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