by Maria DeBlassie
Daily Lobo
If you like Vaseline, go see "The Big Funk."
The director, Brandon Scott Jensen, is part of Troop 147, an informal theater group that put the show together.
Jensen said 147 is his lucky number.
"Theater is all about luck," he said. "I don't believe in luck."
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"The Big Funk" was written by Oscar-winning playwright John Patrick Shanley.
The play is about a nice guy named Austin who encounters Jill, a woman covered head to toe in Vaseline.
"The Vaseline is weird and sexual," Jensen said.
The story unfolds at a dinner party held by Austin's friend Omar. Together Austin (Yannig Morin), Jill (Tristan Gonzalez), Omar (Edward U. Dean) and his wife Fifi (Dixie Mayfield), discuss where their lives are going.
The play is being performed through March 6 at The Vortex Theatre.
"It's a character-driven piece," Jensen said.
Jensen said he wasn't formally trained as a director but got his start at The Vortex Theatre working in the box office for shows and gradually moving into sound and light operation.
"Two years later, I was directing a show" Jensen said. "The Vortex is very nurturing."
He said he has a cinematic style of directing, and the show ended up a balance between what he envisioned and what the actors wanted.
He said he has also directed animation and films.
"I've always been an artist," he said. "I've been the person who takes control."
In terms of preparing for a show, Jensen said he always does as much as he can ahead of time and works with designers he trusts. He said his inspiration comes from within.
"I'm already working on my next play," Jensen said. "I try to improve upon every previous play."
Although he has no favorite play, Jensen said "The Big Funk" could prove to be it. The cast for the play is awesome, and what inspires him most is having people see his work, whether they love it or hate it, he said.
On opening night, Standing in Line and The Blue Room Band will perform after the play.
Mike McCabe, lead singer and rhythm guitarist of The Blue Room Band, said the group plays pop rock. Jensen said he met the band at an animation and music festival.
This will be their second time playing for him. The band is promoting its first CD and will be selling its music at the show and on its Web site.
"We want it to be good-times music," McCabe said. "We've found that people who have our CD have songs they can relate to."
McCabe said as long the crowd enjoys themselves, that's all that matters.
In keeping with that, Jensen said the main point of his play is to be entertaining.
"I'm a director, and I believe that if you have something to fall back on, you'll fall back," Jensen said. "If I say I'm going to do something, then I will do it come hell or high waters."
