Jonathan Tolins’s multicharacter megalogue—starring Florida Rep’s Kody  C. Jones —is an outrageous comedy about the price of fame, the cost of things, and the oddest of odd jobs.

Buyer and Cellar is a hilarious fictional account of one man’s experience working in the basement shops of Barbra Streisand’s home. Alex More, a struggling actor in L.A. takes a job working in the Malibu basement of the beloved megastar. One day, making a rare appearance, the Lady Herself comes downstairs to play.

Even if you don’t give a hoot about divas and divalogy – you’ll find yourself hopelessly involved in this simple, silly, sweet-and-sour story of people… who need people… enough to buy people.


What is your most treasured possession?

Kody C Jones: My most treasured possession is a tough one because its my dog and I consider her my daughter more than a possession. I’ve had her for almost ten years and she has been on this wonderful journey with me all over the U.S. ever since.


Why do a one-man show?

KCJ: The reason I did a one-man show is because I was looking for a challenge. I’ve done over a 100 plays and many of them were two person productions and I remember how challenging they were. Relying on just one other person to tell a story and transform an audience to another world. The thought of doing it alone seemed near impossible so I was hungry for the opportunity to try it.


Tell us a little about touring.

KCJ: Touring can be a lot of fun but its also a lot of work. It becomes a lifestyle of sorts. It changes your routine immensely including how you eat and exercise and how you spend your personal time. But its an amazing adventure and I couldn’t think of any better way to see new places and meet new people. Every audience is also different and their energy and reactions can change throughout a tour depending on what region you are in. That keeps you on your toes as an actor and changes it up for you during the show.


What is your greatest extravagance?

KCJ: My greatest extravagance is probably my obsession with Holiday decorations, specifically Christmas, Easter, and Halloween. I just love taking time out of the year to celebrate something and spend time with friends and family.


What playwright or actor would you most like to meet?

KCJ: An actor whose work I really honor and enjoy would have to be Benedict Cumberbatch. I actually took a course from him in London, England in 2006 before his fame really started to hit. He’s a very decisive and carefully actor, who uses his brain to its utmost potential with every single delivery. Being the character isn’t enough for him, he as the actor needs to understand the character and every complexity that character might exhibit.


If, or when, you become wildly famous, where would you most want to present your work?

KCJ: An all-expense paid gig? I’d go back to London. I studied theatre there for almost four months and loved the timeless and historic feel of the area and how theatre was not an extra hobby or art form that only a select few creative types might enjoy but a form of entertainment that was a major focus in that country. Citizens were united there in seeing it’s overwhelming benefits to its people, and not just for entertainment but an outlet for exploring humanity and asking ourselves questions about society and the world we live in.


What is your favorite one liner from Buyer & Cellar?

KCJ:My favorite line from Buyer and Cellar, towards the end of the play, Alex says “All that effort, All those things” referring to the massive collection in Barbara’s basement. I think this is a perplexing realization. We live in a world or society that constantly promotes the idea of obtaining more. Tangible items in particular, and obtaining the wealth to acquire such “things”. We become obsessed with getting and obtaining and forget about the process and not so tangible things we experience in life like failing, loving, and dreaming.


Performances for October 6-7 & 12-14 at 8pm. October 8 & 15 at 2 pm. Individual tickets to each show are $25, $11 for students or $22 for Alliance members. Ttickets for Thursdays and Fridays are buy one, get one 50% off using promo code IRMA.

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The Alliance for the Arts will present Diva Comedy Night on Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. in the theatre. This one night of side-splitting standup comedy features funny and fierce female comedians all from Florida.  General seating tickets are $15 for Alliance members and $20 for non-members.

About the Divas

Daughter of a Puerto Rican mom and a Salvadorian dad living in the South, Aniria Wilson lives the “Cultural Bermuda Triangle” daily!  Having moved here from El Salvador at the age of 6, the culture shock and the pleasing of 3 cultural expectations lingers in her witty observations.  Because she started her passion for stand up later in life, it quickly became therapy that helped her get through a divorce and juggling a new dating life with raising kids.  Now remarried, her repertoire has expanded.

Southwest Florida comic Sheena Reaga  was named runner up in Florida’s Funniest Female 2017. She’s been seen at Gotham Comedy Club NYC Lounge, Comedy Bar Chicago and was the Golden Invitee for the Key West Comedy Festival.  Opening for headliners such as Kevin Farley, Bobby Collins, Preacher Lawson and more, Reagan has been setting stages a blaze with her animated style and giant personality.

Just when you thought you knew what a comedian should look like, along comes Nancy Francis! A life long family woman and a 30 year veteran of the Real Estate Title Business this Librarian look-alike decided to take to comedy stages. Nancy’s take it or leave it Mom attitude transcends generations. Watching the audience watch this Grandmom “tell it like it is” must be seen.

From Fort Myers, FL, Mariannette is a professional actress and writer of over 25 years turned comedian.  She was a finalist in Nick @ Nite’s ‘America’s Funniest Mom’ and Winner of the 2nd Annual Comedians Ball in Florida and finalist in Comic Cure’s ‘Florida’s Funniest Female’. She has featured for top comedians like Craig Shoemaker, Michael Winslow, Judy Tenuta and Pauly Shore.

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Looking to be thrilled, chilled and fulfilled? The Alliance for the Arts’ presents an outdoor screening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. on the GreenMarket lawn. The event features local shadow cast, The Forbidden Triffids, who will be onsite selling prop bags.

Tickets are $10 presale or $15 at the door. Blankets and lawn chairs are welcome for first come, first serve seating. Food and beverages will be available for purchase, complimentary popcorn provided by Hello SWFL (no coolers please).

This event is sponsored in part by Art & Soul Tattoo and Gallery, Red Headed Witches and Hello SWFL.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is Rated R – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. Contains some adult material.

Stormy Seas by Patrick Conolly

The Alliance for the Arts’ October exhibit, Your Best Shot, will feature the works of photographers. The opening celebration will be held on Oct. 6 from 5 – 7 p.m.  Meet exhibiting artists and juror Steve Chase during a conversational walk and talk through the gallery as they discuss their works on Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. during SoCo Second Saturday Art Crawl.

From 189 entries, 51 pieces were selected by the juror. Artists include:

Don Agnello
Penelope Breen
Mila Bridger
Larry Brophy
Shari Brownie
Susan Marie Carlo
Hilda Champion
Dennis Church
Patrick Conolly
Virgen Dominguez
Sharon Eng
Jeanna Foxall
Nancy Green
Marc Harris
Marilu Holmes
Del Holt
John Ippensen
Amy Kellum
Hilary Kobrin
Karen Lund
Lewesa Major
Penny Marcario
Christopher Matsumoto
Lisette Morales
Carol Murphy
Christiana Nelson
Dana Nicloy
Linda ONeill
Joyce Owens
Roy E. Rodriguez
Paula Rucket
David Sampson
Jonathan Sauer
Carol Schmidt
Joan Sonnenberg
Ginger Stein
Buu Truong
Jen Yontz-Orlando
Holly Zammerilla

This year’s juror is Steve Chase. Chase’s photography has been exhibited throughout the state and nationally. His films have been screened at festivals both nationally and internationally.

Admission to the gallery is free, but a $5 suggested donation helps keep arts programming accessible.

 

Join us for Buyer & Cellar by Jonathan Tolins, an outrageous comedy about the price of fame, the cost of things and the oddest of odd jobs! Florida Rep’s Education Director, Kody C Jones, stars in this one-man show.

Buyer & Cellar opens Oct. 6 through Oct. 14. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. with 2 p.m. matinees on Sundays. Thursday and Friday performances are buy one, get one half off using promo code IRMA. The production runs 90 minutes.

Buyer and Cellar is a hilarious fictional account of one man’s experience working in the basement shops of Barbra Streisand’s home. Alex More, a struggling actor in L.A. takes a job working in the Malibu basement of the beloved megastar. One day, making a rare appearance, the Lady Herself comes downstairs to play.

Inspired by Barbra Streisand’s My Passion for Design, Buyer & Cellar is part truth, part fiction. The facts? Streisand has a shopping mall in the basement of her Malibu home, featuring a doll shop, an antique clothing store and a sweets shop, complete with a frozen yogurt machine, as detailed in her 2010 book. Jonathan Tolins takes the wackiness a step further as he imagines a man who is hired to work in the basement of the mall…with Babs as his only customer.

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