I found “The Syringa Tree” when it was in its infancy, in Larry Moss’s acting class in Santa Monica. One of the very first things I noticed in Pamela Gien’s work was her physical grace and her stamina, both qualities I later learned were helped immeasurably by her work with Jean-Louis Rodrigue. Jean-Louis didn’t just help Pamela focus her energy, prepare for her performances, and connect her voice to her body, but he quite literally helped her CREATE many of the characters in her remarkable piece. He helped her distinguish them from one another, and he helped her with her “magic” of morphing from one to another through his insights into how and where each one’s energy was based, and how to dance with those energies. But perhaps most importantly, to my role as producer, at least, Jean-Louis helped Pamela maintain her energy through a very, very long run. Unlike almost every other play you are likely to have seen, ours did not have an understudy, so we were totally dependent on Pamela’s being able to do a seven-show week, week in and week out, for more than a year — without getting sick, getting injured, or having drop-offs of energy or focus. If she had succumbed to any of these afflictions the play would have suffered, my investors would have lost money, and it would have closed. That’s all just Jean-Louis’ work and the effects of his work. What none of this gets at is the pleasure Jean-Louis is to be with — what a generous, supportive spirit he is to have around a production. Jean-Louis is not just a remarkably talented man, but a remarkable man.
