Featured photo: Jessica Sherr performing on the Royal Mile (outdoor stage) to promote her show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland
Written by Tanya Terry
After being told multiple times she resembled Bette Davis, Jessica Sherr eventually became the playwright and actress of a one-person play about the legendary silver screen actress.
“I’d be walking down the streets of New York, and people would stop me and I kept getting stopped and they’d say: ‘You look like a young Bette Davis,”’ Sherr explained. “I thought, ‘wow, that’s such a strange thing to be told over and over again from strangers.’”
Davis, who lived from 1908–1989, had a career spanning more than 50 years.
Sherr believes the play appeals to all audiences, whether they are fans of Davis or not.
“I think the thing about Bette is she was a trailblazer, and she was the first woman of that time period to really speak up for actors’ rights-to be treated fairly and paid fairly.” Sherr expressed. “Here it is all these years later and we’re still having the same conversations. But, what I find most interesting is her personality. She’s really a firecracker. To those folks who may not have their own inner voice, when you hear how Bette stood up for herself and spoke her mind as a little 5’3” person, I find it very inspiring for all audiences.”
Sherr currently resides in New York, New York, which she moved to from California. Sherr had heard of Davis and knew of her as an older actress, never having seen her in her younger years. She had never seen a film by Davis until her late 20s. When she kept being told she looked like the actress, she finally looked her up online.
Sherr believes the main physical similarity is in the two actresses eyes.
“We both have big eyes.”
The first movie Sherr saw starring Davis was “Now, Voyager.” After reading Davis’ bio, she became more curious about how Davis fought the studio system.
“It was 10 years ago when this all began, and I never thought I’d have a solo show. I never thought I’d be successful.”
But Sherr’s mentor had told her if she wanted to be anything in New York, she had to have her own show.
In Sherr’s acting class she had to represent a famous actress. She decided to opt to represent an actress she was less familiar with.
“The class presentation turned into every Saturday for 13 weeks we would perform off-off-off Broadway.”
From there, each year, Sherr would find a place to perform-whether the New York Fringe Festival in 2011 or Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland, “the largest, most challenging festival of theatre, in the world.” Ultimately, she went on tour with the show.
The show focuses on Davis’ 1930s struggle and 1940s struggle during which Davis was fighting Warner Bros. to free herself from what she called “like slavery,” Davis’ multiple failed marriages, her daughter, her loneliness and her very special relationship with her mother (a single mother who sacrificed greatly).
Sherr will present her show at 2 p.m. March 10 at the Capitol Theatre. For tickets, visit https://www.capitoltheatreflint.com/events/detail/bette-davis.
