A Collection of Recommendation Letters from Colleges and Universities

From Toby Emert, Ph.D., Department of English, Agnes Scott College Dear Producers, Program Directors, and Professors:   I write to highly recommend Stevie Jay and his one-man show Life Love Sex Death...and Other Works in Progress. I first saw a production of the show four years ago, and I knew immediately that it was one of the best solo performances I’d ever encountered. Stevie Jay is a master of blending personal accounts with comedy, rendering a show that is at once touching and hysterically funny. If you have the opportunity to sponsor a production of this work, I am confident your audiences will find it astonishingly relevant.   Stevie Jay, as evidenced by the writing in the show, is a brilliant thinker. He has spent a great deal of time considering his place in the world, and successfully conveys what he’s discovered in this theatrical piece. He has much to share with others who are exploring their own places in the world, as well as with those who aspire to develop their own theatrical and creative projects.   When I first saw Life Love Sex Death..., I was a performance reviewer for The C-ville Weekly in Charlottesville, Virginia, and I referred to Stevie Jay as a “wisecracking prophet.”  If you have an opportunity to hear some of what he has to say, and to bring his wisdom and humor to your students and audiences, you will have done a very good thing.   I would be happy to talk with you further about Stevie Jay and his show at any time. Feel free to contact me at 404-934-6426.   Sincerely,                                                                                                         Toby Emert Department of English, Agnes Scott College

From Lisa Freinkel, Associate Professor of English, University of Oregon   Dear Programmers,   I'm writing to you as both a faculty member (I am the Director of Comparative Literature in the English Department) and as someone who was involved in the Diversity Initiative back in 1999-2000, where I helped students and faculty think about programming designed to increase under-represented voices on campus. I'm also writing to you as a fan of the work of playwright/performance artist, Stevie Jay.   I saw Stevie Jay's show, "Life Love Sex Death...and other works in progress," about a year ago, and was floored by its wit and heart. It's a show that raises delicate and crucial issues about gender, sexuality and identity politics, and does so with a very loving touch. The show is also, simply, hysterically funny.   It would be wonderful if more schools around the country would bring Stevie Jay's unique program to their campus. Please let me know if I can be of any help in your decision making process. (freinkel@oregon.uorgeon.edu)   Best wishes,   Lisa Freinkel Associate Professor, Department of English, University of Oregon Director, Comparative Literature Program

From Amy Lemley, Board Member, Live Arts Performance Center   Dear Programmers:   As a board member of Live Arts, I have seen Stevie Jay's one-man show approximately ten times in the past three years, and have consistently experienced the profound effect his work has on the most diverse audiences imaginable¾men and women from all walks of life, of all ages, nationalities, sexual orientations, and worldviews.   With impeccable timing and a dynamic presence, Stevie has the ability to draw people out of their heads and into a world of passion¾delivering audience members home to their hearts¾home to their humanity.    While certain core themes of Stevie Jay’s work are shared with Lily Tomlin’s “Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe,” I would have to say that Stevie’s show is far more spontaneous, (a paradox considering its tightly-honed script) far more piercing in its realness and vulnerability, and far more apropos of the 21st century’s emotional climate.   To witness the inner life of this shining human being as he earnestly tries to make sense of a bewildering world¾to open up and connect with Stevie Jay¾is to experience art at its very best¾to experience the very best of ourselves. Indeed, unless one had fallen asleep during the show, it would be impossible to leave the theatre unchanged following this soulful tour de force.   Stevie Jay’s “Multi-Chakra Extravaganza” is nothing less than a timeless, transformational masterpiece. I highly recommend including this extraordinary work in your schedule of events.   Please feel free to contact me at amyklemley@yahoo.com if I can offer any additional information.   Sincerely,   Amy Lemley President, Amy Lemley Communications

From Dietrich Willke, Vice President of Activities Programming, Indiana University   Dear Programmers,   I am writing to you about an extraordinary performance artist named Stevie Jay who is currently on tour with an amazing one-man show called “Life Love Sex Death...and other works in progress.”  We brought Stevie to our campus in September 2003, and the response was so tremendous, he was invited back for subsequent performances in each of the following school years.  It is clear that Stevie’s show is destined to become an annual tradition at Indiana University.   Stevie Jay is an enormously talented comedian and playwright with an uncanny knack for getting inside the heads of his audience members and giving voice to emotionally-charged topics that are often difficult for people to discuss.  The material is thought-provoking while highly entertaining, interactive at times, and universal in content.   While Stevie’s show speaks to people of all ages, from all walks of life, his material is notably relevant to college-aged students as it presents cutting-edge perspectives on relationships, sex, sexuality, and identity.  I also found Stevie refreshing in his willingness to express himself bluntly at the risk of being tagged “politically incorrect.”   Our students are still quoting lines from his clever and hilarious script.   There is no question that Stevie Jay will soon be in high demand within the college circuit as the word about him is quickly spreading.  I hope you will take the opportunity to bring this unique and exciting program to your school in the coming year.   Please feel free to contact me directly at 954-357-6356 if you have any questions.   Sincerely, Dietrich Willke Vice President of Programming, Indiana University