Doug Fowler is Bette Davis, and Bailey Maxwell is Elizabeth Fuller in Me and Jezebel, now onstage at MainStage Irving/Las Colinas. (Photo courtesy of MainStage Irving/Las Colinas)
A Hollywood legend takes the stage by way of actor Fowler
RICH LOPEZ | Contributing Writer
richlopezwrites@gmail.com
Another theater is getting back on stage this week with live audiences — and an icon! MainStage Irving/Las Colinas continues its season with Me and Jezebel, only this time in real life. The play centers on a true story by Elizabeth Fuller who recalled the time cinematic legend Bette Davis stayed at her house for a rather lengthy visit. That may sound like a fabulous time, but actor Doug Fowler helps to answer the question: Was it really?
Fowler takes on the role of Bette Davis in the new show, sharing the stage with Bailey Maxwell, who plays Fuller, the author and host. Before opening night this Friday, Fowler talked about exploring the icon and making sure his performance isn’t a drag.
Dallas Voice: So, you’re Bette Davis. How’s that going for you so far? Doug Fowler: Well, so far it’s been great. Since this is a true story, we find ourselves talking about how people would really react in this situation, and we’ve talked about the characters at length as we’ve gone through rehearsals. The premise is that Bette stays with this woman in Connecticut for a month because of the hotel strike in New York and how their relationship evolves.
How did you feel about returning to the stage in a pandemic? I was a little nervous about COVID at first, and it helps that it’s a two-person show. But everyone has been really great about it, and I felt completely safe.
As an actor, there must have been feelings to receive the call that you got the role. It has been over a year-and-a-half since I’ve been on stage, and there’s been a lot of reflection in that time. It’s been a good thing, and I think much of that has manifested with this show, from choosing to audition for a show that I was interested in.
I mean, I love Bette Davis. So when I got the offer, I was just thrilled. There’s excitement but a little bit of nerves, honestly.
OK, enough about you. Let’s talk about you as Bette. What’s interesting about your role is that you’re creating a character who’s a real person but who was also kind of a character. Can you talk about crafting her? When people do her, they do a characterization of the actress that you see. To a certain degree, that might be a bit melodramatic today, but it’s also of her time.
A lot of what I’ve done is watch her movies, but I also watched lots of interviews to get her mannerisms and cadence.
Sounds like a balancing act. I don’t want to do a parody of her. This is more of the real Bette Davis the person.
In the show, there are moments you see that. The diva we see on the screen or in interviews was definitely part of her real life. She acted the part of the star in public.
On top of creating this character, do you have to toe the line also between the performance and a drag performance? Yes! I definitely didn’t want to do drag. I mean, of course, I’m a man in a dress doing Bette, but after the initial shock of a man in this role, the audience should just see Bette. In this aspect, it has to be her.
This is a two person show, but who would you say the show is about: Bette or Elizabeth? I haven’t had anybody ask me that. In a lot of ways, Bette gets the attention, but really, it is about Liz and this dichotomy of having this idol with her and how it affects her family and her life.
In this experience, what has Bette taught you? Someone asked how we are alike, and I don’t think we are. (Laughs) To be honest, I’m a gay man, and I can be a diva. So maybe there are those aspects, but she taught me to really stand up for yourself. Strength is not something to hide. She didn’t care what people thought, and she was determined to be strong.
There are likely some young gaybies who don’t know who Bette Davis is. That is very true. A coworker I was telling about this didn’t know who she was. I hope they come to see that there was a really strong, powerful woman in an age where men ruled. She was a trendsetter for women today to make their own path. I hope that will spark some interest in having younger generations come out.
And finally, what are your three essential Bette Davis flicks to recommend? Oh gosh. I’d say All About Eve, Now, Voyager and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? I think those three cover her different stages. By the time of Baby Jane, she had just morphed into a caricature of herself, but those are definitely must-sees.
Me and Jezebel by Mainstage Irving/Las Colinas opens Friday, July 23, and runs through Aug. 7 at the Irving Arts Center. mainstageirving.com.
