Stage Q&A: Helena Cosentino revives Gilda Radner in her new one-woman show

%{[ data-embed-type=”image” data-embed-id=”57150b5889121ca96b937c64″ data-embed-element=”aside” ]}%

Gilda Radner was just 42 when she died of ovarian cancer in 1989. An original cast member of Saturday Night Live (1975–80), she developed memorably hilarious characters: Roseanne Roseannadanna, Emily Litella, and the Barbara Walters parody Baba Wawa. For those who remember her well — and those not so familiar — local actress and theater teacher Helena Cosentino recalls that comedic genius in her new show, Gilda: A Tribute to the Beloved Comedienne Gilda Radner, which debuts August 7 at the Fishtank. “Ever since I was a little girl, I have been in love with Gilda,” she says. I spoke with Cosentino by e-mail about that love and her work in theater.

The Pitch: Tell us about your upcoming show, Gilda: A Tribute to the Beloved Comedienne Gilda Radner. How did it come together?

Cosentino: In this show, I will pay homage to some of Gilda Radner’s infamous characters and quirky musical numbers. But I will also be telling a story about a brave woman who used humor and laughter to get through the struggles and cruelty of a life cut short, from being the fat kid to being a young woman on top of her game struck with terminal cancer.

This has been a longtime dream of mine — the idea has been with me for years. Anyone who knows me knows that I have wanted to do this one-woman show for a long time. I have had moments throughout the years of working on this tribute. But this year, as I was watching the 40th-anniversary special and I realized that I am the same age that Gilda was when she was diagnosed with cancer, I knew it was my time to drop any fears or roadblocks and just take a leap of faith. I have an amazing amount of support from family and friends and am at a place in my life that I have surrounded myself with creative people willing to help with various aspects of this production.

I had already researched, watched and read all I could about Gilda. So I started picking out aspects of her story and life that I felt needed to be told, but also those that pulled at my heartstrings. I studied her performances and then decided what I wanted to include in my show. I chose some pieces based on theme and others because I just love them.

What inspired you to develop a piece around Radner’s career?

Ever since I was a little girl, I have been in love with Gilda. People like me, who grew up with her, miss her. She died way too young and she has been gone for more than 25 years. My younger friends do not know her. I hope to transport them back to a time when humor was innocent yet edgy and poignant. Gilda is a classic and timeless. What I discovered in this process is that not only do I love her as a performer but I also admire her strength, courage and ability to laugh at herself and make fun of the fears and challenges she faced. If I can show my audience a glimpse of the spirit of Gilda, this show will have been a success.

How are you affected by the audience?

I love how Gilda Radner puts it, that performing is a way to send and receive love. I feel that way, also. I am so very grateful that anyone would want to come to my performance. This one particularly is a big deal because of how I feel about Gilda, how moved I am to tell her story, and the vulnerability I feel when it is just me up there onstage.

You did graduate work in collaborative theater. How does it differ from a traditional theater process? And does it affect your approach as a theater teacher?

My work is inspired by Ruth Zaporah’s Action Theater; Playback Theatre; Gabrielle Roth’s 5Rhythms movement practice; Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed; and Anna Halprin’s Life/Art process. In grad school, I had the opportunity to travel and do workshop intensives with these master teachers. Then I came back to Kansas City and combined aspects of all these forms to make my own process. It is the process that I call Storizenmotion. It can be used to generate original work as an ensemble collaboration or for solo exploration.

This one-woman show has a similar process when it comes to compiling and editing my work. I have taken from many sources and have worked to create an arc and through-line in my production, relating stories and characters together in order to give my best effort to share Gilda with my audience. As a teacher, I use these forms with my theater students as acting exercises, and also as a means to create interactive scenes around peer pressure and anti-bullying.

What’s your favorite theater genre?

I am a lover of experimental and interactive theater. I love theater that extends beyond entertainment. Anna Halprin, who created The Life/Art process, and Gabrielle Roth have been my two biggest influences. They have inspired me to use acting, art and movement to process through, heal and celebrate life.

How and when did you decide on a career related to theater?

I don’t know that I ever actually decided. It is what I have always done. I did decide, as an undergrad, to get a teaching certificate, and kind of fell into teaching and found I loved it. I love seeing my students up onstage and inspiring the theater bug in them. I love seeing them grow up into young adults having success and still a part of the theater world.

What brought you to KC or kept you here?

I was born and raised in KC. Yes, I have lived different places at times in my life, but I always seem to come back. This is where my family is. I am also blessed with friendships in this city that are real and long-lasting. KC also has a thriving theater and art community. It is fun for me to see my talented friends having successes and being supported here. I have always said Kansas City is a great place to live.

What contemporary women performers make you laugh?

I tell you, the funniest female performer I know is my best girlfriend, Wendy Jo Smith, a Kansas City native. She is a female drag queen, singer, rap artist and comedienne known as Wendy Ho. Her stuff is surely not appropriate for children or for those easily offended, but she makes me laugh like no one else. She is bold, truthful, edgy and an amazing talent.

What’s the best part about what you do?

I feel so lucky and blessed that I get to live out my passion, and I am surrounded by amazing, talented, creative people.