Jon Bernthal opens a theater in Ojai, realizing a dream for life

Jon Bernthal is in his favorite habitat: on a scene. At the Los Angeles Rogue Machine Theater, he dialogues the vanas with the Marine Ireland actor while repeating a future performance of the play “Ironbound” as part of his passionate project for several decades. Although the actor is due during the first of Los Angeles of “The Accountant 2” in a few hours, his excitement for this particular process and the equipment is palpable. “The theater has always been the closest thing I have ever known to the Church, spirituality and religion,” said Bernthal. “I feel like I have a link with something much bigger than me. These are (collaborating) artists who like this and, like me, this thing saved their lives. ”

In about two weeks, Bernthal will be back in this favored refuge, in his adopted hometown. He and his co-artistic directors will launch the Ojai Theater Festival with their inaugural production, “Ironbound”. Taking place at the Chaparral d'Ojai auditorium for two weekends in May, the project is a work of love for all the people involved, most of whom give their time and their talents. Bernthal does not produce and does not only act, he finances the whole company, whose major component included the renovation of a closed public building to be used as a performance location which will be donated to the local school arts department after the festival. “We have taken this old historic building and rarely used in a deceased school district and we renovated it,” said Bernthal. “We have shed light on and a sound of technology, and we give it to the Nordhoff theater department and the Hojs, who are a dance teacher and dance teacher at the Northhoff secondary school). These are institutional artists who have raised so many young artists and now they will have a theater for their performance. ”

Longtime friends Josh Bitton and Isidora Goreshter, who want to provide productions and art programs from Broadway Caliber Productions and art programs to the local community. “We are only three actors trying to understand how to launch a theater festival in Ojai,” said Goreshter. “It was Jon's idea, he always wanted to bring theater to Ojai.” Given the demanding work schedule of Bernthal in the past year and a half, the actor said Bitton and Goreshter with major decisions and finding the space where they would host the festival. “We had looked at a lot of buildings. I entered (in Chaparral) and I had chills,” continued Goreshter. “And then Josh entered and he was like,” That's it. The building means a lot for the community.

Bernthal lived in the little one, in the past sleepy Valley Town for 10 years with his wife, Erin, and their three children. “Of all the places I have experienced, it is the most I have ever felt at home,” he said. “I became a friend with everyone in the school board. I play basketball with them and I trained their children. ” Seeing first -hand how the gentrification and rapid increase in housing costs began to negatively affect the city of blue passes, Bernthal decided to restore. “I saw enormous changes, and what I think has suffered the most is public school,” he said. “I want to show children (here) what a life in the arts is.”

Ojai chaparral auditorium under construction.

(Josh Bitton)

Ojai transplant himself, the actor devotes himself to preserving the integrity of the United Community, while promoting its artistic growth.

“Opening a theater, making a theater festival has always been one of my dreams. He was THE Dream, “said Bernthal.” I hope it does not stand out too much or Douchey, but as I see it changing in the way, I wanted to bring something great to this city and do it in the right way for the right reasons. “”

The actor is proud to realize his dream and to support him financially. “I'm going to be honest, it's more expensive than I never thought, but you can't cut the corners,” he admitted. “You have to buy the lights, to build these kinds of things. You have to hire the actors, steal people, put people. ”

Marin Ireland and Jon Bernthal Star in “Ironbound”, playing at the Chaparral auditorium from May 9 to 11 and from May 16 to 18.

(Marcus Ubungen / For time)

Bernthal, Bitton and Goreshter hope that in launch of the festival with high -level production like “Ironbound”, residents and visitors will be motivated to participate and support their efforts for the years to come. The play, a captivating representation of a Polish immigrant trying to survive and succeed in America, “is difficult, it's biting, it's hilarious, it is dark, super topic,” said the actor. Ireland, which Bernthal calls “a gangster” and “power”, returns to the main role that she created outside Broadway and played in 2018 at the GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE. The play, directed by Guillermo Cienfuegos, also features Shiloh Fernandez. “This is an opportunity for city students to see a world class performance.” The dramatist winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Martyna Majok, who condemned their work with pleasure, will also participate in the festival.

Watching the Bernthal, 48, in action, he is a reminder why he is such a requested star, known for having delivered memorable performance with minimal screen time. Over the past six weeks, Bernthal has promoted his action thriller “The Accountant 2” in three different cities, transported to and from Greece to film “Punisher” by Christopher Nolan “The Odyssey” of writing and the last year that was made for the first Emmy and the first set of Chicago. Not to mention the banking episodes for the new season of his successful podcast, “Real Ones”. Recognizing for his success and his crowded work schedule, Bernthal would love to spend more time on stage. “There is no return. There is no second catch,” he said. “There is nothing that scares me like that, and there is nothing to me too addicted as that.”

Bernthal attributes to his mother, Joan, of having recognized his potential as interpreter from the start. Born and raised in a wealthy suburb of Washington, DC, his young years were in the grip of what he called “complete buffalo” – street fights, aggression and misplaced behavior that led to multiple arrests. Bernthal's mother, a social worker, sent her to her first class as an actor essentially as a punishment, an initial decrease in the toes which, according to him, felt electric, as “touching the third rail”.

Because he was an athlete heading to the New York Skidmore College with a baseball scholarship, Bernthal made fun of continuing the form of art. In college, he “took a dramatic lesson by accident”, taught by his future mentor Alma Becker. “Pressing the same energy as in my life caused me to trouble, (pursuing) the danger, the risk, I found that taking the energy of a room and turning it on your head, frightening people, scaring me … really makes love, respect and encouragement to me.” The game was THE Answer, once he got out of his own path. “It was as if I was dead to prove everyone that I was a real F-“, he said. Bernthal was expelled from the university, but Becker stuck by him and helped bring him into the prestigious Moscow Art Theater Program in 1999. “She really saved my life,” he said about Becker, whose name Bernthal tattooed with love on his forearm, as well as the emblem of Moscow Theater, a Seagull in flight.

Unsurprisingly, the two years in Russia have humiliated him. “For a child who thought he was this difficult child on the street of DC, I was in a very rude awakening,” he said. “It was the most rigorous and disciplined training that I have ever gone through.” The day Bernthal returned from Moscow, he met his wife now, who was a trauma nurse, and in 2002, he obtained a master of Harvard Fine Arts. “There is no way that I can put food on my children's table by doing this if it was not for Alma and the decision to go.”

The launch of the festival gives Bernthal not only the opportunity to practice its favorite art form, but also to pay it. “We really want to make the theater that everyone will appreciate,” said Bernthal. “We want to play games that you could only see in New York or London or perhaps in Los Angeles, but for all this to open to public schoolchildren.” All “Ironbound” rehearsals will be open to the public and local students are involved in production. “They help lighting, they help in design. They will work in the theater,” said Bernthal. “And throughout our race, we will have lessons for children.”

Jon Bernthal (standing next to the director Guillermo Cienfuegos) and the Marine Ireland actor repeat an upcoming performance of the play “Ironbound”.

(Marcus Ubungen / For time)

“I really want to show Los Angeles, and everyone (who is witnessing), what the real ojai is,” he said. “It will not be valet and (trend) restaurants, where you could be at, it is an ojai thing set up by and with the residents of Ojai. It is for this city and will always be for this city. ”

All profits will directly go to the school district, with all the associated programs and courses available for free for local students. They hope to extend the event from a play to an annual festival with several productions in the coming years, to make Ojai a theatrical destination in good faith.

“In the end, it's for my children,” said Bernthal. He and his wife have two sons, 13 and 12, and a girl, 9 years old. “I want my children to grow up around and among a real flourishing theater community. 'Saint S—.' 'This East possible.'”