Jellicles Can And Jellicles Do: Meet Bustopher Jones

In the whole of St. James’ the smartest of names is the name of this Brummel of cats. And we’re all of proud to be nodded or bowed to by the cat about town in white spats! Me-ow!

Thank you for a few moments of your time! If you could tell us who you are and who you play in this production of Cats that would be great!

Wayne Ivusich: My name is Wayne Ivusich and I am portraying Bustopher Jones.

Tell me a little bit about Mister Bustopher Jones.

Wayne: Bustopher Jones is the man about town cat. Or cat about town cat, let’s put it like that. He only eats food from the garbage cans of the finest eating establishments in London. He’s very hoity-toity, if you can still call anything hoity-toity anymore.

Why did you want to be a part of Cats?

Wayne: I’ve done a lot of shows with a lot of people in the cast already. Given that opportunity to do something with them again and to do something with such a grand scale that hasn’t been done in this particular area for a long time is a great opportunity that I just couldn’t pass up.

What does it mean to you to be a Jellicle Cat?

Wayne: What does it mean to be a Jellicle Cat? It means to be part of a very particular group of felines that have unique characteristics and tastes and quirks. And whatever you want to call it— when they all meld together it’s a perfect little hairball of harmony.

Do you have cats?

Wayne: Hell no! I’m a dog person. I have Diesel. He’s a 15-and-a-half-year-old Malamute-Collie mix. And he’s not doing too well right now, but he’s my buddy.

We learn that all cats have three names. Bustopher Jones is your cat’s ‘more dignified name’ and while we can never know the ‘secret name’ that he calls himself, what do you think his ‘family daily use’ name is? What are the humans calling him every day?

Wayne: Blackie. I think that would be good.

What has been your big takeaway from being a part of this?

Wayne: Like from every show, it’s the camaraderie that you have in the cast. The fact that everybody gets along well, we all know our parts, we’re of course now running acts and things like that so we’re getting that all meshed in. And that’s the exciting part. Seeing everything come together correctly, in order, and looking at a set— or pieces of a set as they come together— it’s really exciting.

Do you and Mister Bustopher Jones have anything in common?

Wayne: I like mutton. He has a line about liking mutton. So there’s that.

If you had to sum up the Cats experience using just one word, what word would you use?

Wayne: Exciting.

Cats plays September 16^th 2022 through September 25^th 2022 with Tidewater Players, in residence at the Cultural Center at The Havre de Grace Opera House— 121 N. Union Street in historic downtown Havre de Grace, MD. For tickets call the box office at 667-225-8433 or purchase them online.

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