RETURN TO THE JELLICLE BALL: MEETING THE NEWEST 2024 ADDITIONS TO THE CLOWDER OF COCKPIT IN COURT’S CATS: Jemima

Jellicle Cats are…ducks and pancake syrup!? Wait a minute…

Thank you so much for sitting with us today! Could you tell us who you are and who you play in this production of Cats?

Meagan Jenkins as Jemima in Cats at Cockpit in Court

Meagan Jenkins: I’m Meagan Jenkins and I play Jemima.

Tell me about Jemima!

Meagan: Well, my lore or the show’s lore?

Either or! Or both! Whatever makes you happy!

Meagan: Well in the show she’s the youngest kitten in the clowder. To me, this is her first Jellicle Ball. I imagine her as little nine-week-old kitten and she’s just following whichever other cats are in her household over to the Jellicle Ball and she’s having a blast. She’s having a grand time!

How are you and Jemima similar or different?

Meagan: Well, we’re both definitely a little ‘off’.

That’s absolutely adorable! Why did you want to come out and audition for Cats?

Meagan: I really like Andrew Lloyd Webber, which is mildly controversial. This is my first community theatre projection so I just wanted to get my foot in the door.

How very exciting, welcome! Have you been in this whole area your whole existence?

Meagan: No, I moved down here about two years ago for work from New Jersey.

Have you always been involved with theatre and dance stuff?

Meagan: Oh yeah, I’ve been doing it since I was five-ish. I haven’t done many shows that are suited to my voice. I’ve done a lot of rock musicals and all that, but I have more training in legit musical theatre styles? So this is just my cup of tea!

Wonderful to hear! Very clearly this is your first Bambi show. What has it been like getting to work with Bambi?

Meagan: It’s been fun! She is very energetic and you can feel that she just loves the show so much. It makes the whole process more fun.

You consider yourself to be a dancer? A mover?

Megan: I like to imagine that I’m a dancer but I can’t pick the moves up right away the way a lot of the other dancers can, but I do my best.

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

Meagan: I guess it means to be part of a group, part of a family, we’re all really close together. It means being part of the clowder.

Jane. A Jellicle Kitten owned by Meagan.

Do you have any cats at home? Tell me about your cats!

Meagan: I do. I have one cat— her name is Jane. She’s a gray…cat. She was feral. She was found on the street with her brothers and sisters, they were all different colorings. She’s about eight months old now. I love her. She’s exactly as I want to play Jemima. Except the part where she hates other people. But she’s bonded to me, of course.

I love this. She sounds adorable. Now we know that cats have three names. The name that the humans call them or their daily use name, their more dignified name, and their third, secret name that we can never know. What do you think the humans are calling Jemima?

Meagan: Ooh. I honestly think she’s too young to really have thought of her own name, so I think Jemima is what her owners are calling her. I think as she gets older and finds her way in the world, she’s going to figure out her own name. To me, she’s very attached to Grizabella. Like when she first sees her, it’s “ooh— who is this?” So I feel like Jemima is going to follow Grizabella’s lead a little bit and she’ll pick something glamourous as she gets older.

I love that! Now, what has been your big personal takeaway getting to be a part of this production?

Meagan: Don’t be afraid. I’ve auditioned for shows in the past, I haven’t gotten into, you know, the fear of auditioning is real. We all know what that’s like. But this was the one show where I was like, “I’m doing this. I’m going in, doing my thing, and getting out.” And I did. And here I am. It worked!

We’re so glad that you did! If you had to sum up your experience here at Cockpit in Court with Bambi and Cats using just one word, which word would you use?

Meagan: Energetic.

Cats plays July 19^th 2024 through August 4^th 2024 in the F. Scott Black Theatre of The Robert and Eleanor Romadka College Center at the Community College of Baltimore County Essex Campus— 7201 Rossville Boulevard, Essex MD. For tickets call the box office at (443) 840-2787 or purchase them online.

Follow along in the “Return to the Jellicle Ball” Series here: