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

Which one is which? Is it Mungojerrie? Or Rumpleteazer? Rumpleteazer? Or Mungojerrie? (Well, we’ve learned that if you’ve ever or are currently playing Mungojerrie you have the potential to have had…or hold…the longest ‘talking cat’ record… IYKYK) So this must be…

Veronica Lane as Rumpleteazer in Cats at Cockpit in Court

Thank you for joining us! Why don’t you tell us who you are and which one of the frick-n-frack twins you happen to be playing?

Veronica Lane: I’m Veronica Lane and I play Rumpleteazer!

Tell me a little bit about Rumpleteazer.

Veronica: Rumpleteazer she’s known as a partner in crime to Mungojerrie, her cat brother. We are mischievous and we’re always getting up to…something.

How are you and Rumpleteazer similar and or different?

Veronica: I can be mischievous at times! I love a big, comedic moment and I think that she does too. I also love finding my partner that I can match vibes with and I think that I’ve got a good thing going with Austin (Austin Barnes) who plays Mungojerrie. I’ve been told that it can be difficult to find someone who can match his energy, but I’ve been living up to the challenge!

Austin is indeed a force unto himself and I’m thrilled to hear that you two are matching energies so well! Why did you want to come out and audition to be a part of Cats?

Veronica: I love theatre. I feel like doing Cats specifically is like a community theatre right of passage. It’s one of those shows that’s been on my bucket list and I love the style of dance that’s been incorporated for this show so I felt like it would be a good fit.

Do you consider yourself to be a dancer?

Veronica: I would consider myself to be a dancer first. Through college, I got into musical theatre and molded all of my talents and now I do a bit of both. I’m getting older but I did 18 years of dance throughout my earlier years of education.

This is your first Bambi show, right? What’s that been like?

Veronica: Yeah. It’s amazing. It’s actually my first show in Maryland. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect but Bambi has been incredible. I love a director that can take on choreography as well and she obviously knows the show like the back of her hand— like better than ALW, I would say. I’ve loved all of her storytelling that comes with it.

I love hearing this. ALW might have some thoughts on the matter, but that’s only because he’s never seen a Bamib’s Cats before. Now where are you hailing from if this is your first show in Maryland?

Veronica: I lived in Orlando most recently for about seven years. I was ready to get out of Florida. From Florida I went to Japan for a year and then I came this way.

Well welcome to Maryland, specifically to Baltimore County and Cockpit in Court. Now what does it mean to you to be a Jellicle Cat?

Veronica: Ooh. I feel like a Jellicle Cat is definitely a thing of itself, it’s kind of up to everybody’s interpretation. I feel like it is being your own self as a cat, if that makes sense. I like the mischievous and comedic moments of my character so that’s how I think of Jellicle-ness. Jellicility?

Veronica Lane (being held by a member of CATS) circa 1999; her first time seeing Cats.

Jellicility? I think I’m stealing that. I’ve done this interview with almost 30 cats from the Tidewater times and now almost 40 of you from the Cockpit era and you’re the first person to ever say Jelli-kill-i-ty. I like it. Do you have cats at home?

Veronica: I don’t. I’m actually allergic to cats.

Me too. And I have six.

Veronica: Oh my goodness. How is that?

I take an allergy pill and it’s fine. But I also live in a big church with a sanctuary and a cemetery out back so they have lots of space to run around and get their dander other places than my nose. I keep them around to ward off ghosts. Now do you have a dog?

Veronica: Nooo….I’m not really a pet person. I’d rather just be a cat. And I have no kids either.

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 Rumpleteazer?

Vernoica: That’s a good question. I do love the concept of pet names involving into something so stupid. Like their real name Duke but then they become Emperor Pouncybottom. I think if my sophisticated cat name is Rumpleteazer maybe my human name started as Ruth. Just Ruth.

Oh my God, I love this. I can picture Ruth-cat. Followed up with a polite warning hiss. What has been your big personal takeaway from this experience because it sounds like you have a lot happening in your life right now.

Veronica: It is a lot. But I honestly was so excited to get out here and meet new people since I’m new to the state. I’ve definitely done that. And I feel like this show is a good balance for me to express my dance love, and then also my love of acting and character moments, I’ve gotten a lot out of it.

I love hearing this! Now 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?

Veronica: Can I say Jellicle?

You can!

Veronica: It’s Jellicle!

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: