BY LUCIA MAURO
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Mierka Girten likes to play with words. In her one-woman show, With or Without Wings (which premiered this summer at Victory Gardens’ upstairs studio and will be remounted there Sept. 7-30), the writer-actor juggles, dissects and reshapes words to demystify Multiple Sclerosis (MS). She worked with writer Michael Thomas to craft her journals into a humorous, unsentimental story of coping with a disease in the midst of pursuing an acting career.
Girten was diagnosed with MS nine years ago during her first year of graduate acting studies at DePaul University. Although her MS is now in remission, she continues to battle the disease on many different levels. Shortly after Girten learned she had MS, her mother–a visual artist–was also diagnosed with MS. So her desire to help other artists has become more urgent.
The actor recently created a theatre collective, whose name speaks to the multi-layered nature of her goals. Mookie Jam, which produced With or Without Wings, raises funds to help benefit artists with MS. The first part of the moniker is Girten’s nickname; the second half refers to both a jam session and the various flavored sugary toppings for bread. The company’s motto? "Spread it." But instead of conjuring the idea of spreading a disease, Mookie Jam wants to spread the word about the many facets of MS and how artists living with it can lead fulfilling lives.
"I knew that I needed to do this show," says Girten of With or Without Wings. "But I felt it was selfish to do it for myself. At the same time I was writing it, I started meeting other artists–especially musicians–who had MS or who knew someone with MS.
"So I thought it would be great to get a lot of different artists together and jam for a cause. I began telling people about it, and so many wonderful local artists donated their time and helped make the show a real collaborative effort. Jam comes in many flavors, and I envision Mookie Jam encompassing many disciplines–from music to visual art."
Early this year, the newly formed Mookie Jam held a benefit–called "Bread"–at Davenport’s. They raised $4,000, which went toward production costs for With or Without Wings. Girten reports that the show, which ran for one month to sold-out audiences at Victory Gardens, brought in $4,500.
Mookie Jam also has been supported by private donors, and the board (which consists of Girten’s colleagues from her alma mater, Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio) is in the process of devising more fundraising strategies.
Girten–an active performer in off-Loop theatre–was inspired by "Sweet Relief," a national foundation that assists musicians with MS. Her husband, Brando Triantafillou, is a composer-musician-sound designer who co-owns The Rhythm Café, a company specializing in music and voice-overs for commercials. He is tapped into the music community, and Girten–who considers herself "a people person"–has been promoting Mookie Jam to her theatre colleagues mainly through word of mouth.
Girten is very grateful to all the artists who have volunteered their time and energy. A Red Orchid Theatre, The Hypocrites, Strawdog, Factory and Porchlight are some of the theatres that have helped by donating rehearsal space or including Mookie Jam ads in their programs. Girten was able to recruit a high-powered team of design professionals who transformed her moving one-woman show into a wholly integrated work of art–from original music to multimedia designs.
In With or Without Wings, Girten takes audiences on a quirky and fortifying journey from her earliest dreams of becoming an actress to her suicide attempt after MS began to consume her. But this play is no weepy melodrama. Girten refuses to resort to heart-pounding heroics.
"I never expected this show to take off the way it did," she acknowledges. "But the positive response has inspired me to continue to raise money for artists with MS and make people aware of how MS affects lives."
Her show also attracted individuals suffering from other ailments, like breast cancer and lupus. Girten plans to perform With or Without Wings at universities, hospitals, rehabilitation centers and MS societies. Next year, she hopes to gather a huge group of artists together to create a combined music-theatre-performance piece for Mookie Jam. The current game plan involves one big show each year interspersed with fundraisers.
"I don’t want to be a poster child for MS," says Girten. "I learned a lot from it, and now I want to help others. I’m focusing on artists because it’s so difficult to make a living as an artist when you’re healthy, let alone when you’re sick. If you’re diagnosed with MS, how are you supposed to get better if you can’t pay your bills? There’s no way you can heal if you are stressed or sad.
"I want to be known as the girl who raises money for MS rather than the girl who has MS."
For more information on Mookie Jam, call 312/409-1146 or e-mail mookitri@earthlink.net.