Jessica Sherr and Her Bette Davis Show Ain’t for Sissies

Long before Jessica Sherr received acclaim for her one woman show on Bette Davis, she learned how easily things can go awry onstage. “I was in Frosty the Snowman, and right before I went on, I sneezed,” Sherr remembered. “My mom didn’t have time to wipe my nose and through the whole dance I was crying.” The attention she got, though, made her realize that, “this was it.” But what the three year old didn’t realize was that not folding in the face of pitfalls would be an ongoing two step that has led to success.

“I credit the fact that I was not afraid to fail,” asserted Sherr, who does a monthly residency of Bette Davis Ain’t for Sissies at The Actors Episcopal Guild in New York.

Having supportive parents, she didn’t have to test that mettle early. But college was another story.

Sherr had to go on the cheap at UC Santa Barbara and her audition for the fine arts program didn’t measure up either. This meant the English and Dramatics Arts major was studying plays rather than performing them. “I spent my college years not getting to do what I loved,” said Sherr.

But the forced stagnation of college left NYC as the only place to relieve the restlessness. “I was so driven to learn,” said the New Jersey resident of her arrival in 2003.

She wasn't deterred either when one acting coach voiced his displeasure. “He screamed that I would never be any good,” remember Sherr, who side hustles as a Real Estate Agent and Personal Trainer

The outburst only served to feed an internal narrative that always seeks to find another way. Acceptance to Lee Strasberg upped her game and appearing in an independent film with Corbin Bernsen seemed like her break.

Unfortunately, The Ascension stagnated too but “another way” would emerge. Required to do a one person show for a class, Sherr’s resemblance to Davis planted the seed.

But it was a mentor who dared her to think bigger. “You want to be a real actor in New York, you have to do a one person show,” he told her.

Sherr’s research revealed that shared looks weren’t everything. Davis’ life required plenty of fight too, as her single mother moved the family dozens of times. “We built character based off wanting to be successful,” said Sherr.

Recognizing Davis’ will drew common cause and helped Sherr capture the icon on paper. “When she does get knocked down, we see her vulnerability,” Sherr revealed. “We are able to connect with her as we want to see her get back up.”

The story arc grew out of Oscar night in 1939. Davis already knew that Vivien Leigh would win, and wanted to leave. Sherr takes license by actually doing it. Alone to vent, the monologue reveals how Bette Davis became the Bette Davis we know.

The show has continued to evolve since first running in 2010 and received accolades in Chicago, New York, Edinburgh and London. Of course, bad reviews have come her way, and experience taught Sherr that seeking criticism too quickly can do more harm than good. So she recommends a healthy wait. “Eight months later, read it,” joked Sherr. who is married to fellow NYC actor Doug Schneider.

Either way, Sherr has now developed a screenplay but persisting that process isn’t all that success has yielded. She landed a part in Annie (2014) and appeared in Claws (TNT) and Team Toon (Netflix).

Sherr also got an assist from Donnie Wahlberg when her tongue tied trying to deliver dialogue on an episode of Blue Bloods. “He kind of directed me,” she said. “I was so grateful to him to come over and take a moment to help.”

An appearance on an ABC show is forthcoming, and she hopes more credits follow. On the other hand, her parents taught her that pacing her expectations is easier when the larger picture remains in view. “My Mom and Dad used to talk to me about process and patience. Be in process, allow yourself to progress at your own speed, but always be learning and bettering yourself,” Sherr concluded.

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