Chicago actor finds the heart, humanity in humor

Nothing is less funny than someone trying to be funny, which is why actress Jean Mueller-Burr has focused her effort on making sure the humanity and fragility of her latest role shines through.

Mueller-Burr is playing Eustasia in Ghostlight Ensemble’s production of The Dover Road by A.A. Milne (of Winnie-the-Pooh fame) – a character deliberately written to deliver comedy and to be the brunt of everybody’s joke. But in Mueller-Burr’s capable hands, Eustasia has transformed into a layered character who is looking for the same thing most of us are – love.

“She loves fiercely and without reservation” Mueller-Burr said of her character who is looking for that love in return – not always in the right places. “She’s ‘too much,’ but all the most fun people tend to be.”

The Dover Road is set in the home of the eccentric Latimer, who waylays couples running away together (to France via the eponymous Dover Road) and gives them a taste of what their lives together might be like by forcing them into sustained exposure to each other's habits and idiosyncrasies.

Milne’s rarely produced comedy premiered on Broadway in 1921 and is a not-so-subtle dissection of romantic love. Ghostlight’s production, set in 1930, brings to the forefront the play’s implied observations on sexuality and gender expression that have always existed in society if you knew where to look.

Today Milne is best known for his children’s books about the bear Winnie-the-Pooh. But before the massive success of the little bear from the Hundred Acre Wood overshadowed his previous work, Milne was primarily a playwright and humorist, who also dabbled as a novelist.

Mueller-Burr thinks audiences will love the cheeky humor and Queer themes of the play.

“You don't often see a show written when this was and set when this is that explores gender roles and sexuality in such a fun way,” she said. “I think audiences will be intrigued and do some digging to learn more.”

Director Holly Robison agrees that it is hard to believe the script was written more than a century ago.

“The script is deeply funny, witty and slyly subversive,” Robison added. “I can’t wait to see this incredibly talented cast up and running with this.”

Audiences may recognize Mueller-Burr from her previous work with Ghostlight, where she is an Ensemble member, including this past fall’s production of Angry F*gs (in which she played Kimberly – the ill-fated assistant to a senator running for re-election) and the first two installments of the 3 Stages of Love Cabaret Series. She’s also been seen in the greater Chicago area as Margalo in Stuart Little with Open Door Rep and Cassie Hack in Hack/Slash with Strangeloop Theatre, among other credits. This June, she’ll return for the final installment of 3 Stages of Love: Extraordinary Love.

When she isn’t on stage, Mueller-Burr loves traveling, building Legos, seeing movies, playing with her stinky/adorable cats, reading and trying out new restaurants.

Catch Mueller-Burr in The Dover Road, which takes place in the coach house of the historic Glessner House (1800 S. Prairie Avenue, Chicago, IL), April 17 through May 3, with a preview performance on Thursday, April 16.

A National Historic Landmark, the Glessner House was completed in 1887 in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, which took elements of European Romanesque architecture from buildings constructed in the 11th and 12th centuries, and adapted them to American idioms.

Performances take place on Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. There is no performance on Saturday, April 18. Please note: There is a designated understudy performance on Monday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are pay-what-you-will, with an average donation of $30. Tickets include a tour of the historic house before the show. Tickets are available via Ghostlight Ensemble’s website at ghostlightensemble.com/the-dover-road.