Giving and Getting With Cornelius Jones, Jr.
On June 11, Jones will host Groove, Give and Get at the NHarlem boutique. The month after that, he’ll roll out his one-man show Flagboy at The Midtown International Theater Festival. By the end of the summer, he’ll have biked 275 miles across three states for "Braking the Cycle," a benefit for Manhattan’s Gay and Lesbian Center, and he’s already two-thirds of the way to his pledge goal.
So how does the busy Richmond native, who cut his teeth opposite Harry Connick on the Broadway musical "Thou Shalt Not," as well as national tours of "Smokey Joe’s Café," "A Chorus Line" and "The Wiz," make time for all of this activity? "I always feel like there is something I forgot to do," Jones admits, but if that something is giving back through charitable work, he’s got it covered.
Striking a Balance
EDGE: On June 11th, you’ll be up at the NHarlem boutique hosting "Groove, Give and Get," a benefit for The Senator Chuck Allen III Scholarship Fund. How did you get involved?
Cornelius Jones, Jr. My friend Kirk Shannon-Butts referred me to event organizer Tod Roulette. Kirk and I met about three years ago, at jury duty. We’ve been friends since. He’s a filmmaker and we worked briefly during the casting of his indie-film "Blueprint." We both have been looking out for each other, and it’s great to have honest people in your life. I actually did not know Senator Chuck. However, I support his memory and the great thing that his surviving partner Tod Roulette is doing.
EDGE: You also performed at the White House. Tell me about that.
Cornelius Jones, Jr. Ok, so I was a baby when I performed at the White House. However, I remember it just like it was this morning! I was a tenth grader at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. I performed at The White House with The Ellington Show Choir (the same choir I mention in "FlagBoy"). Bill Clinton was in office and there was this huge dinner gala. We performed on the lawn as the President and his guests entered. There were so many famous politicians and entertainers. It was the most fun experience. I had no nerves at all. And when Mrs. Leontyne Price entered, looking like the diva in her red headwrap, we showed our asses! We were very well educated on the divas of opera who paved the way for us young ones.
EDGE: I know a lot of artists who hail from Richmond--Richard Move and Kevin Aviance to name just a few. Do you feel part of any Richmond ex-pat community here in New York?
Cornelius Jones, Jr. Wow, I didn’t know Kevin Aviance was from Richmond! And Richard Move? Love the name, but I’m not familiar with him. I would love to actually meet these guys and start a Richmond-NY transplant networking community. Can you introduce us? This is great inspiration. Hmm...let me Google Richard.
EDGE: He’s the Martha Graham drag queen. Tell me a little bit about "Flagboy." If you had to elevator pitch it, what would you say?
Cornelius Jones, Jr. "Flagboy" is an honest look into the early childhood and teen years of Cornelius Jones, Jr. It’s funny, thought-provoking, it’ll make you cry, it’ll make you smile, it’ll make you dance. It breaks down some stereotypes and stigmas you may have had about yourself or others. It’s about one boy who continues to find his way, in the midst of adversity, and the people who helped him along the way.
EDGE: It seems like it’s the nature of one-man shows for the artist to kind of do everything. What has been the biggest challenge in getting this show off the ground?
Cornelius Jones, Jr. Wow. I would say this biggest challenge was having the courage to share my story. It’s autobiographical, it’s personal, it’s scary. I present a lot of personal issues that a lot of gay people--and just people in general--face. So the main challenge was finding the strength within to say this my story and it’s the only story I know, and I’m comfortable enough, now, to share it.
Oh, and self-producing is a bitch. I feel like I’m doing everything and I get overwhelmed because I always feel like there is something I forgot to do. Just like that recent moment on "Grey’s Anatomy" with the Miranda Bailey character. The moment she realized they forgot to give the patient blood, when the young boy who was being freed after being enclosed in the toxic cement. She went into panic mode for a second. That’s how I feel sometimes.
EDGE: Your website --corneliusjonesjr.com -- seems equals parts paid jobs and charity. Do you think that’s unusual for an emerging actor and how do you strike a balance?
Cornelius Jones, Jr. If I look at the current young actors and the ones I know, I would say it is a bit unusual. However, I don’t want to paint a bad picture around how one uses his or her free time. Doing work with charities that I feel passionate about helps me balance my life on a personal, emotional, and spiritual level. I don’t know how I strike that balance, it just happens. I do make a conscious decision as to when I will do things though. It also helps when the different organizations are flexible with my schedule.
