Rolin
Jones harvests innovative story at SCR
By Kristen Wooley
On-line Forty-Niner
 Rolin
Jones, a saucy, energetic new face in the
professional theater scene, has finally
made it to the big leagues after trying
to make a name for himself in a world of
playwrights.
Jones, a second year graduate student at
Yale living in New York, is originally from
the San Fernando Valley. He humbly said
that it was a matter of luck that South
Coast Repertory decided to show his play,
“The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow,”
directed by David Chambers. The play is
a comedy that fits into the computer-age,
staring a young Asian-American girl that
borders genius, but fears leaving her house.
She uses her brilliance and technology to
locate her biological mother in China.
Talking with Jones was not only enlightening,
but also invigorating. Jones spoke passionately
about his love for the theater.
Q: What inspired you to write this play
from the point of view of a young Asian-American
girl?
A: I had a friend at my high school who
I later found out had Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder, and had a difficult time leaving
the house. So, I would go to her house every
two weeks and pick her up. It was usually
a grueling process, but I always thought
that would be something compelling to write
about. Before I got into Yale all my plays
were these boring, couch turned towards
the audience, one set where you want to
blow your brains out at the end. I also
had the imperative to write differently,
try to write something that moved, something
that was visually stimulating and wouldn’t
bore people.
I think that one of the most important influences
was that I lost my mom two years ago. I
think I might have been yearning for my
mother in the play and those things all
get slammed together and you think it would
be cool to also have a robot in the play.
Ideas collide, and then you have a play.
Q: Is there a moral or theme you are trying
to get across to the audience in this play?
A: I don’t know, you just want everyone
to go in and have their own unique theatrical
experience. I don’t think this is an instructional
or teaching play. You just want somebody
to feel something. You can dazzle them all
you want but you want it be haunting and
stay with them. This is a quest play. This
girl has an incredible obstacle and she
overcomes it. Up until the last five minutes,
you are waiting for the next turn.
Q: What would you consider your style to
be?
A: Lately I have been writing these sort
of pop-up books for adults. I’ve got robots
and roller derby and all sorts of fun things.
Q: Ideally, where do you want your career
to go?
A: I would like to put my guts and my heart
into my theatre work, but you can’t make
a living on that, so T.V. and movies is
something I would hope to also do. I will
die a very happy man if I have one really
great play.
“The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow” will
run May 2-18 at the Julianne Argyros Stage.
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