Preparing for the part: Area men shave their heads for this weekend's ballet

Suzanne Nolan Wisler, The Monroe News
·4 min read

Josh Mohler and Jeff Boze are always willing to help the River Raisin Ballet Company, even if that means shaving their heads.

This weekend, the men are reprising their roles as Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters in the company’s “Cinderella Ballet” at the River Raisin Centre for the Arts. The stepsister role is traditionally played by men.

More: 'Cinderella Ballet' this weekend at RRCA

In preparation for the show, Mohler of Monroe and Boze of Holland, Ohio, shaved off all their hair.

“Josh and I just decided it was something we’d do,” Boze said. “The things we do for our craft.”

Jeff Boze of Holland, Ohio, dances as Josh Mohler of Monroe watches while at the ball in the River Raisin Ballet Company's production of "Cinderella" at the River Raisin for the Arts. Boze and Mohler are playing the stepsisters.
Jeff Boze of Holland, Ohio, dances as Josh Mohler of Monroe watches while at the ball in the River Raisin Ballet Company's production of "Cinderella" at the River Raisin for the Arts. Boze and Mohler are playing the stepsisters.

Boze already had short hair going into the shave session. But, for Mohler, shaving was a bigger sacrifice.

“My hair was probably down to my shoulders. We hacked it all off,” he said.

It was Mohler’s second time shaving for the role, and he remained unfazed.

“My hair tends to grow back pretty fast. Last time it was 11 months,” he said.

River Raisin Ballet Company dancers Ashken Aaron, Emily Belino, and guests Josh Mohler of Monroe and Jeff Boze of Holland, Ohio, wait behind the curtains as they rehearse the ballroom scene of "Cinderella." Mohler and Bose, who are playing the role of the stepsisters, shaved their heads for the roles after rehearsal April 16, 2023.
River Raisin Ballet Company dancers Ashken Aaron, Emily Belino, and guests Josh Mohler of Monroe and Jeff Boze of Holland, Ohio, wait behind the curtains as they rehearse the ballroom scene of "Cinderella." Mohler and Bose, who are playing the role of the stepsisters, shaved their heads for the roles after rehearsal April 16, 2023.

Boze has played a stepsister all three times RRBC performed “Cinderella,” but this is the first year he shaved his head.

The sisters’ baldness is worked into the plot of the ballet.

“In the house scene, they wear nightcaps with curls hanging out, and the town merchants bring new ‘flattering’ wigs for them to wear to the ball,” Gail Choate-Pettit, RRBC director, said. “Both Jeff and Josh bring humor and hilarity to the production. I know that the stepsisters will be enjoyed with their over-the-top personalities and bumbling antics."

River Raisin Ballet Company dancers smile and laugh in excitement as Josh Moller of Monroe has his hair shaved by Jeff Boze of Holland, Ohio, on April 16 as they are playing the roles of the stepsisters in the production of "Cinderella" at the River Raisin for the Arts.
River Raisin Ballet Company dancers smile and laugh in excitement as Josh Moller of Monroe has his hair shaved by Jeff Boze of Holland, Ohio, on April 16 as they are playing the roles of the stepsisters in the production of "Cinderella" at the River Raisin for the Arts.

All the antics, Mohler said, make for an extremely physical experience on stage.

“I definitely can’t do the stuff I did seven years ago. But the (role) matches my current skill set on the stage,” he said. “I am able to show off my comedic prowess. That’s one of my best features, physical comedy, which I can definitely do with this role.”

“Josh's musicality works so well with Sergei Prokofiev’s music, which tells the story all on its own. The score is complex and sometimes difficult for dancers and actors to follow, but Josh uses the nuances in the music to perfection,” Choate-Pettit said. “Jeff's interpretation of the ridiculous stepsister is perfect. We are so pleased to have Jeff return in this role. He performed our first ‘Cinderella’ in 2004 with Mike Trapp as his stepsister.”

River Raisin Ballet Company dancers Evelyn Short, 18, (left) and Elora Russell, 17, who are splitting the role of Cinderella, cut off Josh Moller's moustache handlebars on April 16. Moller is playing the role of a stepsister in the production of "Cinderella" at the River Raisin for the Arts.
River Raisin Ballet Company dancers Evelyn Short, 18, (left) and Elora Russell, 17, who are splitting the role of Cinderella, cut off Josh Moller's moustache handlebars on April 16. Moller is playing the role of a stepsister in the production of "Cinderella" at the River Raisin for the Arts.

Mohler’s been involved in theater since his junior year at Monroe High School. A member of the MHS musical group Generations of Sounds, he was performing at the annual Madrigal Dinner in 2003 when his talent was discovered.

“Susie Pozek came up to me after the dinner. She said they were doing auditions for a summer musical, ‘Damn Yankees.’ It was my first community theater show. I played Mr. Applegate, the villain. Ever since then, the theater bug kind of hit, and I took off with it,” he said.

Mohler continued acting while at Monroe County Community College. He took a break while studying at Siena Heights University, but returned to the stage after meeting Choate-Pettit and Melissa Moore, the company’s co-director, who needed male dancers for the ballet “Coppelia.”

In the production of "Cinderella," stepsister Jeff Boze of Holland, Ohio, (foreground), stepmother Mary Barnas of Monroe and stepsister Josh Mohler of Monroe run through a scene reading the announcement for the ball as the River Raisin Ballet Company presents "Cinderella" at the River Raisin for the Arts.
In the production of "Cinderella," stepsister Jeff Boze of Holland, Ohio, (foreground), stepmother Mary Barnas of Monroe and stepsister Josh Mohler of Monroe run through a scene reading the announcement for the ball as the River Raisin Ballet Company presents "Cinderella" at the River Raisin for the Arts.

Mohler, who wasn’t a dancer, agreed to be the dance partner for a ballerina.

“It was rough going. I was doing solo dances by myself. My partner had years and years of ballet practice. I was just a joe schmoe. I didn’t get the partnering dance down until performances,” he said.

Since then, Mohler’s been a regular in RRBC ballets and still even dances on occasion. He typically plays Drosselmeyer in the RRBC’s annual “Nutcracker Ballet.” His favorite role was the evil sorcerer in the RRCA ballet “Aladdin.”

River Raisin Ballet Company dancers Maddie Strozeski and Ashrah Kelly playing the role of the merchants in Act 1 of the production of "Cinderella" react with Josh Mohler of Monroe (left) and Jeff Boze of Holland, Ohio, while their caps were pulled off discovering they were bald. The guys are playing the role of the stepsisters in the production of "Cinderella" at the River Raisin for the Arts.

“I know I’m not the focus of it. I just want to have this avenue of performing. It’s a great way to showcase my talent and actually do something I love to do. I always enjoy my times performing,” Mohler said.

Unlike Mohler, Boze’s career in theater began backstage. In the late 1990s, he was a costumer and stagehand for the RRCA. In 2004, he met Choate-Pettit and Moore, who took him from backstage to center stage.

“I’ve always been a theater rat. They had the need. I said, ‘Sure, I’ll give it a try,’” said Boze, who lives about 40 minutes from Monroe.

Jeff Boze of Holland, Ohio, and Josh Mohler of Monroe practice dancing as the stepsisters in the production of "Cinderella" at the River Raisin for the Arts in Monroe.
Jeff Boze of Holland, Ohio, and Josh Mohler of Monroe practice dancing as the stepsisters in the production of "Cinderella" at the River Raisin for the Arts in Monroe.

Since then, except for a five-year hiatus to spend time with his kids before they left for college, Boze has been involved with the RRBC. He’s played parts like Mother Ginger in “Nutcracker Ballet” and his favorite so far, the Mad Hatter in the ballet “Alice in Wonderland.” He’s even helped Choate-Pettit create some of the ballets.

“I’ve been on the ground floor with three of the four ballets Gail created from the ground up,” Boze said.

“The ballet company has presented 36 shows on the RRCA stage, and Jeff has been in 26 of them,” Choate-Pettit said.

Josh Mohler of Monroe as a stepsister in the production of "Cinderella" leaps into the air as he takes part in the ballroom dance.
Josh Mohler of Monroe as a stepsister in the production of "Cinderella" leaps into the air as he takes part in the ballroom dance.

Boze, who also helps with performances at his church, said he does it all for the kids.

“All of my roles, I approach that it’s not for me. I’m doing this for the kids. The kids work incredibly hard. If I can help and let people see them, I’m all for that,” he said.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Area men shave their heads for this weekend's ballet