“JAKE’S WOMEN”
JAKE'S WOMEN
Neil Simon writes laugh and learn plays. His witty, fast paced dialogue keeps the audience laughing while his characters face real problems and reveal universal human truths. The Birdcage stages his plays well. The Seven Year Itch, The Sunshine Boys, The Female Old Couple, I Ought To Be In Pictures, these are just some of the very recent ones. Simon’s plays are an excellent choice for The Birdcage. The audience loves them. The first play of the season is a another winner, Jake's Women. When I asked director Bill Falcon why he had chosen to do this particular play he said that he felt it has great heart & is particularly moving. This is one of Simon’s best.
The main character is a successful writer with a struggling marriage who has lost his ability to write and is suffering from delusions. In an effort to save his marriage and his sanity Jake (Dennis Perri) talks to many women he knows. Some conversations are real. Some are imaginary. Jake talks to his daughter Molly as both a child and an adult, his late wife Julie, his current wife Maggie, his sister Karen, his psychiatrist Edith and his current girlfriend Shelia.
Maggie (Katy Ryan) is a matter-of-fact, career-oriented woman who loves Jake deeply but cannot deal with his inability to communicate. Katy Ryan has proven herself a marvelous dancer many times, but her ability to twirl effortlessly between twenty-five and thirty-five is pure magic. By the end of the play she owns the audience’s heart. Jake's sister Karen (Carol Falcon) is divorced and shares Jake's wit and sharp attention to detail. In Jake's dialogues with her, she is cynical, frustrated. Carol Falcon is a gifted chameleon. The variety of personality types she can successfully portray is phenomenal. Having seen her in many Birdcage productions (The Sugar Bean Sisters, A Christmas Story, The Odd Couple and The Cocktail Hour, to name a few,) it is a delight to watch as she becomes yet another person. Jake's daughter Molly at 12, (Nichole Pierce) is the perfect, loving, non-problematic kid. is well suited to the role as is Sarah Bartlett Pierce who plays the older Molly, a college student who longs to know more about her mother. The two do a great job of contrasting the same person at different stages of life. Julie (Samantha Sanz) lives only in Jake’s memory but she makes her character vibrant and is a vital catalyst in Jake’s resolving his problems. Edith (Barbara Daggett) is a wonderful therapist. Jake "writes" sessions with her. Barbara Daggett is both a voice of reason and glamorous and hits a very high note of comedy. Shelia (Allison Caldwell) is the only woman in the play Jake does not create in his mind. The audience is sympathetic with her frustration at coping with Jake’s indecisiveness. The scene with imaginary Maggie and real Jake and Shelia will have people laughing for hours. Dennis Peri is a perfect Jake, He is intelligent, witty and vulnerable. He is on stage for every minute of the play and keeps that pace going and gathers empathy at the same time; a wonderful performance.
The play takes place over a six-month period. Jake has his dialogues and by talking with the women he learns about himself. Bill Falcon uses his vast experience and great talent to bring together this remarkable cast play and blends the laughter and learning for a wonderful evening. Listen to the ladies with Jake. Laugh and learn.
Jake’s Women runs for three weekends – September 9 through September 25. Evening performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM. Sunday afternoon performances are at 2:00 PM. Tickets are $15, $7 for pre-teens. Advance tickets are available at the Discount Bookstore, 1515 Myers Street and Bartlett’s hearing Aid Center, 2450 Oro Dam Blvd. Suite C and by calling the theatre. The Birdcage Theatre is located at 1740 Bird Street. Call the theatre at (530) 533-BIRD (2473) for information