2015-257-E Arts - Deep Dish Theater Company Arts Grant

Browse Search

DocuSign Envelope ID: F859AB28-066D-45E9-BB24-D873BDC015A0 abyss of overacting, but it felt like I was listening in on real life. Their major fight, in the penultimate scene, was so realistic and natural that it had veterans of these real-life encounters squirming. The blame starts. While Greg accuses his wife of buying too many Disney "princess" DVDs, she retaliates by asking him when he ever threw a baseball with Jake. This is no laughing matter, but Pearle judiciously employs some great comical lines to break the tension and further humanize the characters. The mention of public schools or McDonalds elicited howls of disgust and derision. There are many nuanced topics touched on and then withdrawn quickly from the burner: hypocrisy of some liberals, women leaving careers to take care of children, white flight to suburbs for "better" schools, even reparative therapy to "cure" Jake. This is a play which proves that an excellent script and great acting is all you need: I'd watch them perform it in an empty room. However, the minimalist sets (Jenni Mann Becker, scenic desitner) and lighting (Liz Droessler, lighting designer) did add another dimension to the experience. The backdrop (Matthew S. Gaynor, graphic designer) was a colorful, quasi- impressionistic cityscape that didn't necessarily identify itself as New York—which is where it's actually set. The sets primarily alternated between the couple's simple living room and Judy's office at Jake's current school. The set changes (about eight of them) were done quickly and efficiently by stagehands on a darkened set while well-chosen music played. While there is a costume designer (Pamela Bond), the dress was unremarkable everyday clothing. In case the reader is wondering, Jake is never seen, except for a wonderful scene where Alex imagines her son as female. Jess Jones, who also doubles in a small part as a Nurse, sensitively plays the gender-realized Jake. Directed by Tony Lea in a way that simply allows a well-written story to be told by a superb ensemble, A Kid Like Jake is a magnificent study of people grappling with things they can't fully understand and probably have no control over. There is no resolution, just more questions as the final scene balances the silly with the profound. We are just at the starting gate of the 2014-15 arts season, but A Kid Like Jake, has already positioned itself at the top of the list for Best Play of the Year. A Kid Like Jake continues through Saturday, September 20. For more details on this production, please view the sidebar.