★★★★ There are certain playwrights that we can rely on for great fun at the theater. Neil Simon’s works ( well at least most of them) were always funny and yet, deep down one could find just that little something that also brought great meaning to life. “The Odd Couple” examined change in one’s character, “Barefoot in The Park”, “The Goodbye Gird”, The Sunshine Boys” and many more. Many of his treasures, such as “Brighton Beach Memoirs” to many serve as his autobiography. His characters in many of the plays that he wrote were his family. The writer that he opted to use on a regular basis, could really have been him.
“Jake’s Women”, now on the stage at Oil Lamp Theater, that charming intimate space in “Downtown” Glenview , could easily be interpreted as Simon’s life set to a love story. Jake ( played to perfection by Dennis Schnell) is a writer. He is married to Maggie ( deftly handled by April Taylor). Their marriage is not perfect. Jake was married before and very much in love with Julie ( charmingly portrayed by Devri Chism) , who was the mother of their daughter, Molly ( played by two actresses at different stages in their lives- Emrose Seidenberg at 12 and Abby Walburn at 21). This may sound confusing, but the title is “jakes Women” so you need to meet them all ( and you will)!
Jake has a sister , Karen ( a masterful performance by Whitney Minarik, who has a great comic touch) who is always around to help him through his problems as is his therapist, Edith ( another hysterical character from the incredible mind of Simon brought to life by Beth Goldberg). Wait, we’re not done yet. The last piece of this puzzle is Sheila ( Catrina Evans) who is the last of the women we meet in this story. Ah, the story. Jake and Maggie are having marital problems. Jake’s way of handling his situation is to create scenerios in his mind which transmit to the stage and are shared with us, the audience. Yes, we are seeing what he is thinking and each of the characters, at one time or another indicates this ( except for Sheila, who is here for reasons that are revealed later in the second act.
Sharply directed by Josh Johnson, who utilizes the small stage and intimacy of the Oil Lamp to perfection, the “fourth wall” is eliminated. We are the “fly on the wall” and don’t be surprised if audience members become a part of the production. This is a clever and highly comical story. A man loses his first love, mother of his daughter, remarries and then finds that he is still deeply in love with his dearly departed and cannot go forward. Add to this that his second wife is climbing up the corporate ladder and despite loving him, they lose that “flame”. Jake’s imagination brings up all of the women in his life. Even his mother ( but she is only by anecdotes).
Will Jake find out why he is the way he is? Can Maggie find a way to get into Jake’s “story”? Can Jake come to terms with Julie’s passing and go forward? Can all these women, past and present allow Jake to become the person he was years ago? We all find ourselves rooting for Jake to rid himself of the issues he has and find the happiness that is on his plate. Will he find the happiness that is right before his very eyes? Let’s just say, happiness is just around the corner! For everyone on the stage as well as all of you in the audience.
On the tech side, for those of you who know the Oil Lamp, the stage set is for the most part a living room ( I think the Artistic Director Keith Gerth handles this as well as the props). It is simple, but effective. David Miller’s lights add a great deal to the moods of Simon’s words put to work by Johnson, and Bronte DeShong is the stage manager making sure that everything is in place.
If you are looking for a fun evening of theater in an intimate space, the Oil Lamp is sheer perfection. Bring a bottle of wine so you can enjoy it in the theater ( no corkage fees) and enjoy the cookies and snacks they have set out for you to partake of. This is a theater where the host ( Gerth) cares about your every need, and parking is free.
Oil Lamp Theater is located at 1723 West Glenview Road ( just west of Waukegan Rd).
“Jake’s Women” will continue through March 1st with performances as follows:
| Thursdays: | 8:00pm |
| Fridays: | 8:00pm |
| Saturdays: | 3:00pm & 8:00pm |
| Sundays: | 3:00pm |
tickets are $40 ( including cookies, soft drinks, nuts and candy)
Show Type: Comedy
Box Office: 847-834-0738
To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Jake’s Women”.
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