Jake’s Women
Jake’s Women
By Neil Simon
Directed by BeeJay Aubertin-Clinton
Starring Craig Raymo and Tracey Jane Smith
Breakthrough Theatre, Winter Park, FL</strong>
Whenever I’ve had trouble with women, it’s been face to face or over the phone. Jake (Raymo) lacks this luxury; he has to hallucinate his friends and lovers for nearly the entire show. It begins simply enough; he imagines conversations with his deceased first wife Julie (Molly Wuerz) and his distant daughter Molly (Casey Litzenberger). His current wife Maggie (Smith) drops by in person often enough to be confusing, but everything comes down to this: He wants Julie back, and the stress is killing what he has with Maggie. Both Jake and Maggie have had affairs, now here they separate and a rather bloodless divorce looms. This being a Neil Simon piece Psychoanalysis is still a thing; here it comes from the funny and sardonic Edith (Sharon Barbour Tedder). He can only imaging her conversations when she’s not with another patient; it’s an odd professional courtesy but she complains “I don’t even get paid for this time.” Just to prove to us these women are figments of Jakes fetid brain, the girls pause to primp and pick their nails while he goes off to the bathroom. Only his imagination can torture him like this.
Despite the goofy premise, this is one of Simon’s most interesting plays, and one of Breakthrough’s best performances. Mr. Raymo is not only likable, he sells his low grade crazy with charm and a smile and a sense if he believes, so should you. He would be a great boon to the Sasquatch Believers Club; I can assure you of that. Smith’s Maggie is an elegant yet tortured wife who feels no man would work better for her than Jake, but she IS willing to shop. Daughter Molly is played by two actors: Litzenberger as the contemporary runway model style of daughter, and Kelsey Kline gives us the 12 year old and hopeful version. I’m happy to see they both get along. There’s plenty of snappy dialog; Tender’s analyst has the right mix of Jewish sarcasm and feminine forbearance. And Julie does seem like the sweet girl next door; willing to give all to her man. Later models seem more reserved on that front.
This show is packed with snappy dialog and a feeling that it derives from a James Thurber TV series (yes, such a thing exists: “My World and Welcome to It” on NBC in 1967.) Jake routinely addresses he audience directly; director Clinton handles this sometimes difficult trope with grace. The set is simple and requires no rhythm breaking furniture moving; thus the show flies along. Maggie has a wonderful monolog when it’s clear they will part; she bemoans dramatically “Somebody else’s soap will be in my soap dish” then almost immediately points out how trite that line is. I sort of like it, and like all Neil Simon shows the author is the main character. It’s a great show but I’d hold off until date #3 or #4 before going with someone you have hopes for.
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