[NEohioPAL] Marjorie Preston's Brava! Blog -- "A Kid Like Jake" at None Too Fragile (REVIEW)

Sun Mar 13 12:05:06 PDT 2016

None Too Fragile's “A Kid Like Jake” Intense, Smartly Written, Weighty with
a Sense of Humor

By Marjorie Preston

“Brava!”

*www.marjoriepreston.com/brava <http://www.marjoriepreston.com/brava>*

None Too Fragile's current production of “A Kid Like Jake” by Daniel Pearle
gives voice to the private lives of the parents of New York City Pre-K
student Jake as the couple struggles for acceptance into the über-competitive
world of NYC private schools. The script is intense and smartly written,
and although it addresses weighty subjects, there is humor suffused
throughout.

New York City-based parents Alex (Rachel Lee Kolis) and Greg (Geoff Knox)
are working with Jake's preschool admissions coordinator Judy (Laura
Starnik) to navigate their Pre-K student son Jake's entry into the
extremely competitive world of NYC private schools. As a side plot, Alex is
newly pregnant following a previous miscarriage, and is balancing some
concern for her health, whereupon we meet a Nurse (Katie Wells) who, in a
dual role, returns in a dream sequence to discuss Cinderella.

Alex, a lawyer turned stay-at-home-mom, has shifted all her attention to
play dates and preparing Jake for tests and interviews for private schools.
While Alex is hyper-focused on Kindy prep, Greg, a therapist, doesn't get
much time with his son or much affection from his wife. Their
communications with each other are so focused on this transition for Jake,
they have lost sight of caring for themselves and each other. It is when
Judy mentions Jake's “gender-variant play” outside their home that the
couple begin to dig into unexplored feelings and unchallenged assumptions.

Kolis plays the all-too-familiar “mom trying to do it all” with strong
commitment to the role. She plays mom Alex capably on an arc from concerned
to anxious to full-blown anger and back down through despair. Knox commits
equally well to his role, beginning as supportive, turning exasperated and
then truly ugly as he scratches under the surface to regain some control of
family decisions he had relinquished to his wife. Though very believable
and strong actors, the script places them almost in separate worlds at this
point in their lives, so they very rarely seem to be connecting as a couple.

The talented Starnik maintains her composure as a professional in a tense
confrontational scene. Her body language and delivery make for a very
realistic feel in the office of a woman who constantly deals with frantic
parents. Wells is compassionate and smooth in her dual roles.

Director and Set Designer Sean Derry keeps the action moving, directing the
close-knit group to talk over each other, indicating the interweaving of
their lives as caretakers for such a special boy. A simple set utilizing
rehearsal cubes is all that fits, though this quickens the pace of the set
changes. Props are minimal and all costume changes take place in front of
the back curtain, with actors changing in the blackouts. It's interesting
to watch, but may pull some audience members out of the story briefly.
Sound Designer Brian Kenneth Armour's ticking clocks, buzzing phones and
Grey's Anatomy-style slow jams about innocence and sacrifice add a sense of
urgency and depth.

Preschool test prep and gender-variant play in children are definitely
conversation sparkers. While audiences may disagree about their approach to
the issues raised in this play, there is no doubt that None Too Fragile's
performance of “A Kid Like Jake” is superbly written, strongly acted and
thought-provoking.

“A Kid Like Jake” runs through March 26, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00
p.m., Sunday, 3/20 at 2:00 p.m., Monday 3/21 at 8:00 p.m. and Thursdays
3/17 and 3/24 at 8:00 p.m. at 1835 Merriman Road, Akron, Ohio. Entrance is
through Pub Bricco. For tickets, call (330) 962-5547 or visit
*www.nonetoofragile.com
<http://www.nonetoofragile.com/>*. The play contains adult language and
themes.

-- 
Best,
mp

Marjorie Preston, President

* Marjorie Preston PR *http://www.marjoriepreston.com/
Specializing in small business, arts and non-profit clients
* Let's tell your story!*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.neohiopal.org/pipermail/neohiopal-neohiopal.org/attachments/20160313/a0b00ba9/attachment-0002.htm>