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Tim Peper, Sharon Lawrence and Sarah Utterback star in "A Kid Like Jake" now playing at the Carrie Hamilton Theatre at the Pasadena Playhouse.
All photos by Dean Cechvala. |
Six years ago, the terms "cis-gender" or "non-binary" were not part of the American vernacular. However, as more attention is being paid to making roles in society more inclusive, these terms are now part of the current highly charged atmosphere surrounding self-identity and LGBTQ politics.
"A Kid Like Jake," now playing at the Carrie Hamilton Theatre at the Pasadena Playhouse, is graced with firm direction by Jennifer Chambers, and Daniel Pearle's one act drama (originally staged in 2013 at LCT3/Lincoln Center Theater) has been given a face lift to bring the underlying issues into clearer focus.
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| Tim Peper and Sarah Utterback in "A Kid Like Jake" |
Alex and Greg, a New York couple with a small son, are trying to guarantee his acceptance into a high-quality pre-school and are knee deep in paperwork and pre-admission test drills. Assisting them in their quest is Judy, a sympathetic school administrator and social worker, well acquainted with the qualifying hoops parents must jump through to gain admission for their kids into the elite institutions. It is the parent essay, which asks Alex and Greg to define their son's unique qualities, that propels the action over the course of the play.
The core question the playwright poses - and the actors portray beautifully - is when to accept and celebrate a child's unique persona and when to protect them from a society that is too quick to label a person's tendencies and therefore judge and define them in a non-inclusive way.
Sounds pedantic, but in playwright Pearle's hands, it is a deeply, emotionally-affecting experience. All parents go through the "did we do the right thing" when it comes to raising children; second guessing themselves, they try to avoid making mistakes that could be catastrophic in their child's future. But when does innocent child play and make believe cross the line into shaping a one's realization of self? And can a 4 year old actually understand something that,to them, is as natural as breathing?
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| Tim Peper and Sarah Utterback in "A Kid Like Jake" |
Alex, a tightly-wound former corporate lawyer and now stay at home Tiger Mom, is played to taut perfection by Sarah Utterback. Her obvious intelligence vies with her emotional need to see her child live up to his full potential. As her confused therapist husband Greg, Tim Peper captures the frustration of a man unable connect with his son as he'd like, and seeing the woman he loves slip farther away from him in her obsession with getting Jake into a quality pre-school. Together, they are heartbreaking in their pain and devastatingly identifiable for their concern over whether to acknowledge or ignore their son's natural instincts for self-expression.
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Sarah Utterback and Sharon Lawrence
in "A Kid Like Jake" |
Sharon Lawrence, as Judy, a school administrator and friend/adviser to Alex and Greg, brings her usual warmth and sharply focused characterization to the role. Supportive yet cautionary, she struggles to reveal the real issue the family is dealing with. Her obvious affection for both Jake and Alex prevents her from getting tough with them - that is until Alex attacks her credibility and Judy retreats to a self protective distance.
Olivia Liang, who plays Alex's OB-GYN nurse, has the challenge of creating a character who is seemingly tangential to the action until one key scene. That said, she brings a measured calm to all the fevered emotions on the stage and has a strong supportive presence.
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Olivia Liang and Sarah Utterback
in "A Kid Like Jake" |
Despite never seeing 'Jake', we have a strong sense of his presence, which is reflected in the detailed set and props by DeAnne Millais and Heath Harper, respectively. Fine work too by Lighting Designer Ginevra Lombardo, and Composer and Sound Designer Peter Bayne; the remainder of the technical team includes Costume Designer Melissa Trn, Technical Director Eduardo Fernandez-Baumann, and Scenic Painter Lacey Anzelc,
IAMA Theatre Company, established in 2007, is one of the strong creative entities in the Los Angeles theater scene that strives to present original and compelling stories for audiences; in this one, they have succeeded admirably.
"A Kid Like Jake" is playing through November 3 at the Carrie Hamilton Theatre, upstairs at the Pasadena Playhouse located at 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena. For tickets and more information, please call 323-380-8843 or visit iamatheatre.com.
-- Lisa Lyons
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