Friday, April 24, 2015

The Jennifer Bourne Identity

Play #106 - The Jennifer Bourne Identity

Jennifer is the perfect housewife. She is skilled and quick and hyper-attentive to any need that her family might have. Her husband Rob is a little less in-touch with things, but she keeps him on track. However, this morning she starts to wonder how she managed to get so good at all these things: cleaning and multi-tasking and wrapping amazing packages for children's birthday parties. It's supposed to feel sort of like the Bourne Identity - I don't remember learning all these amazing skills... how did I get like this? Rob tells her there was once a time when she could relax like he does. He tries to get her to sit on the couch and zone out in front of the TV, but she finds it too unstimulating. She can't leave her busy life like that anymore.

I can't quite tell what I think about this play. I think if it were played very tongue in cheek it could work, but if it's played too earnestly, then there's a sort of "mother as pinnacle of womanhood" angle that is unappealing to me. I think it might be intending to make fun of that idea, but it may have ended up supporting it? I'm not sure. I would want to see it to get the real vibe.

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