It's a few years past college, and Jordan is still close with his best girlfriends Laura, Vanessa, and Kiki. The play begins with Kiki's bachelorette party, followed closely by her wedding. One by one, all of his friends find a man and get married, while Jordan is still looking for Mr. Right. Jordan's other best friend is his grandma, whom he tells about each successive wedding. Grandma then asks about his social life, and assures him that he will be the next to find someone special. But he's beginning to doubt that, when his crushes on work colleagues and old friends amount to nothing. His existential crisis culminates when BFF Laura, with whom he talked about starting a family, gets married, which he views almost as a betrayal or break up. But some wise advice from a grandma, and continued support from his friends, although in a different way, just might get him through.
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| friends forever! (Chloe Armao, Bradley Hildebrandt, Audrey Park, and Olivia Wilusz, photo courtesy of MJTC) |
Walking into MJTC's small auditorium theater, I was intrigued by the set. It almost looks unfinished, just three flat gray walls with multiple squares of various sizes outlined in lighter gray. But since this is Michael Hoover, I knew there was more to it, which is revealed as the play goes on. Each of those little boxes opens up to display a bookshelf, a closet, a bar, a coffee pot, and any number of props. It's a very clever and efficient way to represent all of the locations of the play, from office to bedroom to bar to wedding venue. Our four friends, and their guys, are very chic and modern in their dress, each with a specific style that makes them feel like real people (costume design by Rubble&Ash).
This is a smart, funny, relatable, and poignant play by a talented young Jewish playwright, a perfect fit for Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company. And they have definitely risen to the occasion and brought us a fantastic production of it (continuing through March 8).
