Auditons for Jake's Women coming soon

ICCT - Auditions for Iowa City Community Theater's production of Jake's Women by Neil Simon will be on July 30 (7-9pm) and 31 (2-5pm) at the Iowa City Public Library. The show runs on October 1-3, and 8-10 at the Johnson County fairgrounds. Auditions will consist of cold reads. The script is available for perusal at the Reference Desk of the Iowa City Public Library. Feel free to email the director should you wish to audition but are unable to do so on the scheduled dates.

Jake, a novelist who is more successful with fiction than with real life, faces a marital crisis by daydreaming about the women in his life. The imagined flashbacks are at times moving and comedic, but are also interrupted by visitations from actual women in his life.

CAST BREAKDOWN:

Jake (40s – 60s) Writer in the grips of a midlife crisis who would rather observe his life than live it. Though somehow a magnet for delightful women, he holds the world at arm’s length and is no good at intimacy.

Maggie (35 – 50s) Jake’s second (current) wife. She is matter-of-fact, a career-oriented woman who loves Jake deeply but cannot deal with his inability to communicate with her as a real person. She exists in “real time” as well as in Jake’s imagination.

Karen (40s – 50s) Jake’s sister. She is divorced and shares Jake’s wit and sharp attention to detail. In Jake’s dialogues with her, she is cynical, frustrated, and very acerbic.

Young Molly (10 – 15) Jake’s daughter at 12. In his mind, she is the perfect, loving, non-problematic kid.

Older Molly (17 – 25) Jake’s daughter at 21. A college student who longs to know more about her mother.

Julie (20s – 35) Jake’s first wife. She has died, and therefore lives only in Jake’s memory. He tries to idealize her, but as he loses control of his characters, she begins to interact with her daughter and refuses to be idealized.

Edith (40s – 70s) Jake’s therapist. Jake “writes” sessions with her. In them she is both a voice of reason and very annoying.

Sheila (30 – 50s) Jake’s girlfriend. She is the only woman Jake does not create in his mind. She loves Jake, but can’t cope with his indecision as the Maggie in his mind takes over his relationship with her.