Shattered Globe’s “Jump,” with Jeff Kurysz (background) and Jazzma Pryor/Photo: Liz Lauren
RECOMMENDED
Suicide is no laughing matter; when life becomes overwhelming, sometimes all you can do is laugh—and dance and sing and smoke (a lot)—to chase away the blues.
A poignant take on the repercussions of suicide is presented in playwright Charly Evon Simpson’s “Jump,” produced by Shattered Globe Theatre running through June 1 at Theater Wit. Directed by AmBer Montgomery, the play combines a heartfelt story about dealing with the loss of loved ones with lush set design and perfectly timed lighting cues to create a spectacle that is a feast for the ears, eyes and heart.
Fay (Jazzma Pryor) is a relaxed millennial whose nonchalant exterior masks deep existential pain. After the death of her mother, she distances herself from her dad (Alfred H. Wilson), a day-drinking curmudgeon, and bougie sister Judy (Jennifer Glasse), who pretentiously judges Fay’s every move. Adding to her woes, Fay suffers from neurological fits that cause time to skip as the lights around her ominously flicker and buzz.
Seeking solitude, Fay retires to a bridge in her childhood neighborhood. There she engages in her favorite pastime, smoking a vape; but her solitude is interrupted by Hopkins (Jeff Kurysz), a cigarette smoker with long, chestnut-colored hair, dressed in the style of late-nineties grunge. As the light of the sun shifts from burnt orange to dark blue, he speaks awkwardly about the metaphysics of jumping to one’s death, a turnoff at first; but his gauche manner lights a fire within her that cauterizes her mental wounds.
Halfway through there is a dramatic twist—someone really has killed themself! After this revelation, absurd moments of prolonged and repeated actions that felt goofy and out of place now stand out as metaphorical clues. Once you’re taught to keep an eye out for these hints, you’ll want to scrutinize every scene and action for the Easter eggs littered throughout the performance.
Shattered Globe’s “Jump,” with Jennifer Glasse and Jazzma Pryor/Photo: Liz Lauren
Each actor embodies their roles with natural ease and superb timing. Pryor nails the role of dejected millennial while allowing flashes of vulnerability to seep through. Glasse is the prototypical mean older sister whose cattiness underlies the powerful development that occurs in her character by the end. Kurysz delivers gallows humor with the panache of a professional comedian. Wilson plays the inebriated family patriarch with finesse, and his uncouth behavior is undercut by his basset-hound eyes and gruff, but lovable demeanor. One could not ask for a more capable cast.
The scenery is a marvel to behold. Scenic design by Regina Garcia and Lindsay Mummert fits four sets—a child’s bedroom, a family living room, the front stoop of a house and a floor-to-ceiling iron bridge—that are placed in such a way that characters can move seamlessly from one scene to the next with only one step.
The final touch, lighting designer Levi Wilkins’ dynamic lighting, gorgeously mimics the rising and setting of the sun as well as the blue-white shimmer of moonlight. Spotlights respond to cued movements from the actors to create fantastic imagery. Lighting by Wilkins syncs with the original music and sound design by Chris Kriz to weave a tapestry of sensation with no bare threads.
“Jump” reminds us that there is more hiding beneath the surface of close relations than we may realize, and philosophically analyzes how one deals with loss destructively through substance addiction and constructively through friendship and family. It’s no leap to say that this is one show worth checking out.
“Jump” is presented by Shattered Globe Theatre and runs through June 1 at Theater Wit, 1229 West Belmont. Showtimes are Thursday–Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 3pm, and an added matinee on June 1 at 3pm. No show Thursday, April 25 or Thursday, May 16. Tickets ($15-$52) at sgtheatre.org or the box office (773)975-8150.
