English Made Simple

I originally picked up English Made Simple at the suggestion of my father, who enjoyed acting in this piece many years ago. After reading it over, I was intrigued by its frequent changes and how it spoke to the lack of connection that I had noticed among people post-pandemic. The original David Ives piece showcased Jack and Jill as meeting at a party through a variety of mini-scenes with the guidance of a voice through a loudspeaker. I immediately knew that I wanted to have the voice on the stage guiding Jack and Jill more directly. Through this version of the production, the speaker becomes a professor, trying to go through her lesson plan on how to hold a successful conversation in a party scenario. However, through Jack and Jill’s difficulties in communicating, it becomes all too clear that true human connection doesn’t necessarily follow a planned script. There are ups and downs, deep set histories, and strange personality quirks that all influence Jack and Jill’s relationship as they try to find themselves and each other. Will Jack and Jill achieve that promise of a second meeting through a successful conversation, or are they doomed to miscommunicate?