Review: Ensemble's WOMEN IN JEOPARDY Brings the Sitcom to the Stage

Before I begin the important discussion about the sensitive politics of female representation in the arts, I'll say that Ensemble's production of Wendy MacLeod's Women in Jeopardy was an enjoyable theatrical experience. The performances were wholehearted, and the cast of talented actors successfully executed the humor written into the play, and also created humor in moments that weren't specifically written for a laugh. Women in Jeopardy is the story of two women, Mary (Heather Ayers) and Jo (Annabelle Gurwitch), who think their friend Liz's (DeeDee Rescher) new boyfriend (William Salyers) is a serial killer. Watching the main characters, three middle-aged, divorced, mid-western women, bumble around their invented murder mystery was entertaining, albeit a bit domestic.

That being said, the conversation that playwright Wendy MacLeod instigates with Women in Jeopardy isn't about women on an adventure: it's about whether or not, in MacLeod's words, it's possible to write a "balls-out comedy about three middle-aged women."

Clearly, it is possible. Women in Jeopardy is an amusing look at the lives of women who've stumbled upon a bit of excitement. However, the intended conversation is misguided with the use of excessive comparisons and unnecessary characterizations that undermine MacLeod's attempt to show the importance of representing middle-aged and older women in the arts. MacLeod points out that most women we see represented in theatre and literature are usually 35 or younger, and involved in some sort of marriage plot. Though the expectation of a woman's role in society is changing, and thus, the literature written about their adventures is becoming broader in topic than the basic girl-meets-boy-and-fulfills-destiny story, it's true that there is a lack of stories about women over a certain age. Based on MacLeod's argument, this lack of interest stems from the assumption that middle-aged women are already married, and, without the potential for romantic entanglements, have nothing to offer in terms of dramatic material. The women in jeopardy referenced in the play's title are not the characters in the play (who are never in any real peril)--they are women of a certain age who are in jeopardy of being misunderstood and ignored in artistic representations of modern life.

MacLeod's intent is laudable, but problematic storytelling elements destabilize her message. Women in Jeopardy's plot is still a girl-meets-boy-and-fulfills-destiny story; the women just happen to be in their forties instead of their twenties. Even though these women have been married and divorced, they are still participating in the same type of story that MacLeod is trying to avoid, one in which the troubling message is that women are only complete once they have romance in their lives. Even though the women are older, this obsession with being in a relationship still reduces the female gender to objects for marriage and child-rearing. MacLeod may have written a play featuring an underrepresented demographic, but she hasn't presented characters that challenge these stereotypes.

This concept of female protagonists who are "past their prime," (a horrendously sexist phrase indicating a woman's shelf-life is based on her ability to produce children, but applicable to this discussion non-the-less), has been successful in the past. It worked well for Roseanne. The difference is that Roseanne wasn't about an older woman trying to find love after already having a family; it was about the mundane aspects of daily life made comedic by exaggeration. The humor emanated from the trashy, over-the-top characterizations of the family members. In Women in Jeopardy, the unremarkable aspects of these women's lives are represented too often without any humor, and the idea that women need romance to be satisfied is hit hard and without ironic intention. As well, the characters are too aware of their purpose as ambassadors from an underrepresented demographic. The idea that stories are never told about older women is broached so frequently that it's difficult for the audience to forget they're watching play about three women in a humorous situation because they're constantly reminded of the cultural conversation behind the plot.

The writing of the show was tight, but characterization was limited. The two younger people in the show, Trenner (Matthew Grondin) and his on-again-off-again girlfriend, Amanda (Sophie Ullett), are mannequins of stereotypical teenagers: a clueless, horny guy, and a high-maintenance, prissy girl with big boobs. They serve as a point of comparison to the more mature characters, but unfortunately, are more interesting to watch due to the innate conflicts associated with being young and impetuous and constantly making stupid choices.

Again, my issue with this play is not that the adventure isn't funny: it is. The women are sassy, and present moments of true comedic gold. However, two women on a mission to save their friend from a boyfriend they think is a serial killer can be played with characters of any age, of any gender, from 15-105. Therefore, the depiction of them being divorced, and unhappy because of their divorces, gives the play an extra, unnecessary level of characterization that makes being middle-aged and divorced seem negative, when it doesn't need to be. The idea that love is all-important is so ingrained in these characters that they make the choice to play detective and expose serial-killer-boyfriend rather than upset Liz, who's found love at last, with a frank discussion: hey, girlfriend, your new man is creepy, and btw, maybe check on the fact that he's a suspect in the brutal murder of his dental hygienist. The women in this show needn't be middle-aged, nor do they need to be divorced, nor do they need to be snarky about their single-status for this "friend-dates-a-possible-serial-killer" plot to work.

I maintain that Women in Jeopardy was a pleasant theatrical experience. It was light fare that didn't require a lot of emotional investment, but had an interesting concept with enjoyably humorous implementation and Ensemble's typically excellent staging. However, in terms of social commentary, Women in Jeopardy misses the mark for evangelizing the importance of creating theatre that represents the experience of middle-aged women. Instead, it draws these women as unhappy divorcées--which is exactly the stereotype from which women in this culture are trying to break away.

Ensemble Theatre Company Presents:
Women in Jeopardy

by Wendy MacLeod
Directed by Bart DeLorenzo

December 3-20, 2015
http://ensembletheatre.com

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