Emily March

Reviews are out, and Beau Jest at Patio Playhouse, written by improv master James Sherman and directed by Samantha Goldstein, is an absolute hit! 'Highly recommended for those who need a laugh... a very talented cast and superb direction brought fast-paced action and lots of laughs from a clever script. Kudos to all.' 'Great intimate theatre with outstanding cast. Not a bad seat in the house. Loved the energy; you can tell they do this because they love the craft.' 'One word: enchanting.'

In keeping with the Patio Playhouse goal of giving back to the community, for the duration of the show, Beau Jest's cast and crew will run a collection station in the theater lobby.

Patio's production of Beau Jest by James Sherman features Cassiopeia Guthrie (Sarah), David Guthrie (Bob), Alex Contreras (Chris), Deborah Zimmer (Miriam), Kevin Bray (Abe), and Emily March (Joely). Perfectly set in the intimate venue of Patio Playhouse's Grand Avenue theater, this take on the Chicago hometown hit includes an interesting twist in the dynamics between sister duo Sarah and Joely (originally written as Joel, a man), and will warm hearts with its messages of family, love, listening, honesty, and open-mindedness.

Kindergarten teacher Sarah Goldman works hard to be the 'nice' girl her old-fashioned Jewish parents Miriam and Abe expect her to be.

Kindergarten teacher Sarah Goldman works hard to be the 'nice' girl her old-fashioned Jewish parents Miriam and Abe expect her to be.

Usually directors tell actors they are being over-the-top and need to pull it back, but exactly the opposite needed to happen with this production.

Spark Theater opens its new home with the deliciously wrong comedy, The Love Potion.

While the modern college-roomies milieu is an interesting concept, this particular production lacks the execution.