Hey, dudes, ever wonder what it's like to be a woman? Sure you can put on heels, a skirt, and a bit of blush, but then you're just a man in women's clothing. Living as a woman is a different tale, one that involves an intricate number of things from butt pinching to breast feeding.
Maribeth Graham and Dana P. Rowe have written the musical comedy See Jane Run!, which takes a sassy look at the lives of three women. It gives a real peek into what it's like to live as a woman in the 21th century. The world premiere performance takes place right here in Coral Gables at the Actors' Playhouse Theater and the overall message is, "The secret to having it all is believing you do."
The Ohio natives both have South Florida roots and live in New York. Graham, who wrote the lyrics, is an off-Broadway singer and three-time recipient of the Carbonell Award while musical director Rowe was also a composer ofThe Witches of EastwickandThe Fix. They met while working on the musical Zombie Prom.
Rowe heard some lyrics she'd written and said, "I think you can do the real thing," according to Graham. Next she just had to think of what to write about. As they say, write what you know, so Graham decided to write about the female experience.You might not think that the life of a homeless women or that of a lady living with heart disease sounds funny, but guess what, they managed to do it. "I love the vignette style, I love the multi-character style of theater," Graham mentioned. She created a three act play each describing an aspect of womanhood, which she describes as, "funny, sad, smart, and stupid."
"Jane represents every woman" observed Rowe. As far as what the audience's experience will be, he said, "I hope they come away uplifted, hopeful and inspired." Graham added, "and hopefully with a deeper understanding of what it kind of means to be a woman, not in the stereotypical things that we talk about, but in the things we don't talk about."
See Jane Run! previews at Actors' Playhouse (280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables) on Wednesday and Thursday at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $35, The show opens Friday at 8 p.m. and runs through August 14. Catch performances Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. for $40, except Saturdays which are $48. Call 305 444 9293 or visit actorsplayhouse.org for more details.
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