Spread the Love: Jealousy Jane – by Lindsay Price

This week we spread the love for Jealousy Jane, a high school comedy about jealousy.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to this week’s Spread the Love where we are talking about Jealousy Jane. Jane is indeed the name of the main character, and jealousy is indeed the thing that she feels. She has a little problem with the green eyed monster, so much so that it is following her around, no matter how much she tries to deny it. Craig what do you love about Jealousy Jane?

What I love about Jealousy Jane is the role of the monster. Lindsay has taken Jane’s jealousy and actually physicalized it and embodied it into a character. A monster, who is attached to Jane by a big rope. There is a great use of language in this play. At the beginning the monster can only speak in grunts and groans. But by the end, the monster becomes quite sophisticated and can speak in complete sentences. I just love it. I love it so much in fact that I’m currently trying to build a time machine so I can go back to high school and play the role myself. Lindsay, what do you love about Jealousy Jane?

I have such love and affection for this play. It’s one of my oldest. It’s a very playful script. And of course I love the character of the monster. I love that we’re able to offer such a unique and specific and special character, physically and vocally out there in the world. I love that. I don’t love that it doesn’t get a lot of productions, Jealousy Jane. We don’t know why. Craig and I have had a lot of conversations about it. It could be that the play is a little bit left of centre, and it’s a got a very quirky sense of humour. It’s not your straight forward hard hitting comedy. It could be that it’s an issue play that is also a little left of centre and a little quirky. Jealousy is an issue, but of course it’s not your standard hard hitting issue and that might be what’s putting people off. But remember, jealousy is something that everybody feels. I feel it, you feel it, I know you feel it. And it is something that everybody can relate it. And the fact that the play takes that very familiar feeling and turns it into a character and puts it out on stage – that’s what makes good theatre and that’s why I love this play.

That’s it for Spread the Love!