Uncle Jake’s 90th   

Uncle Jake’s 90th is an interactive comedy in which the audience is invited to participate in a surprise birthday party for a small town’s favorite elder, affectionately referred to by all as “Uncle Jake”.  Jake’s perfectionist daughter Adele has planned the party with the questionable help of Jake’s diverse and eccentric family and friends.  This special occasion has drawn family members from around the country back to the small town where they grew up.  Parker, Jake’s hard-driving hard-drinking lawyer son from Chicago is  still in competition with his peace-loving  younger brother,  LeRoy,  who arrives from California with his most recent girlfriend, a glamorous “wanna-be film-star” named Chenille Velour.  Jake’s old fishing buddy Otis, a retired artificial inseminator, enjoys shocking the abstemious choir director Pearl by telling about tricks of his trade, and  tries to avoid Orchid,  a retired exotic dancer, who has her eye on Jake, or Otis, or any potential sugar-daddy in the room.  Jake’s grandson, P.J. and his girl Tiffany arrive in leathers on their Harley to help celebrate, and Jake’s grand-daughters who still live near him  in the small town have prepared a unique entertainment especially for Uncle Jake. The cast of 6 men and 8 women also includes Jake’s niece Eula Mae, addicted to soap operas and morbid newscasts, and an uninvited guest, Spike, who is determined to cause trouble.

As in most of our extended families, they have historic feuds to cope with, skeletons to try to keep in the closet, shared memories of events and relationships spanning many years, and yes, even love.

“Uncle Jake’s 90th” is an environmental play, meant to be produced in a “party room” rather than on a stage. Audience participation can be as much or as little as each audience member chooses.  Productions have been highly successful and audiences have been  delighted with the show.