It has been said that behind every great man there is a woman urging him on. This sets the stage for “Jake’s Women,” written by acclaimed playwright Neil Simon and performed by Wichita State’s School of Performing Arts the weekend before spring break.

WSU Visiting Professor Tom Frye directed the play. 

Judging by the premise and playwright, I imagined this play to be a standard comedy centered on that saying of “Women, can’t live with them, can’t live without them.” However, the production was more emotionally engaging.

“Jake’s Women” focuses on a middle-aged writer who is separating from his wife. The play delves into Jake’s mind. He summons the various women that impacted his life and holds conversations with them about his situation. Some of them are at a rapid funny pace, while others are truly heartbreaking. 

The most engaging moment occurs when Jake imagines a conversation with his first wife and college sweetheart, who was killed in an accident, who gets the opportunity to talk with her now grown-up daughter. These sort of dramatic themes are always intriguing to me, along with the central idea being that it’s not best to dwell on the past.

As the only male character in the play, J. Bailey Burcham previously appeared in WSU productions as King Claudius in “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” and a truly menacing military man in “Fleeing Blue.” Watching him in the role of Jake, which was vastly different than his previous roles, showed his great sense of range, which will hopefully be seen in future productions.

Each of the actresses who portrayed the women in Jake’s life had a defining personality and provided a great sense of variety. Hannah Meyer’s portrayal of Jake’s film enthusiast sister Karen reminded me of real life family members who tend to share the same characteristics. Something I noticed about Emily Monrad’s portrayal of Jake’s idealized vision of his college sweetheart Jill was that she displayed a noticeable change in voice and tone when she was supposed to age 14 years in a matter of seconds.

Another highlight from the actresses included how the role of Jake’s daughter, Molly, was played by two different actresses representing the young and adult incarnations of the role, played by Jami Mumma and Rachel Curtiss, retrospectively.  One of the best effects in the show was how the younger version of the character walked behind a bookcase and the older version flawlessly appeared from the other end.

The giant set representing Jake’s home was a great marvel to behold and a testament to the love and care that went into this production. 

“Jake’s Women” exceeded my expectations and perceptions of what a Neil Simon play could be with a strong emotional chord that stuck within myself and the audience. Everyone associated with this production brought in the highest level of perfection; making this honestly the greatest show I’ve had the pleasure of seeing at WSU.