Theater Review: 'JBKO' at Seven Angels Theatre

Review by Nancy Sasso Janis

“JBKO The Life. The Legend. The Legacy.” is a brand new play written by Tom Santopietro about the life of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. It is making its world premiere on the stage of Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury and runs through June 30. Artistic Director Semina De Laurentis directed this fascinating premiere.

Santopietro is a bestselling author and Waterbury native, who is “particularly happy that my play ‘JBKO’ will have its premiere in my hometown.” The playwright writes that his interest in the Kennedys began when he grew up hearing stories about John F. Kennedy’s visit to Waterbury two days before the election in 1960. While looking into the history of the Kennedy family, he kept coming back to the enigmatic first lady that certainly filled many roles during her lifetime.

His very intimate solo play sets out to pull back the curtain on the very private "Jackie O," whose initials form the title of the show. Santopietro admits that this is his attempt to form his own idea of what this celebrity was really like.

This script offers a glimpse into the marriages of Jacqueline, as well as the tragedies of her life. It begins with a look at her career as a book editor and then moves through her life story more or less in a linear fashion. We hear of the divorce of her parents and her lineage, the men in her life and her fierce protection of her children. The narrative does not avoid her relationships with her in-laws, the President’s infidelity, her smoking habit, and a reference to her aunt and cousin living in Grey Gardens.

De Laurentis notes that one book surprised, and ultimately, guided her in the directing of this new work. “Touched by the Sun” is a simple book written by singer/songwriter Carly Simon about her friendship with the former first lady. Although I know the Simon song with the same title, from her album “Letters Never Sent,” I had no idea of its inspiration. I sang along to the musical version that was played at the end of the performance.

If you want to be brave
And reach for the top of the sky
And the farthest point on the horizon
Do you know who you’ll meet there
Great soldiers and seafarers,
Artists and dreamers
Who need to be close, close to the light - “Touched by the Sun” lyrics by Carly Simon

Equity member Marina Shay stars as the mysterious and beloved former first lady. Shay captures the look and the movements of the beautiful and mysterious woman. She maintains the rhythm of her character’s speaking voice and it is not the breathy tone heard in the White House tours. There are a huge amount of lines to master for this one-actor performance, all as the actor fills in the holes of the personality that very few truly knew.

Where Shay succeeds mightily is that she makes this icon so very real. I have often written that an actor has brought their character to life, and it has never been more true of a performer.
The actress has many regional theater credits, including a Best Actress nomination for the world premiere of “Secret Hour” at Capital Repertory Theater. Shay, who teaches and coaches privately in New York City, will next appear in the world premiere of “An Old Fashioned Family Murder” at the New Theatre in Kansas City.

Peter Kershaw is the engineer of the sound design by Josh Lopez. Lighting Designer Eric Norbury enhances the areas of the set and the change in scenes/vignettes of the life story. The scenic design by Kimberly Jackson is a lovely room in a New York apartment and matches the elegant blouse and slacks that are worn throughout the performance.

Seven Angels Theatre and the St. Vincent DePaul Mission of Waterbury are teaming up during the run of “JBKO” to help women in our community look and feel their best. Throughout the run, you can drop off donations of women's toiletry and feminine hygiene products in their lobby.
Donors can deposit items in the collection box when they attend the production or during normal box office hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 12pm to 5pm.

This play is a wonderful invitation to enter the personal sanctuary of one of the most famous women in history, and one of the most private, brought to incredible life onstage. “JBKO” is presented without an intermission and the actress smokes on only two occasions. Tickets $37 Tickets: SevenAngelsTheatre.org

Illustration by Elizabeth Mayville.

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theater reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues, and she posts well over 100 reviews each year. She became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle in 2016. Her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted in the Naugatuck Patch as well as the Patch sites closest to the venue. She is also a feature writer and theater reviewer for the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper. Her weekly column IN THE WINGS and theater reviews appear in the Thursday Weekend section of the newspaper.

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