“UNDER THE JELLO MOLD” plays Saturdays, now through November 12, 2017 at The Whitefire Theatre.
Jennie Fahn’s “UNDER THE JELLO MOLD,” now playing at The Whitefire Theatre, is an energetic reminiscence of a mother, part philosopher, part yenta, who dotes and pries on Jennie throughout her life.
Ms. Fahn is a compact dynamo, holding us rapt for an hour and a half with anecdotes of her experiences with her Mom, taking both roles of herself and Mom with aplomb.
The set is bare and simple: two wooden cubes down left and right, and a big film screen up center upon which images are projected. The first image after the title dissolves is that of a big high heeled backless and strapless shoe, called a mule. Ms. Fahn then launches into a factual story of Mom’s vast collection of mules. It’s quite amusing as Fahn then segues into Mom “putting on her face” to go shop at N.Y. City’s Waldbaum’s supermarket. Other anecdotes present Mom as both crude but truthful. At times Mom will go off on hilarious tangents but somehow makes sense of them. Always an influential force in Jennie’s life, the anecdotes can both endear you to this colorful character or make you think “feh!, what a witch of a mother!”
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The anecdotes lead up to Mom’s death. Seems she left complicated instructions placed under the jello mold in the kitchen of what to do in the event of her passing. Jennie discovers more than just burial orders under that mold!
Being with her mother could be somewhat of a frightful tornado but Jennie manages to find the humor in every situation. She throws in a charming song and dance number to boot.
The segment when she discovers that Mom has passed is done with taste and strikes a nerve in the viewer.
Winner of the 2017 Hollywood Fringe Festival!
UNDER THE JELLO MOLD
Saturdays, through November 12, 2017
The Whitefire Theatre
13500 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA. 91423.
There are 2 special Sunday perfs on Nov.12th, 3pm & 7pm.
For tickets call 800-838-3006 or visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3053655
Writer/Star: Jennie Fahn
Director: Tom Cavanaugh
Choreographer: Melissa Fan
Composer: John T. Mickevich
Lighting: Derrick McDaniel
Great review. I saw the show during the Fringe Festival and your write-up is spot on. This show made me cuss out Jennie Fahn because she left me a snot-nosed quivering mass of giggles and tears when she was done.