This Friday marks the regional premiere of Jennifer, Who Is Leaving at Sarasota’s Urbanite Theatre. The play, written by Morgan Gould, is best described as a poignant, feminist dramedy that explores the relational boundaries of caregiver and patient; father and daughter and husband and wife. Set in a desolate Dunkin’ Donuts on the side of a Massachusetts highway, Jennifer, Who Is Leaving follows three women desperately trying to escape their current circumstances: Jennifer, a caregiver who is being pushed to her limit by her disorderly patient, Nan, who is just trying to work the night shift while fielding constant calls from her incompetent husband and Lili, a high school student who’s forced to work at Dunkin’ by her controlling father, the night before taking the SATs.

The only problem? They can’t escape–the Dunkin’ is socked in by a blizzard, forcing the characters to confront their plights head on. “This particular play is so funny but it’s also biting, it leaves you thinking and is a huge reflection on society and roles that people take on within it. Roles that we inherit, roles put on and see ourselves working through the world and the demands placed on women as a whole,” says Summer Wallace, Producing Artistic Director at Urbanite Theatre. “The characters are put in situations that they normally might avoid, but they can’t. There’s a lot of humor in this play, but there are also a lot of beautiful relationships that happen and changes that occur in them throughout the story.”

Wallace, who plays the titular Jennifer in the show, was struck not only by the strong thematic elements of the play, but also by the wit and humor in Gould’s writing. “This play made me laugh out loud just by reading it. Morgan’s stage directions alone are hilarious. She describes characters in a way that you totally see them. You know who this person is,” says Wallace. “There is an incident that occurs between the caregiver and her patient, Joey, this exchange that they have and a physical situation that occurs that is one of the funniest things that I’ve ever read. When just reading her stage directions makes you laugh, then you can only imagine what it’s going to be like on stage.”

In the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Urbanite is running a free ticket promotion for the Friday October 18 and Saturday, October 19 shows. Type MILTON at the ticket checkout for one free ticket to the first weekend of performances.

October 18 to Dec 1, 2024, 941-321-1397, 1487 2nd Street, Sarasota.

For ticket information click here.