This past Friday, the Santaluces Theater Department got the wonderful opportunity to go to Florida Atlantic University and watch “Jasmine Starr-Kidd” live.
The play’s theme surrounds the regret and grief of a child struggling with the loss of divorce, but as it goes on it later goes into the experiences that shape a person. The plot is about Jasmine, who in trying to get her divorced parents back together, creates time travel and enlists the help of her uncle to fix the past. Eventually, after multitudinous attempts at going back a decade in time, Jasmine realizes that she cannot change the past and that maybe life isn’t too bad because she has a loving family.
Jasmine, played by Sarah Roemo, is a quippy and quick super-genius. She has the know-how to break into AT&T to spy on her father’s relationship and create her super-computer best friend Grace. Timothy Mark Davis plays Doug, Jasmine’s middle school science teacher father who loves his daughter as much as he loves math. Davis encapsulates the awkward and tumultuous nature of parenting a pre-teen as well as showing a fatherly warmth. Sheena Davis as Jasmine’s mom Kendra is a just as loving but distant because of her career. Jasmine got her smarts from her scientist mother who is currently on a TED Talk tour. The other main cast member is Jasmine’s uncle Doug, Troy Davidson, who took the “fun uncle” phrase to heart in his delivery. Juliana Parris plays older Jasmine and is the voice for Grace.
The plot of the play is enjoyable, very kiddy, and simple to follow, but definitely has heart. It’s reminiscent of Disney Channel Orignal Movies from the early 2000s in the explosive acting style and set. The baby blue room with clothes strewn everywhere and Taylor Swift posters just reemphasize a point on the “teen girl” atmosphere. The props are just as fun as the acting with Grace being a lamp on top of a cheese shredder or the “time machine” being a sparkly cylinder with blinking lights.
The science jargon Romeo spits out easily is a testament to her acting. No performance was lacking in this production and the chemistry between the actors, especially Davidson and Romeo was enjoyable. Her ability to perform awkward attempts at nonchalance provided a lot of laughs and it never felt too forced. Thankfully, the acting all around didn’t feel forced. Davis had the best joke of the entire show when Romeo’s character asked her to promise not to be upset and she retorted with “Absolutely not.”
Davidson’s performance was quirky but dependable, Uncle Doug was just as fun as the rest of the entire performance. With big gestures and an even bigger personality, he occasionally steals the show from Romeo. I particularly liked the contrast when Davidson became dejected after losing out on his perfect life at Jasmine’s insistence on getting her parents together again.
The play overall was enjoyable, a little simple and adolescent, but definitely worth watching.
