Cessy Newmon
Many of us have a friend or family member who has gone through the loss of a loved one, leaving a hole that no one knows if it can be refilled. Realtor Charlotte (Grace Bryan) is almost 2.5 years past the loss of her husband, and her colleagues are urging her to to put herself ON THE MARKET. A daunting task, since she’s been off the market for over 20 years. So her colleague, Diane (Marti Schmidt), puts a profile online for her and sets her up unwittingly.
Little do they know, colleague Frank (Jordan Born) has had a crush on Charlotte for as long as he’s known her, even though she was married. To top everything, Charlotte has so much trouble letting go of her husband, James (Daniel Locke), that she frequently talks to a therapist who turns out to be James’ ghost. It isn’t until Frank reveals his feelings and Charlotte finally lets go of Frank, including put their dream house ON THE MARKET, that Charlotte is finally able to move on with her life.
Ms. Bryan plays Charlotte believably stuck in her past through the show, transitioning to hopeful at the end. Ms. Schmidt, Mr. Born, and Mr. Locke play multiple characters, often with blink-of-the-eye costume and accent changes. Some of the characters are very straight-laced; many are totally hilarious.
The show overall is a very bittersweetly told romantic comedy, with a mix of laughter and tears.
ON THE MARKET is at Theatre Jacksonville, 2032 San Marco Boulevard, January 12-28, 2024. For reservations, go to theatrejax.com or call (904) 396-4425.
By Cessy Newmon
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