Jasper

     By Joseph Cervelli

The first thing you hear when you enter the Pershing Square Signature Center where the meaningful and sincere though faulty "Jasper" by Grant MacDermott is playing is the sound of children on the playground. And the first thing you notice is the cramped apartment with clothes strewn around (excellent design by Michael Gianfrancesco who also did the costumes.) 

Both Drew (a terrific Dominic Fumusa) and Andrea (a good Jessica Pimentel) are married for a number of years and what is drawing them apart is their severely disabled son of about eight years old. He was born with a disease that is never mentioned leaving him in a debilitating state on a breathing tube lying in bed. While you never see him, when he has some serious breathing episodic spasms and the parents rush into his room  you see an outline of him in bed behind the scrim. This is smartly accomplished.     

While Drew and Andrea love each other very much they are being drawn apart because of differing opinions about their child named Jasper. Drew wants to go back to the way life was before--dancing, dining out, and making love. And what really sets Andrea off is Drew's wanting to have another child. Andrea is afraid having another child for obvious reasons although no medical professional said the same could definitely happen to another. Their relationship is on tenterhooks becoming explosive when Drew states it might be best for Jasper to die because there is no hope. Andrea still feels Jasper could benefit by an experimental drug if he is accepted into a study. Only two children will be accepted. While Drew feels Andrea is full of false hopes he is willing to support her in this. 

The other person who comes in the picture is Shayla (a slightly grating Abigail Hawk) whom he meets on a subway going to his construction job  by literally crashing into her when the train makes a sudden stop. It is not what you think. They don't fall in love with each other. He is much more taken with her four year old son (unseen, which I believe is a  mistake) and eventually meets up with them in the playground. It is no wonder that he loves just tossing the ball back and forth to the youngster something he could never do as a dad with his own child.  All of this occurs in the first act  in which scenes becomes rather repetitive.   

I won't get into the second act which could spoil what occurs,  but let's say there are some scenes that include Shayla and Drew which  are not all that realistic and an ending that is a bit predictable. 

Fumusa digs deeper into his character than Pimentel who conveys her grief but not with the ferocity as her fellow actor. 

As for Hawk, I am not sure if it is the fault of director Katie McHugh but she has a very loud and sometimes annoying voice screaming at her child. Even when she finds out about the lie that Drew tells her her reaction while not unexpected is a bit exaggerated.  

There are a number of scenes that just did not make all that much sense. When the medical team rejects Jasper (not a big spoiler here) Andrea tells Drew that she insisted they take him into it and they agree. I find this hard to believe. Why would a team accept a child when others who have more of a chance of survival accept one because the mother has a tantrum?

Right after  Jasper has his first serious breathing issue with lights flashing in his bedroom and the parents rush in we see in a split second later Drew in a jovial mood meeting Shayla and her son, Tyler, on the playground. It was as if there was no timeline.

While I may be going out "on a limb" here, I think showing Tyler would have made the play even more effective. Seeing a ball being rolled onto the stage from the wings has little emotional impact. There is another scene near the end of the play where Tyler's appearance would have been especially meaningful.

If you want to see one especially fine performance, that being Fumusa, and can overlook the flaws, you may be moved by this play which is thoughtful and heartfelt. 

Photos: Russ Rowland

Tickets are available at The Pershing Square Signature Center 480 West 42nd Street.