“Jake’s Gift” a Winner at GCTC
“Jake’s Gift,” a one-woman show written and performed by Julia Mackey, is a powerful tribute to Canadian veterans, especially those who participated in the World War II D-Day landing on Juno Beach. Inspired by her trip to Normandy in 2004 for the 60th anniversary of D-Day, Miss Mackey and Director Dirk Van Stralen created Juno Productions to present and tour this piece across Canada. As Americans we hear mostly about Omaha Beach. It’s good to be reminded that our neighbors to the North also had a major part in the landings.
The two main characters are Jake, a veteran in his 70s who has returned for his first visit to Juno Beach since the war and Isabelle, a lively and inquisitive 10 year-old French girl. She has, as she says, “. . .the most important job in the world.”As they gradually become friends, Isabelle helps Jake in finally being able to come to terms with his past.
Julia Mackey relies mostly on body language and her voice to delineate the believable character changes between the irrepressible Isabelle and the initially grumpy Jake. We also meet Isabelle’s Grandmama and a Canadian teacher. Using only a bench, a small table and a suitcase Miss Mackey makes both the story and relationship easy to follow. She’s ably assisted by Gerald King’s sensitive lighting, especially in the scene where Jake puts on his uniform jacket. When he snaps a salute, we catch a glimpse of the young soldier who enlisted so many years ago.
One of my favorite scenes early on is Jake’s attempt to explain a knock-knock joke to Isabelle. Another is the scene where Jake dances to a Sinatra song – a lovely combination of nostalgia and humor. Director Van Stralen and Miss Mackey have used popular songs of the period to surround and infuse the piece. “Jake’s Gift” grows to a sensitive and moving conclusion without ever becoming maudlin.
I first saw “Jake’s Gift” in July of 2014 in the Firehall at the 1000 Islands Playhouse. I was interested to see if it would affect me the same way in a larger venue. Well, it did. Veterans on both sides of the border should see this play. I’d be surprised if anyone who’s a veteran or who knows one wasn’t moved by “Jake’s Gift.”
“Jake’s Gift” by Julia Mackey, produced by Juno Productions, presented by GCTC through Nov. 15. Nov. 10 & 12 Performances in French. Tkts: 613-236-5196