“Red Jasper” is a bittersweet and hopeful tale about finding a second chance at love

San Diego Playwright and Actor Michael Madden has brought his play “Red Jasper” home to St. Louis for its regional premiere.  While Madden spent most of his adult life in California, he is a native St. Louisan. He graduated from the University of Missouri – St. Louis and Logan College of Chiropractics following his service in the U.S. Air Force. In 2012 he took his first acting class and found his passion for theater and the arts.

Madden tapped director Suki Peters to bring his bittersweet dramedy “Red Jasper” to the stage in St. Louis at The Gaslight Theater. “Red Jasper” tells the story of an unexpected relationship that develops between two patients in an infusion clinic. Peters has cast a talented group of actors to play Madden’s loveable characters, including Nancy Nigh as Izzy, Ben Ritchie as Tom, and Carmen Garcia as Abby.

Izzy is a cancer survivor who is dealing with her second bout of breast cancer. She has a fiery spirit and never holds her tongue. Tom, a widower, is also a patient in the clinic receiving infusion therapy for an unspecified illness. Izzy and Tom, who immediately hit it off, are being treated by Abby, a kind and meddling infusion nurse.

Madden’s script examines love, conflict, loss, grief, and second chances at love. He finds humor in the human condition with his funny and melancholic story. He has penned a play about people who connect in times of adversity and develop deep bonds quickly.

Peters has built a sweet production of Madden’s play and loaded it with a lot of warmth. She tapped into the exhilaration couples experience when they first start to fall for one another. She mined many laughs and a lot of romance from Madden’s witty and charming script. The authenticity in her storytelling resulted from the sincere performances she elicited from Nigh, Ritchie, and Garcia.

Nancy Nigh and Ben Ritchie are delightful as Izzy and Tom. Nigh’s Izzy is a live wire who calls things as she she’s them. Her immediate attraction to Tom is palpable. Her multifaceted performance conveys the optimism of finding a new love while capturing the fear, anger, and uncertainty a cancer patient feels.

Ritchie’s Tom is the calm to Izzy’s storm. Tom is measured and thoughtful. He’s mourning the recent loss of his wife following long battle with early onset Alzheimer’s disease and dealing with an angry and hurt adult child. Richie paints Tom as a caring, even-tempered protector who wears his emotions on his sleeve. Izzy, Abby, and the audience become instantly smitten with the charming Tom thanks to Richie’s charm and charisma.

Carmen Garcia’s vivacious performance as the experienced infusion nurse makes Abby instantly loveable. She exudes the positivity and warmth of a healthcare provider who deals with critically ill patients. She makes Abby funny, loving, compassionate, and benevolent. Her performance beautifully captures the relationships that develop between nurses and the patients who require long-term treatments for life-threatening illnesses.

Abby is the catalyst who advances the plot for the Madden’s two protagonists, but there is one significant issue with the way Abby is scripted. While Abby is loveable, she has no boundaries regarding patient privacy. She readily shares private information among the patients and their family members. The character’s lack of regard for patient confidentiality is problematic and seemed an editorial oversight.

Both Izzy and Tom have adult children. Izzy’s son Scott (Caleb D. Long) is disconnected and aloof. He is selfishly out of touch and lacks understanding of his mother’s serious illness.  Long’s unsympathetic portrayal makes Scott a dislikeable character.

Tom’s daughter Samatha (Rhiannon Creighton) is both grief-stricken over the loss of her mother and angry with her father regarding circumstances she doesn’t fully understand. Creighton expresses the character’s wide range of emotions in a portrayal that resonates with the audience.

Caleb D. Long does double duty as actor and set designer. He smartly uses the space on small stage in The Gaslight Theater with a triptych-like divided set design. Downstage center is the clinic infusion room with Izzy’s Kitchen upstage right and Tom’s kitchen upstage left. Joel Wilper’s thoughtful lighting design skillfully illuminates the tight quarters where the action is occurring across the eleven scenes. Sam Hayes contemporary costume and make-up design works particularly well, especially the bald skull cap designed for Izzy for the scenes when she removes her wig.

Michael Madden’s “Red Jasper” is a romantic and hopeful story that doesn’t wallow in sentimental melodrama. The characters find connection quickly and develop a tight bond at warp-speed. Director Suki Peters identified the emotional core of the story and collaborated with her actors to hastily pace the heartwarming and bittersweet tale.

“Red Jasper” played its final performance on Sunday, October 13^th at the 3:00 p.m. matinee.