Written by orange• November 5, 2024• 6:24 pm• Review, South Coast Repertory, Theater, Uncategorized, World Premiere

World Premiere: Joan @ South Coast Repertory – Review

Photo Credit: Scott Smeltzer

The World Premiere of Joan is playing now at South Coast Repertory – October 27 – November 24, 2024.

South Coast’s latest production of Joan takes us only slightly deeper into the inside world of the famous comedian who broke barriers as a female comedian. Rivers had better material than this show, but then again – that’s what made her so great!

Joan is a biographical play, as the actress Elinor Gunn (Melissa/Young Joan) mentions near the show’s beginning. The play is mostly accurate, but it is a play, so of course, there are embellishments. We follow her as a young Jewish woman growing up in Brooklyn with her mother, Mrs. Molinsky (Tessa Auberjonois), and her father, Dr. Molinksy (Andrew Borba). From there, we follow Joan through her relationships and career milestones as she pursues her dreams of being a standup comedian.

The play is a bubbly and cheerful approach to the life of the former comedian. While it does cover some of the more turbulent times the comedian experienced in her lifetime, even those moments are followed by her trademark humor. If you’re looking for a higher-concept biopic, this is not that. It’s a very straightforward telling, and it is more than adequate for those who admire her. Dramatically, though, with one hour and 40-minute runtime, the show overstays its welcome, and the jokes start getting repetitive. Joan was a hard worker, loved comedy, and wasn’t afraid to ruffle some feathers. That’s what you get with this.

Each actor in this plays double roles, in the case of Andrew Borba and Zachary Prince, in four to five different parts throughout the show. Zachary Prince is a fantastic character actor and was able to play various characters, from Joan’s first husband to a spirited Bellhop at one of the hotels she visited. Prince brought a lot to the roles.

While Prince played more youthful roles, Borba handled the older roles: Jones’s father, the great Johnny Carson, with this trademark swing walking on stage, and of course, Edgar Rosenberg, Joan’s husband and one of the more tragic parts of this play. Undoubtedly, some of the more intriguing parts in this play are between Borba and Auberjonois, which are definitely highlights whenever these two are on stage.

The scenic design from Wilson Chin shines and glistens throughout, with a lot of lights, neon colors, and set pieces that practically scream show business. It was fabulous, glamorous, and just the right for this show. The moment I walked in, seeing JOANS’ name in lights, I knew what this was, and it delivered just that.

Tessa Auberjonois (Joan/Mrs. Molinsky) is adorable in her role as Joan, especially in her self-deprecating bits sprinkled throughout the show. When she left the stage, so did the funny.

If you’re craving some snarky one-liners and the audacity, come on down to South Coast Rep.