Experience the Emotional Rollercoaster with John & Jen at Haddonfield Plays & Players

by Alex Davis

Before reading this review, a note - due to the nature of the show, there is no way around giving some major plot points away that may be taken as “spoilers”. If that bothers you - I get it! Read this one singular paragraph and know that, in short, the production was moving, the performers were exquisite, and if you don’t mind a little heartbreak with your theater, don’t miss this show.

John & Jen, a 2-person musical with music by Andrew Lippa, lyrics by Tom Greenwald, and book written by the pair, was directed by Katie Knoblock, music directed by Christopher Weed, and performed by an incredible pair of actors - Jennie Santiago and Brian Herrick. It’s a short run at Haddonfield Plays & Players, running 6/14-6/16 (get your tickets now before it’s too late!).

John & Jen tells the stories of a brother and sister, and then mother and son, in both heartwarming and heartbreaking ways. During the 1950s, at 6 years old, Jen welcomes a baby brother, John, into her life. The first act follows the pair, beginning with the early stages of doting and protective older sister watching over little brother, trying to protect him from their abusive father and shield him from the hurt of the world, through years of growing more different and apart - years of teen and preteen angst and anger towards each other, through growing up and building their own ideologies and philosophies, influenced by their surroundings and lifestyles. Act 2 focuses on Jen as a doting and overprotective mother to a young song named after her brother, John. Jen struggles with wanting to hold onto her son too tightly - John longs for freedom and independence, much like his mother did in Act 1.

Jennie Santiago and Brian Herrick are given the difficult task of playing characters as they grow up - from the ages of 5 or 6 onward. It’s something that so quickly and easily can become caricatures or cartoonish, but the pair take on the challenge and ground the characters in reality throughout their performances, regardless of what age they are playing. After a prologue from the two, Jennie reenters as 6-year-old Jen to sing “Welcome to the World” to her new baby brother - throughout the song, she brings a childlike energy while remaining grounded, and sings to the bassinet with an abundance of love in her eyes, face, and voice. This full-body acting is a constant for both actors, and so wonderful to watch and hear. Throughout the entire show, Jennie fully embodies the feelings of protector and nurturer that Jen is. Her moments of longing for freedom and independence feel earned after watching her feel so driven to protect for so long. In Act 2, her drive to protect her son is kicked up to 11, and she fully embraces that, with her slightly more kinetic mannerisms and physicality, peppered with powerful moments of quiet reflection as you can see the weight of the world on her shoulders just through her eyes. Brian does an outstanding job of physicalizing the complexities of his characters throughout the show - from the tension in his hands, to watching him think and process before he speaks - he fully captures the reality of John. He also has the difficult task of playing two characters - something he takes on with ease. While the changes to his physicality are subtle, he creates two distinct characters that are easily recognizable as different people. As young John, Jen’s son, he does a beautiful job of coming to recognize that he might be as much of his mother’s protector as he is his, even if it is just a protector of her feelings. The two together have a lovely familial chemistry that helps magnify the impact and heartbreak and joy that they find together.

It should also obviously be mentioned that the two are absolutely phenomenal vocalists, and carry a number of incredibly technically difficult songs with ease. But what I always find more impressive than the actual hitting-of-notes is an actor that can act through it - and boy, can they both, which is not something every actor can do. They express pain and joy, sadness and excitement through their vocal tones and facial expressions all the way through.

The technical design aids in building and telling the story flawlessly. The lighting design (Chris Miller) accentuates the mood of the scenes, which is a difficult task, as the years move quickly in this show. In some brief moments, the sound design (William Reid) becomes an unseen additional character, as well as adding to the general atmosphere of the scenes, which is well executed. The pit musicians (Chad Van de Wettering on percussion and Monica Zheng on cello), led by music director, conductor, and pianist, Christopher Weed, sound beautiful and aren’t too loud or overpowering the actors. The set design is one of my favorite pieces of the show - it’s designed to look like, in my opinion, a cluttered basement filled with posters and tapestries, an old Christmas wreath holder, milk crates - all pieces of a fully lived life that the characters in the show would have lived.

Director Katie Knoblock should be incredibly proud of the production she’s crafted. Each piece fits perfectly into the puzzle of John & Jen, building the full picture of family, heartbreak, love, and how hard growing up really is. Jennie Santiago and Brian Herrick are giving gorgeous performances that should not be missed. So don’t. Performances are happening Saturday, 6/15, at 3pm and 8pm, and Sunday, 6/16, at 3pm. Tickets can be purchased here: https://haddonfieldplaysandplayers.csstix.com/event-details.php?e=533