Jessica Abrams' The First to Know
Has a Superb Cast

Jessica Abrams (of FTK Productions) and Nicole Burgess (of Blackbird Productions) have teamed up to produce the North Carolina premiere of The First to Know, written by and starring Abrams, at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro. The play, which is laced with gentle humor, shares with us some of the anxieties that afflict the lives of women in our modern society. It encourages us to evaluate various dysfunctional relationships and job situations and to ponder, along with the characters, possible solutions.

Jessica Abrams' The First to Know stars Nicole Burgess (left) as Melissa and Abrams as Naomi (photo by Nina Merklina Photography)

The Play:

The action begins and ends in the waiting room in a doctor's office. A very nervous Naomi (Jessica Abrams) cannot stop chattering. Melissa (Nicole Burgess) politely listens and responds, but she has troubles of her own and would prefer to be left alone.

Important takeaways from the first scene include:

Naomi "just knows" that she is pregnant (even though she has yet to undergo any tests -- neither professional nor home-based). Naomi is less-than-perfectly-satisfied with her job.

Melissa is Naomi's boss's boss's boss. Melissa is having problems at home.

In ensuing scenes, we meet Naomi's friend Tamara (Liz Howard) and Naomi's mother Barbara (Ellen B. Williams). These scenes reveal, among other information, the history of Naomi's romantic involvements.

Steve (Michael Parker) had been one of Naomi's high school teachers. What happened back-in-the-day? And what will happen if-and-when the two of them reconnect?

And how will things work out between Naomi and Caleb (David Berberian) when she sits on the stool near him in a bar?

Then there's the final scene -- back in the doctor's waiting room. How will it compare to the opening scene?

Jessica Abrams' The First to Know stars Abrams (left) as Naomi and Liz Howard as Tamara (photo by Nina Merklina Photography)

The Acting:

A superb cast -- what else can I say? The interactions are smooth and natural. We can sense (and even feel) the connections between the characters (and the lacks thereof).

Jessica Abrams gives us a Naomi who seems totally on-the-edge at times and much calmer at appropriate times. Naomi is a character who is forced to navigate through several shades of gray; and Abrams brings us along with her as her character debates (sometimes externally, sometimes internally) and makes choices for herself.

Nicole Burgess' Melissa is a much more feet-on-the-ground type of character, but we see her dealing with internal panic as well. The humor in the Naomi-Melissa scenes emerges from Melissa's reactions to Naomi's chattering.

As Tamara, Liz Howard gives us much more than the obligatory someone to whom Naomi speaks (as a vehicle for revealing information to the audience). Howard's reactions to "the news" (and "the olds") that Naomi shares are genuine and in-the-moment.

Barbara, as portrayed by Ellen B. Williams, shows just the right degree of leftover "helicopter parenting."

Michael Parker makes it quite obvious "what Steve wants." In the process, Parker's Steve wins (hands down) our complete lack of admiration.

David Berberian has the guy-in-a-bar persona down pat. His Caleb is friendly but not pushy. Maybe a bit less intuitive than "the average bear," but able to accept "the facts" and move on in a major key.

Jessica Abrams' The First to Know stars David Berberian as Caleb and Abrams as Naomi (photo by Nina Merklina Photography)

The Tech:

Director Annie M. Taft and co-producers Jessica Abrams and Nicole Burgess shared the task of designing and creating the simple (and highly versatile) set. Movement of set pieces creates five different locations on (and in front of) the stage.

Nathanial Baker-Sample did a crack job of designing both sound and lighting and also served as stage manager. No costumer is credited, but the record needs to state that every costume is suitable for each of the characters in their various situations.

Jessica Abrams' The First to Know stars Michael Parker as Steve and Abrams as Naomi (photo by Nina Merklina Photography)

Nice Touches:

• The patients' clipboard in the doctor's waiting room.
• The tick-tock and pertinent chit-chat during the scene changes.
• The lack of chit-chat during the final scene change.

Memorable Lines:

• "Sometimes you just know."
• "... [D]on't even like to talk about bowel movements."
• "Some women prefer to be alone rather than being resentful all the time."
• "Are you serious? Or is this hormones?"
• "Have we ever watched election returns without wine?"
• "At this point our eggs are like holocaust victims."
• Congratulations! ... I need a refill!"
• "You did much more than tango."
• "I wore a dress I knew he would like."
• "I've kissed every amphibian in the Los Angeles area."
• "Think of him as a sperm bank."
• "There's a quiet but knowing voice inside me that I have learned to listen to."
• "Seeking the company of fellow lost souls."

Jessica Abrams' The First to Know stars Abrams (left) as Naomi and Liz Howard as Tamara (photo by Nina Merklina Photography)

From the Department of Picky-Picky:

Tamara's blue drink -- what was it? If she had identified it, I wouldn't have had to wonder.

The Bottom Line:

The First to Know serves "two scoops" of entertainment. The witty dialogue gives us a source of laughter. The situations faced by the characters give us food for thought. Furthermore, these characters are worth getting to know and to spend a bit of time with.

In short, this play is well-worth seeing. All the Cool People recommend it and look forward to future productions by FTK Productions and/or Blackbird Productions.

Jessica Abrams' The First to Know stars Ellen B. Williams (left) as Barbara and Abrams as Naomi (photo by Nina Merklina Photography)

Jessica Abrams' THE FIRST TO KNOW (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 6th and 7th), directed by Annie M. Taft and starring (in alphabetical order) Jessica Abrams as Naomi, David Berberian as Caleb, Nicole Burgess as Melissa, Liz Howard as Tamara, Michael Parker as Steve, and Ellen B. Williams as Barbara (The ArtsCenter in Carrboro). PRESENTER/VENUE (The ArtsCenter): https://artscenterlive.org/, https://linktr.ee/artscenterlive, https://www.facebook.com/artscenterlive, https://www.instagram.com/artscenterlive/, https://www.tiktok.com/@artscenterlive, https://x.com/ArtsCenterlive, and https://www.youtube.com/@TheArtsCenterLive. DIRECTIONS/PARKING/MAP: https://artscenterlive.org/visit-us/. JESSICA ABRAMS (Manhattan, NY-born playwright, actress, and stand-up comic): https://www.jessicaabrams.com/, https://www.facebook.com/jessica.abrams.100, and https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2207070/. TICKETS: $25, plus taxes and fees, with a DUEDATE BOGO code for the March 6th and 7th performances. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: thefirsttoknowtheplay@gmail.com, 919-929-2787, or boxoffice@artscenterlive.org. PLEASE DONATE TO: The ArtsCenter. Cyndi Whisnant's Triangle Review Review Permalink.

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