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Rehearsing for a play in the Jacobsons’ home can be quite the experience.
With assistance from a director, Mark Jacobson and Jackie Ruggiero Jacobson practiced their lines for "Ice Breakers," a play penned by Jackie and starring the couple. Audiences got to see the performers together on stage during last year’s Philly Fringe Festival.
Though fully immersed in a scene involving a loose-mouthed real-estate agent and reclusive bird-watcher on a blind date, the actors paused at the pitter-patter of small feet. Their two children – Amanda, 5, and Valerie, 3 – ran from the basement to the living room to give their parents a hug and kiss before retiring.
While admitting the incident was atypical during a rehearsal, the couple, from the 2500 block of South 18th Street, would not change it for the world.
"It’s not ideal, but it’s our reality," Jackie said. "The choice is you work within your reality and do what you want to do, or do nothing."
The married couple has found a healthy balance between raising a family and pursuing their love of the theater. In 2004, they officially launched their own theater company, Straw Flower Productions. To date, they have completed three productions and have two more planned for this fall and spring 2007.
The production company’s name came from a piece of straw Mark inadvertently turned into a flower-like creation while filming a video project with Jackie. He later gave the flower to his future wife, whom he met during the shoot.
But the name has a double meaning. Just as seeds of an actual strawflower need sunlight to germinate, the couple plans to shine the light on various topics through theater.
They hope to distinguish themselves from other smaller theater companies by supporting a budding crop of artists with a propensity to produce a diverse mix.
"I’m interested in experiencing what will bring the person who never comes to the theater to the theater," Jackie said.
After moving to Philadelphia, Mark would occasionally pass by the Walnut Street Theatre. Never studying theater, he made the decision to dust off his acting chops, which were once prevalent in high school.
In 1995, he quit his job as a computer systems manager for a publication company and soon began classes at the Walnut.
"I had no financial obligations in my life," said Mark, 43. "I was in a position to say, ‘if I’m ever going to [pursue a theatrical career], it’s right here, right now.’"
He soon landed a gig at Independence Park with Historic Philadelphia, performing debates on such topics as the Constitution and slavery that demanded audience participation. Mark also understudied for roles at the Walnut and Arden Theatre Company.
As curator for the Independent Theatre series at the Brick Playhouse, Mark wore many hats. He acted in these short pieces while deciding which material would hit the stage at the theater. After a five-year stint at Brick, he became managing director at the Trenton-based Magnet Theatre Company in 1997, but left after craving the acting world.
"I love production and being involved in all aspects of theater, but it’s really nice to walk into a production and just be an actor," he said.
In 1998, Mark married Jackie, a University of the Arts graduate with a desire to perform. Also a member of the Magnet Theatre Company, Jackie taught theater to students at a South Jersey school while landing acting gigs.
While busy raising two kids, Jackie utilizes the little free time she has to write plays, a passion that continues to intensify. She uses "five minutes here and five minutes there" to pen her creations.
"I can do it around my other responsibilities as a mom," said Jackie, 33. "It gets more of my attention [than acting] for that reason. But I’m still looking for opportunities to be on stage."
Jackie wrote Straw Flower’s debut "Who Turned Off the Lights?" and later presented the play at New York’s Ensemble Studio Theatre last year. The couple gets feedback on the written works by hosting readings at their house.
Jackie said her expanding body of work, which includes plays with a comedic tone, amazes her. But her biggest critic, she said, will always be her husband. During a dress rehearsal for one of her plays, Mark made sure to give his two cents about the script.
"Maybe it wasn’t the best night to give my feedback," he said, "but she did ask."
One thing the couple wholeheartedly agrees upon is their love of performing together. Last September, they acted side by side during "Ice Breakers." The performance was a bit of a challenge, since they were playing strangers.
"It’s so invigorating," said Mark, whose acting credits include a lead role in the Wilma Theater production of "Orpheus Descending." "I also love to be on stage to have that added component, that I feel a little more free to take risks and trust the other person."
With their experience on and off the stage, the couple feels they have what it takes to produce some unconventional theater. The idea to kick-start their company was to balance raising a family with creating quality material for a wide audience.
The couple will focus the first half of this year on obtaining nonprofit status for their new venture. They plan to showcase their newest – and still untitled – play, which takes a comedic look at celebrity chefs, this fall.
The performing pair also is confident they will one day have a "home" for their company on South Broad Street, producing up to three plays a year.
"I’m confident we’ll make it happen," Mark said. "We’ve achieved a lot of things in our theatrical careers."
For more information on Straw Flower Productions, call 215-551-3376.
