Madeleines

“Madeleines” is about a family of Jewish women finding ways to love each other through shared grief and the solace of baking. Spiced with poetry, Yiddish and Spanish, “Madeleines” centers on a recipe for the French teacakes, Madeleines. Two sisters, in the wake of their mother’s death, discover a heart-wrenching family secret embedded in the recipe.

Francesca Sobrer returns to Bloomington to direct “Madeleines.” Now based in Chicago, she is a prominent figure in the thriving Chicago storytelling scene.  Francesca is well known to Bloomington theatre goers as an actor and director and also as the former theatre director at Bloomington North High School.  For JTB, she directed the Zoom show, “A Pickle.”

“Madeleines” features well-known Bloomington actor and director, Martha Jacobs cast in a double role. Martha teaches acting in IU’s Department of Theatre, Drama and Contemporary Dance.  She has directed and acted in numerous JTB productions.  Most recently, she directed JTB’s outstanding production of “The Wanderers.”

Starring with Martha are prominent Indianapolis actors, Jolene Mentink Moffat and Kristin Lennox. Jolene can be seen frequently onstage at the Phoenix Theatre.  Recently, she appeared in Summit Theatre’s production of “The Convent.” JTB fans will remember her as the troubled Sonia in our production of “Sonia Flew.” Kristin is both, a voice actor and stage actor, who performs in various Indianapolis theatres including Indiana Repertory Theatre.