BWW Review: MAYTAG VIRGIN at Florida Repertory Theatre

MAYTAG VIRGIN by Audrey Cefaly, now playing at Florida Repertory Theatre, is a sweet, southern romantic comedy focused on neighbors Jack and Lizzy. Jack moves into the house next to Lizzy’s, she brings him a pie to welcome him, and from there they form a bond.

Tyler Layton plays Lizzy Nash, and she’s excellent. She brings so much personality to this character, and I loved how authentic her performance was. She has a lot of southern charm and is fiery, stubborn, and hilarious, but there’s a lot of depth to her beyond that. She’s experienced pain and loss, and the audience gets to watch her recover from that.

Duke Lafoon plays Jack Key, who has also experienced recent loss in his life and is looking for a fresh start in a new place. I really enjoyed his performance and thought he matched Layton’s Lizzy very well. She has an exuberant personality, and he is more calm; they balance each other out nicely. I loved watching these characters grow, both together and as individuals. They are both guarded in their own ways due to the pain they’ve experienced, and I enjoyed watching them slowly lower their guards.

This production was directed by Florida Rep’s Artistic Director, Greg Longenhagen, with scenic design by Ray Recht, costume design by Alice Neff, lighting design by Todd O. Wren, sound design by Katie Lowe, and stage management by Janine Wochna. I really loved the creative aspects of this production. The ArtStage Studio Theatre is the perfect setting for a show like this, and the set is perfectly crafted. You are so close to the actors that it feels as if they’re your own neighbors and you’re watching their relationship unfold before you. The creative team brought this show to life in a beautiful and very realistic way.

I’d absolutely check out MAYTAG VIRGIN while it’s playing at Florida Rep. It is the final show of Florida Rep’s season, and it is a beautiful show filled with wonderful acting, emotion, humor, love, and more. For more information and to buy tickets, click here: https://www.floridarep.org/the-season/maytag-virgin/

Photo Credit: Joe Dafeldecker