Drama Queens in the House by Julie Williams (review)

Jessie’s family—which includes, at a minimum, her white mother, her black father, two cousins, Grandmama, and a crazy cultist aunt—owns and runs a theater company and school aptly named the Jumble Players in St. Paul, Minnesota. Graduating early from high school, Jessie has decided to forego college for a life in the theater, but she can’t seem to find her niche. She’s busy enough, though, since her family isn’t content to leave the drama on the stage: when she catches her father making out with Brad, the costume guy, both she and her mother retreat to separate rooms in their large Victorian home, but when she comes up with the idea that Dad and Brad can move into the attic apartment, things seem to settle back down into a happy rhythm. But as Bartles, her gay cousin, finds his glory at costume design, and Bits, her other cousin, realizes her talents on stage, Jessie remains stressed about finding her place in the bustling, buzzing world of the theater. She tries her hand at playwriting and directing, and at times the book feels like an energetic apprenticeship in these things, as well as in movement, costume design, theater games, and backstage management. This attention to the day-to-day workings of the theater in the midst of a coming-of-age story makes the page count daunting, but Jessie’s effervescent voice and the farcical nature of their daily lives keep the pace lively—think Noises Off but with talented characters. If only all the world were the Jumble’s stage, we’d all be content to be merely players there.