Bowie veterinarian to star in Neil Simon play in first stage appearance

Thursday, Oct. 12, 2006

by Wendy McConnell

Staff Writer

Click here to enlarge this photo

Ian Hurley⁄The Star

Bowie resident Jim Murphy is starring in a production of ‘‘Jake’s Women” at Colonial Players of Annapolis. Carol Cohen, who plays Jake’s sister ‘‘Karen” is at the top-right and Ally Raber, who plays ‘‘Julie” is at the bottom right as the three cast members go through a rehearsal.

Bowie veterinarian, Jim Murphy, stared at a casting call clipping he had put on his refrigerator for two weeks before deciding to take the plunge and audition for the play.

‘‘I stared at the casting call, and it stared at me, then an hour before the audition began, I made up my mind to face my fears so I went,” said Murphy, who has never appeared on stage before.

Not only is he a newcomer to the stage, but Murphy will take center stage as the star of ‘‘Jake’s Women,” a comedy by playwright Neil Simon.

Murphy will portray Jake, a novelist who is more successful with writing fiction than dealing with the seven women, including his boisterous, bossy sister, involved in his life.

Murphy first saw the casting call for the play in an edition of The Gazette in late July.

During the audition, Murphy had no trouble getting into character, as he found that he and Jake had a lot in common.

‘‘We’re both 50-year-olds, neurotic but lovable, writers from the Bronx, New York.” Murphy said. ‘‘Which is why my wife, Bernadette, told me all I had to do was be myself at the audition and I’d get the part.”

Though he had no prior acting experience, Murphy, who attended many Broadway plays with his family as a child, has always been interested in the theater.

On Aug. 10, Murphy’s birthday, he received a call from the play’s director, Beverly Hill van Joolen.

Hill van Joolen said that while she was interested in casting Murphy as Jake, she wanted to check with him to make sure that he was up to playing such a ‘‘meaty role” for his first play.

‘‘I wanted Jim because of all the actors that auditioned for Jake, he’s the one that really stuck out for me. He is very at ease and comfortable being on stage, and had excellent chemistry with the other actresses so I just knew he would do a good job,” Hill van Joolen said.

Hill van Joolen told Murphy to take some time to think it over and that if he was still interested in taking the role, it was his.

‘‘It took about a day of soul searching before I decided that I was ready,” said Murphy.

Murphy has since been attending rehearsals four times a week to prepare for the production.

Jake’s Women, which originally starred Alan Alda during its off-Broadway run, is scheduled to open Oct. 20 at the Colonial Players Inc. theater, located at 108 East St. in Annapolis. Tickets can be purchased at www.cplayers.com or by calling the Colonial Players box office at 410-268-7373.

E-mail Wendy McConnell at wmcconnell@gazette.net.