The Realistic Joneses by Will Eno
What starts as casual neighborly small talk between two suburban couples— both with the last name Jones—slowly turns into recurring backyard meetings where their lives become intertwined. Secrets are uncovered, marriages are tested, and mortality poses an ever-present enigma.
The Realistic Joneses is a sharply funny and deeply moving exploration of love, illness, and the strange, beautiful ways we try to connect. Offering an inside look at the people next door and the secrets we never imagined we might share, the play invites us to consider what it truly means to live with—and love—others. (In this groundbreaking production, approved by the playwright, The Realistic Joneses is reimagined with two women couples, offering a fresh and resonant perspective on the original play.)
Director: Jim Phetterplace Jr.
Jim has been performing and directing in theater since the 1980s and is currently active with his acting and directing work in two Frankfurt’s beloved theatres. With FEST, he has performed in Breakaway and The Scheme (2015 FEST originals), The Two-Character Play, Detainee, Pinteresque, The Madness of Lady Bright, and Vanya, Sonia, Masha & Spike. With Shakespeare Frankfurt he performed in The Tempest, Twelfth Night and Macbeth. Jim has also performed with Opera Frankfurt, the Interkulturelle Bühne (in German) and appeared in two German-language short films and one music video. As a playwright, Jim has adapted works by Native American poet Beth Brandt and co-wrote and directed a musical adaptation of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata. He has directed several productions for FEST, including Our Country’s Good (2016), Loot (2018), The Cherry Orchard (2024), and is now directing The Realistic Joneses. He thanks his husband, Joachim, and their faithful fox-terrier Tom Sawyer for their love, support, and patience as he continues to pursue his theater endeavors.
Assistant Director: Hazem Elessawy
Hazem comes from the land of the pharaohs. He doesn’t take his camel to work, though, nor does he live in a pyramid. He discovered the world of theatre in his junior year at the American University in Cairo and has appeared in several plays since then. He appeared on FEST’s stage multiple times: as God in Rich Orloff’s Can This Marriage Be Saved, Fred Narracott in Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, Happy Loman in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Freddy in Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, and Hal in Woody Allen’s Old Saybrook, which represented FEST at the 2024 Festival of European Anglophone Theatrical Societies in Antwerp. This is Hazem’s second production as an assistant director after David Lindsay-Abbaire’s Rabbit Hole in 2024. Hazem is a full-time cinephile, booklover and wannabe writer. And, in his free time, he “engineers” his way out of embarrassing situations.
Cast:
Pony: Emma Merritt
Emma made her stage debut at age nine, playing Iago the parrot in a local children’s production of Aladdin. Since then, she has played a range of roles, including M’Lynn in Steel Magnolias, Frances in Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, and Olive/Oscar in a gender-swapped The Odd Couple. After an eight-year hiatus to pursue her degrees, Emma returned to the stage with FEST, first portraying Nina in Vanya & Sonia and Masha & Spike and then Izzy in Rabbit Hole. She is excited to be back on stage again, now playing Pony in The Realistic Joneses. Offstage, Emma enjoys learning new languages, crafting chaotic storylines in The Sims, and greeting every bird, cat, and dog in her neighborhood. She also thanks her supportive wife for enduring the many hours of unhinged muttering while she learns her lines.
Jennifer: Julie Ng
Born in Manila, Philippines, Julie moved to the US to pursue her MBA, where she met her husband. After relocating to London for corporate work, she moved to Germany in 2011 and now lives in the Taunus with her family and dogs. Julie currently works in Accounting for Source For Alpha AG, a wealth management firm, and is on the FEST Committee as its Secretary. Julie’s first ever experience on stage was as Cassandra in FEST’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike in 2023. Since then, she supported FEST as Costume Manager for The Cherry Orchard and as Producer for Old Saybrook, Rabbit Hole and Gas Light in 2024. She co-produced FEST’s 2025 Spring offering, Pygmalion, and played the Parlourmaid at the last minute for all performances. Julie is psyched to play the role of Jennifer in The Realistic Joneses. She thanks her family, friends, and all those who support and believe in the Performing Arts.
Kate: Jeanique Rahmlow
Born and raised in a suburb of Berlin, Jeanique entered the stage of English theatre productions in 2015 when she joined FEST. What followed were several productions with credits with the group including The Scheme (Delivery Woman), Dial M for Murder (Margot Wendice), Our Country’s Good (Mary Brenham, Reverend Johnson), Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Sonia), and The Cherry Orchard (Varya). To further hone her craft, she attended several workshops and completed the Acting Part-Time course at Rose Bruford College in London, gaining essential training in the performing arts. She also participated in two projects with Shakespeare Frankfurt: Medea (Chorus Leader) and Lysistrata (Myrrhine) which was produced as a musical. She is thrilled to now be a part of FEST’s The Realistic Joneses.
Nan: Sandra Regenbogen
Sandra started treading the boards with FEST at 28, staying true to her characteristic of “late bloomer with a vengeance”. Theatrical experience includes musicals (Camelot), Pantos, drama (Steel Magnolias, The Heiress, Broadway Bound, The Shadow Box, Spring Dance, The Two Character Play), comedies (Bouncers & Shakers, The Spelling of Coynes, The Farndale… Macbeth, The 39 Steps, Charley’s Aunt), staged readings as well as original scripts. She has worked with various groups in Frankfurt, Wiesbaden and Darmstadt, covering a bit of voice over/dubbing and filming (Table Games, esa films) along the way. 2023 marked a highlight with a part in schauspielfrankfurt’s Macbeth under Timofej Kuliabin. Sandra has last performed with FEST in the latest 2025 production, Pygmalion, and will now take on the role of Nan in The Realistic Joneses.
Crew:
Producer: Ružica Vrbat
Ružica first felt a spark for the performing arts at age 8, dancing on stage in her hometown’s cultural center in Croatia. She later joined the local youth theatre at 14, where her on-stage career flourished until she moved to Germany at age 23. Since then, she has immersed herself in the local theatre scene, continuing dance classes and participating in Frankfurt’s improvisational theatre workshops. Ružica made her return to the stage with FEST in 2024 as Jenny in Old Saybrook and has been involved backstage in numerous FEST productions. Now she’s combining her professional background in administration and management with her passion for theatre. Eager to embrace this new creative challenge, The Realistic Joneses marks Ružica’s debut as a producer.
Stage Manager: Aleksandra Galaganova
Aleksandra joined FEST in 2023 and immediately dove deep into the backstage world. After supporting several plays as a make-up artist, Aleksandra joined the directors’ pool as Assistant Director for Old Saybrook. She was also Stage Manager and Props Master for Rabbit Hole, and as Assistant Director for Gas Light. She recently delivered an exceptional performance as Clara in Pygmalion. Aleksandra has performing experience in high school and continues to have an incredible passion for theater.
Light and Sound Tech: Anne Flaherty
Costume Manager: Sandra Eastwood
Make Up: Belinda Bell
Stage Hand: Gulmira Jumayeva
