Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
The Incredible Jessica James, Netflix‘s latest original rom-com, is nothing short of a triumph. It serves as something of a star vehicle for leading lady Jessica Williams, gifts us with a heartfelt storyline, and changes the game for Netflix’s romantic comedies. Jessica James is about a lot of things – heartbreak, friendship, and moving on – but one of the main storylines revolves around the eponymous Jessica’s dreams of becoming a successful playwright.
Towards the end of the film, when she takes the children from her theater class on a writers’ weekend, she finally encounters her idol what she tells Jessica next forever changes her career trajectory for the better. Turns out that this is not a fictional Tony winner, by the way – she’s speaking to Sarah Jones. If that name sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because it should be. So who is exactly is she? Here’s your Sarah Jones primer:
So who is Sarah Jones?
Sarah Jones is a Tony and Obie award-winning playwright. She first gained attention for her one-person, multi-character show Bridge & Tunnel, a play produced by Meryl Streep that later went on to become a critical darling on Broadway. She has been covered by a slew of high-profile media outlets, and even called a “master of the genre” by The New York Times. Jones is also a poet and UNICEF ambassador.
Why is playwright Sarah Jones important in The Incredible Jessica James?
In the aforementioned scene towards the end of the film, Jessica encounters Sarah at the writers’ weekend and is both star-struck and eager to learn. After gushing to Sarah about how much she admires her, she asks “when did you know that you were gonna make it?” The response – “I guess I could say I’ll let you know when I get the memo” – is less than satisfying for Jessica, who clearly expects a much more grandiose, concrete answer. “What do you mean, when you get the memo? You literally won a Tony.” Sarah’s follow-up is a poignant, honest speech that reminds Jessica that if she loves it and she’s doing it, she’s made it – and this pushes Jessica forward to keep working hard, but for different, better reasons.
Did Sarah Jones have a TED Talk?
Yes, she did! She’s had three, actually. Much like her show Bridge & Tunnel, she performed multi-character one-woman talks that have since garnered millions of views. Jones has become notorious for her ability to meld humor with moving, poignant messages that make every performance memorable, so it comes as no surprise that she’s won both a Tony and an Obie.
So what’s next for Sarah Jones?
She recently premiered her latest one-woman show, Sell/Buy/Date last fall, and she’s currently the host of a podcast called Playdate. In May, Jones also hosted the Lilly Awards, which celebrate women in American theater, and was also a recipient of a Lilly Award herself. You can keep up with Jones’ busy career on Twitter or her official website.
