Learning Curves
One of the most outstanding, and I dare say most important, qualities of live theatre is its remarkable ability to bring people together from all walks of life, in a marvelous moment of connectedness. The brilliant Jake Lipman certainly accomplished that tremendous feat with her one-woman memoir Learning Curves, performed at Manhattan’s consequential Theatre Row on 42nd St.
Leading with adorable quirkiness, warm tenderness, gleeful hilarity, and the nostalgic relatability of the shrill awkwardness of adolescence and adulthood’s ever-changing augmentations, Lipman captures the bittersweet, yet soulful journey of discovering one’s authenticity. Through the use of entertaining physicality and wondrous vocal expression, Lipman consummated life’s heartbreaking sentiment through the eyes of her former self, weaving through the trenches of trauma to come out on the other side not necessarily completely healed, but invariably, delicately fulfilled.
Lipman’s performance captured my heart and the heart of my fellow audience members in a way that was pleasantly inspiring. She (yes– we know “Jake” is a boy’s name!) had such a presence on stage that was hard to ignore, I felt like I could instantly divulge my deepest penchants to her with ease and familiarity; that’s how comfortable her countenance was.
I must commend Lipman for her absolute bravery and tenacity in writing such a triumphant piece that speaks consciously on such an unfortunately common experience, the devastating aftermath and lingerings of childhood abuse. I’m sure that writing on such a subject is not an easy undertaking, and I want to praise Lipman’s dynamic writing style that kept me hooked, entertained, yet undeniably, and intentionally provoked. The show inspired my own healing, and I couldn’t be more grateful to have been in a room where that sense of "connectedness" was in full force.
The artistry of the human experience is as essential as it is transcendent, and it is productions like Learning Curves which remind us that we can indeed, move forward through the darkness with light in our eyes and love in our hearts.
Learning Curves
Starring: Jake Lipman
Performed on: October 28, 2026
October 19 - November 22, 2026
Theatre Row, 410 West 42nd Street, in Manhattan
Reviewer: Grayson Sebert
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