Jenna Bush Takes Center Stage in New York

The Miss Education of Jenna Bush gets good reviews – for the play and its subject

First daughter Jenna Bush is getting good reviews from theater critics. Make that the actress playing Bush.

The show is called The Miss Education of Jenna Bush, a 90-minute entry in the current New York International Fringe Festival starring its co-writer, standup comedian Melissa Rauch, a panelist on VH1’s Best Week Ever.

New Jersey’s Newark Star Ledger calls the work “a light-hearted caricature of the first twin as she vaguely prepares – despite a hangover from a keg party – to begin teaching fourth grade.”

The New York Times, noting that Bush has a standing invite to come see the play, says Jenna “would like it. … It’s the closest thing to a pro-Bush play at the Fringe Festival.” Ultimately, says the paper, the play humanizes the young Bush as a good-natured party girl.

According to the Star Ledger, Jenna/Rauch discusses how she and the president play drinking games while watching FOX News (“Every time the ticker says ‘terror,’ take two drinks”) and carps about being pursued by reporters.

“We did quite a bit of research,” Rauch tells Newsday about putting the show together with collaborators Winston Beigel (Rauch’s real-life boyfriend) and Tom Wojtunik. “All the things she mentioned happened, like the (underage) drinking citations.”

One thing that as yet isn’t confirmed as to its truth is a highly noticeable prop on the stage set: Jenna’s photo of Adam Brody.

The play runs through Aug. 24.