Tin Building Theater presents Neil Simon’s iconic play “Barefoot in the Park” as Fall production in four performances in October, revisiting the crazy life of adored newlywed couple
CLIFTON – A conservative young lawyer at the start of his career Paul falls in love and marries vivacious Corie. The Neil Simon comedy “Barefoot in the Park,” provides a snapshot of their newlywed life in a rundown upper apartment in a five-story walk-up New York City brownstone.
With the six-day honeymoon at the Plaza Hotel over, their first four days as newlyweds prove to be a steep climb as their less-than-perfect environment brings their first relationship challenges to light; especially when Corie decides to play matchmaker, hooking her ditsy mother with their Albanian ladies’ man neighbor.
This fall, the Bosque Arts Center’s Tin Building Theater offers this classic comedy in four performances. Show dates are dinner theater performances on Saturday Oct. 7 and 14 at 6:30 p.m., Sunday matinee Oct. 8 at 2 p.m. and a regular evening performance on Friday, Oct. 13. Reserve tickets by calling 254-675-3724 or by going online at http://www.bosqueartscenter.org.
“We have received numerous requests from patrons to do something with more substance, director Don Boysen said. “That very thing had been on my mind as well, and Neil Simon was the first playwright I thought of. As soon as I saw the title, the light bulb lit up! What could be better than Neil Simon's wit set in the early 1960s in New York City?
“That, my friends, is a winning combination. It is such a well-written comedy. And at the same time, it has those real life moments. You can’t help but be drawn in to the crazy life of these two newlyweds.”
Receiving the tagline “Broadway's barest, rarest, un-squarest love play,” Neil Simon’s highly-skilled writing takes a dime-a-dozen premise of one simple dramatic situation and transforms it into what is regarded as one of the funniest comedies.
Paul just does not get Corie’s illogical sense of adventure, which includes walking through Washington Square Park barefoot when it's 17 degrees Fahrenheit outside. She just wants him to be more spontaneous every now and then, something he seems incapable of. Will their marital bliss end in a divorce so soon after it began or will it be a case of “opposites attract.”
Kassidy Cardona and Michael Richardson bring Corie and Paul Bratter to life with all their insecurities about their future together. Connie Terry’s Mom and Kevin King’s Victor Velasco fill out the story line with comic interlude. The Telephone Repairman Charles McLean and The Lord & Taylor Delivery Man Richard Haas add to the zany plot.
“The moon and stars aligned with the casting, and we were off and running,” Boysen said of the cast. “We bring to you a visually engaging and interesting set, and a cast that has more chemistry than the Periodic Table of Elements. This is one you won't want to miss, so get your tickets and escape to NYC and join us.”
American playwright, screenwriter and author Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927-August 26, 2018) known for his classic situational and verbal comedy, presents serious subjects in a way that makes audiences "laugh to avoid weeping." Simon's characters are typically "imperfect, unheroic figures who are at heart decent human beings."
Simon’s theater box office reign but kicked off his longtime collaboration with director Mike Nichols. Robert Redford starred in this megahit play on Broadway, and then reprised his role alongside Jane Fonda for the 1967 film. With 1,530 performances, the Broadway play was Simon's longest-running hit, and the tenth-longest running non-musical play in Broadway history.
Simon wrote more than 30 plays and in the stellar year 1966, Simon had four shows playing simultaneously at Broadway theatres: Sweet Charity, The Star-Spangled Girl, The Odd Couple and Barefoot in the Park. He received three Tony Awards in recognition of live Broadway Theater. He also received a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for four Academy Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards for his movie and television productions.
“Barefoot in the Park” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. http://www.concordtheatricals.com.
Photos by SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS
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