Eugene weekly., October 06, 2011, Page 40, Image 40

theater
BY ANNA GRACE
Life’s Lessons, Over Lust and Liver
Neil Simon’s classic Brighton Beach Memoirs at LCC
C
hores to do, girls to fi gure out, a
mother to avoid and an imaginary
World Series to win; Eugene Morris
Jerome has got a lot on his plate. Add the slab
of liver he’s required to take two more bites
of and you have Brighton Beach Memoirs,
author Neil Simon’s masterful depiction of
his youth in 1930s New York City.
Eugene’s working-class Jewish family
cramped into a Brooklyn walkup is a far
remove from the verdant, let-it-all-hang-out
environs of Eugene, Ore., but the issues he
deals with are familiar. This 15-year-old boy
with big dreams narrates his life amidst a
family straining under the weight of tragedy
and tough economic times. The Student Pro-
ductions Association production of Brigh-
ton Beach Memoirs opens in the midst of
the Jewish High Holy days, just after Rosh
Hashanah, a day of introspection. If Eugene
isn’t exactly casting off his sins, he’s defi -
nitely sharing them with us.
And they’re hysterical.
Simon’s humor in Brighton Beach
Memoirs is at its best because it’s so real and
immediate. Who hasn’t had a month when
one trouble piles atop the next, and who
doesn’t know a quick-witted teenage boy
with a penchant for mischief? The family
dynamic in this play shapes every interaction;
when Eugene “decided to go downstairs and
quiet (his) passion with an oatmeal cookie,”
his mother — in the middle of serious family
drama and discussion — can still hear him
get into the cookie jar a room away, and busts
him for it. That’s life.
As is often the case with LCC’s Student
Production Association, several experienced
actors are drafted to round out the cast, the
idea being that students can learn by working
with them, and directors can anchor a
production. It’s a practice with some merit,
though in this instance the adults are shown
up by the students. Joseph Tanner Paul as
Eugene and Johnny Rogers as his big brother
Stanley are the chatter of the lobby. Their
timing, movement and authenticity create a
magic you don’t want to miss.
The second act slows considerably as
the weight of the world threatens the life of
the family. Everyone, even the adults, has to
grow up. As Eugene rips out the one-liners
and soaks up the sympathy, two incredibly
diffi cult female characters are quietly shap-
ing the action. Actor Darlene Morton subtly
captures the slowly emerging strength of
Blanche, a heartbroken and widowed aunt.
And Elizabeth Peterson knocks out her role
as Eugene’s mother, backing Kate’s over-
strained, quick-mouthed tension with the
deepest love for her family.
James McConky’s massive, two-story
set makes a perfect backdrop for the fam-
ily drama, and costume designer Mari De-
Witt’s 1930s attire is just shabby enough.
Accents, particularly those as far away and
specifi c as a Jewish family in Brooklyn, are
always diffi cult. Most actors in this pro-
duction choose an understated dialect that
gives validity to Simon’s dialogue without
distracting from it. Occasionally, move-
ment did distract, as some of the more
tense moments seemed to devolve into the
click of heels across the stage fl oor, forcing
me to remember that these were actors try-
ing to heighten drama, rather than people
arguing through a life crisis.
I don’t know when I’ve seen such an
enthusiastic audience. And while there was
a lot of opening-night love fl owing back
and forth, I can’t imagine other audiences
won’t react in the same way. Okay, maybe
the sound design (Swing on, Chris White!)
won’t receive specifi c applause in the
future, but this show is a crowd pleaser.
If you grew up in the ’80s, you probably
came to know Brighton Beach Memoirs
at an age when the plight of Nora and the
antics of Eugene spoke to you. Returning
to this play 28 years after it opened on
Broadway — perhaps as an adult who has
crossed the divide, shouldered burdens and
maybe even called out an oatmeal cookie
hidden in her son’s pocket — Memoirs will
prove even more meaningful.
Simon’s work still stands, as powerful
as ever. Brighton Beach may be a world
away, but the story of a family trying to
love each other during the hardest of times
is always with us.
Brighton Beach Memoirs runs through Oct. 15 at Lane
Community College; info & tickets at www.lanecc.edu
Smart Ass, Sans Toga
Gutenberg College stages local playwright’s Socrates v America
W
hat possible business could McMansions, frat boys, hemlock and ancient Greek philosophers have being on stage
together? Plenty, if you take the trial of Socrates and drop it into present-day America. And, truly, who wouldn’t want
to hear that wizened old wit’s scathing commentary of modern life?
Gutenberg professor Timothy A. McIntosh was inspired to update the story of Plato’s apology for the trial of Socrates after
watching a performance of another academic’s similar work.
“It was dreadful!” says McIntosh, who performs regularly in local community theaters. “When people come to see a play, they
want to see a play, not a book.”
McIntosh’s goal was to create a play that would make Plato’s classic “really approachable and enjoyable for someone who
might otherwise be intimidated.”
Previous works by McIntosh include several other modern takes on classics, such as P.R., a pop opera based on The
Misanthrope, and Hell, Purgatory, & Heaven: A Walking Tour, based on Dante’s Divine Comedy.
“I think students will appreciate this because Socrates is just so well spoken,” McIntosh says, noting that’s Socrates’ message
of people being individuals responsible for their own actions will resonate with intelligent high-school and college students
(while reminding the rest of us that we’re responsible for having gotten into this mess!).
Gutenberg alumni, professors and guest artists make up the quirky cast. Socrates will be served up with the traditional
Gutenberg dinner, no sandals or togas required. — Anna Grace
Socrates v America runs 7pm Saturday & Sunday, Oct. 8-16, & Thurs.-Fri., Oct. 13-14, at Gutenberg College, 1883 University St.; $10 play & dinner, res. at 683-5141.
Cottage Theatre presents
October 14, 15, 16* • 21, 22, 23* • 28, 29, 30* • November 4, 5, 6*
*matinee
Book by Joe Masteroff, Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Directed by Peg Major
$21 Adult, $19 Senior/Student
www.cottagetheatre.org • 541-942-8001 • 700 Village Drive • Cottage Grove
40 OCTOBER 6, 2011
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