OCTOBER 6, 2016 // 11
Continued from Pg. 10
A romantic comedy, “Barefoot in the Park”
opens Friday, Oct. 7 for a three-week run at
Astoria’s home for comedy, the Astor Street Opry
Company.
The plot is a simple one, like most Simon
plays (two dissimilar men become roommates; a
man sublets an apartment and inds it occupied
by a woman and her precocious teenage daughter,
etc.). What makes the play is Simon’s spirited
dialogue and witty repartee.
Here is the nutshell version of “Barefoot in
the Park”: Newlyweds Corie and Paul move into
their irst apartment. Corie is an impetuous ro-
mantic, while Paul is a conservative, even stuffy
young attorney more intent on his career than
on continuing the honeymoon. This leads to the
obvious conlicts, complicated by a double date
with Corie’s widowed mother and their eccen-
tric neighbor, Victor (known as “The Bluebeard
of 48th Street”). The couple decides to divorce.
They ight over the settlement. Corie’s mother
and Bluebeard ind true love. Corie and Paul rec-
oncile and promise to live happily ever after.
Would that Simon had written a sequel to this
improbable plot, but he didn’t.
Redford will not reprise his Broadway role —
he’s a little old for the part — but local
favorite Ben VanOsdol plays Paul
with Alicea Settlemoire as Corie.
E FO O T
R
A
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‘
“Barefoot” has a small cast, just
ARK’
ive actors, which makes it
IN THE P rday, Oct. 7,
atu
perfect for local productions.
In “Barefoot in the Park,” Corie sets her mother, Ethel, played by Neen Drage, left, up on a date with her ec-
day and S
7 p.m. Fri , 15, 21 and 22
Neen Drage plays Ethel Banks,
centric neighbor, Victor, played by Jason Hippert.
8, 14
6
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Corie’s loopy mother, and
t.
c
O
,
nday
Jason Hippert is Victor. Nate
2 p.m. Su
house
pany Play
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Bucholz rounds out the cast as
p
et O
Astor Stre
, Astoria
the telephone repairman.
. Bond St.
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9
2
1
The problem with doing
6104
503-325-
“Barefoot” is that it has such
a stellar history that producing
$7 to $16
the play can be intimidating. This
doesn’t seem to apply to our local
talent. The Astor Street Opry Company
gave Lisa Fergus, who usually directs at Can-
non Beach’s Coaster Theatre, the opportunity to
choose the show she would direct, and there was
no doubt in her mind. She acknowledges that
Mike Nichols’ are “big shoes to ill,” but, “It’s a
show I have always loved,” she says.
“Barefoot” is set in the 1960s, and if that were
all there was to the play it would be dated, but as
Fergus says, “The opposites attract relationship
is a theme that is pretty timeless.” The ASOC
production will have, “a different spin from the
movie, a bit more true-to-life, a more modern
twist” to the story line.
“I was lucky to get a top-of-the-line group of
actors,” Fergus says. “They are really personify-
ing their characters. It’s fun to work with a new
group, with new dynamics. I’m having the time
of my life.”
And so will you. Check out one of Neil Si-
Free-spirited Corie, played by Alicea Settlemoir, right, wants her Jason Hippert, right, plays Victor, the eccentric neighbor of newly-
mon’s greatest hits and be prepared to laugh and
stufy lawyer husband, Paul, played by Ben VanOsdol, to be more weds Paul and Corie, played by Alicea Settlemoir, in the Astor Street
clap.
spontaneous in Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park.”
Opry Company’s production of “Barefoot in the Park.”