"Brighton Beach Memoirs" both beautiful, poignant
Neil Simon's play well-presented by Theatre Works
By Frank O'Donnell
Valley Breeze Entertainment Writer
The American home of the 1930s has been painstakingly
recreated for Neil Simon's "Brighton Beach Memoirs," on
stage through the weekend at Theatre Works in Woonsocket.
Meet the Jerome Family of Brighton Beach in the Borough of Brooklyn in the City of New York in the United States of America. It's 1937, and the world is on the brink of another war, a war that threatens to consume the Jerome relatives still living in Europe.
That's just part of the stress in Jack and Kate Jerome's life. Money's tight, and Jack is forced to work a second job to help support Kate's sister, Blanche, and her two daughters. Jack and Kate's own sons, Stanley and Eugene, are more concerned about what's going on in their own worlds.
Stanley's got big trouble at work. He's about to be fired for standing up for his principles, but he can't afford to hurt his family's financial status.
And Eugene's having trouble all over – everything that goes wrong at home is his fault, and he's busy battling puberty.
That's the setting for Neil Simon's "Brighton Beach Memoirs," a slice-of-family-life comedy/drama now on the Theatre Works stage in Woonsocket.
As audiences have come to expect of the folks at Theatre Works, the set is spectacular. They've painstakingly recreated your grandmother's house (okay, my grandmother's house), and that really helps make the show work.
As one would expect in something written by Neil Simon, there are some terrifically funny jokes. And there are some terrifically poignant moments as well, stitched together with the comedy with a nice touch by director Chris Gaulin.
There are strong performances throughout the show.
Colleen Endicott is a major league brat as Laurie, Blanche's daughter, the one with the heart flutters. She's not as sick as her mom thinks she is, and she uses it to her advantage.
Nicole Forti plays Nora, Blanche's other daughter, with a nice mix of poutiness and newfound independence. She's a typical teenager – yearning to be on her own, but secretly pining for the approval of her parent.
Jack Ferdman's Stanley is the typical big brother – willing to teach his younger sibling in one moment, and willing to knock him down a few pegs in the next. He's very believable in the role.
Kat Alix-Gaudreau does a wonderful job as Blanche, Kate's widowed sister. She's shy and vulnerable, but capable of extraordinary strength when necessary. She has a wonderful moment when she confronts her problems with her sister and with Nora within a five-minute time span.
Steve Slate plays Jack Jerome with stoic reserve. He's the head of the family, and he takes all of his responsibilities very seriously.
Mary A. Finn gets some of the show's best lines as Kate, the rock upon which this family rests – perhaps a little too much. When she's mad, her eyes shoot daggers. She and Eugene have an interesting exchange when she asks him to go to the grocer's for a quarter-pound of butter.
"But I got a quarter-pound this morning. Why don't you buy a half-pound at a time?" asks Eugene.
"Suppose the house were to burn down this afternoon," answers Kate. "What am I going to do with that extra quarter-pound of butter?"
Last but not least, Charles Lafond is terrific as Eugene. He narrates the show as if he's writing his memoirs, hence, the title. He's a kid coming of age, very aware of his responsibilities to his family, and begrudging them a little. He's also in love with his cousin Nora. Okay, she happens to be the object of his lust mostly due to her proximity. But as Stanley points out, "You can't marry your cousin. You get babies with nine heads."
"Brighton Beach Memoirs" is a fun show. You'll laugh and maybe even cry a little. But you'll enjoy the experience.
A word of caution. There is a scene during which Stanley and Eugene discuss self-gratification – not tremendously graphic, but perhaps not something you want your youngsters to hear. But as Kate might say, "So maybe you don't bring the kids."
"Bright Beach Memoirs" runs November 14th and 15th at 8 pm, and November 16th at 2 pm, at the Theatre Works Auditorium in the First Universalist Church on Snow Street in Woonsocket. Call 401-766-1898 for tickets and information.
The Valley Breeze, Weekend section, November 13, 2003.