*** It is difficult not to love a Neil Simon comedy, but compared to his classic “The Odd Couple” and his other, biographical stories ( “Boynton Beach Memoirs for example), “Barefoot in the Park” is pretty bland and perhaps even far-fetched. The story is about a young couple Corie (played to perfection by Alexandra T. Cross) and Paul ( Joshua Paul Wright), who are just starting their married life. They have rented an apartment on the top-floor of a brownstone in New York. It is a “walk-Up” apartment. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, it means there is NO elevator, only stairs. In this case, either 6 or 7 flights, depending on whether you count the stoop. note: When I resided in the Stuyvesant area of New York, I lived in a walk-up, but only on the 5th floor. When I left for the day, I brought extra clothes, just in case!During the first act, we meet the couple and get to know them. We also meet Corie’s mother, Ethel ( well played by Jill Chuckerman Test) and their rooftop neighbor, Victor Velasco ( Donald Cardenas plays this role to the extreme) as well as two others, a telephone repair man ( Christian Davis Aldridge) and a delivery person (Maddie Hillock proves that there is no such thing as a small role. She makes her two minutes a delight. Take a look at the phone! Back before “cell”. It even has a dial!
During the second act, which is 4 days later, we have two scenes. The first is having her mother and Victor over for drinks and dinner. During these two scenes they drink and flirt and they all have a ball. Victor volunteers to take Ethel home and Paul and Corie end up having a major fight over what happened on what was to be a special “fix-up” night. They begin to hate each other and the talk turns to divorce.
There is a third act, which in reality is another scene as there is not another intermission. By the way, between the first and second act, the set (Emil Zbella) becomes a livable looking flat apartment. The crew did this in far less than the 20 minutes of intermission. The final act is one that brings the conclusion to what Simon is known for, a happy ending for all. Directed by Jack Dugan Carpenter, this is a slick production that allows the audience a chance to laugh and have a good theatrical experience.. For those unfamiliar with this theater company, Saint Sebastian Players has been bringing classic theater to Chicago for 42 seasons. Their performance space is located at 1625 West Diversey ( between Ashland and Marshfield). The venue is in the lower level and is comfy and intimate allowing us to witness the show with great sight lines.
“Barefoot in the Park” will continue Thru – May 12 with performances as follows:Fridays:7:30pm
Saturdays:7:30pm
Sundays:2:00pm
Show Type: Comedy
run time 2 hours and 15 minutes
Box Office: 773-404-7922
To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Barefoot in the Park”
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