Review: A.D. Players Kicks Off New Year with BAREFOOT IN THE PARK

It's a cold winter day in Manhattan. A small, barren apartment waits to be furnished and decorated. Meet Corie, an optimistic, high-energy, new bride, happily setting up home for her husband Paul. Meet Paul, a conservative, Type-A personality, just beginning his career as a lawyer. Their life together seems fairly simple; it's the mid 60's and aspiring housewife Corie dotes on Paul, who is ambitious and excited to jump into his fresh career. Just two kids setting up house, right?

After watching the first scene of BAREFOOT IN THE PARK it would be tempting to ask, "Is this all there is? Are we going to watch two hours of some bubbly housewife fawn over her anal-retentive husband?"

But this is a Neil Simon play, and there is so much more ahead.

Corie and Paul are the quintessential "opposites attract" article, and it could be said that Neil Simon's gift is in creating interesting character mélanges. Opposites attract, all right, and BAREFOOT IN THE PARK seems to be about human dynamics - not just between Corie and Paul, but between Corie's retiring mother and the spicy Victor Velasco.

Like any good play, each scene adds more depth and dimension to the story. If the first scene starts off rather pleasantly bland, the play quickly catches fire, with Corie jumping into high jinx, pulling a very reluctant Paul along for the ride. Things get really interesting after an adventurous double date in Staten Island with Paul, Victor, and Corie's mother, and it becomes clear that this is anything but a simple love story.

Kevin Dean directs a dandy cast with perfect pacing and pitch. Blocking is key in a farcical comedy such as this, and Dean maximizes the staging to create comedic punch. Christie Watkins is an effervescent Corie, and handles the character's mood swings within the play with believability and commitment. The adorable Braden Hunt is great as a "stuffed shirt", but he also steels the audience's heart with his madcap, charming turn in the closing scene, when he tries to show Corie that he can be just as untamed as she is.

Patty Tuel Bailey is always a welcome presence onstage and she doesn't disappoint as Corie's mother. Bailey wields many of the best lines in the show and her unassuming comedic timing is welcome and enjoyable. Victor is a zesty treat of a character and Ric Hodgin lights up the stage with his fun portrayal of a worldly, warm hearted foreigner ready for romance. Craig Griffin is delightful as the very winded deliveryman, and Ron Solomon gives a nicely sympathetic air to his performance as the "telephone man".

But it's not just about the cast. Simon's writing is legendary because it's spare where it needs to be and pointed in all the right places. There are many, many great lines in this show, and anyone who has ever had a dumb fight with their new spouse will enjoy the funny walk down memory lane. At intermission I asked my husband. "Hey, do you remember stupid fights we had when we first got married?"

"Oh, yeeeees," he replied, eyebrows raised. He was smiling, though.

That's what BAREFOOT IN THE PARK is- hopeful. It's a smile in the midst of angst, a celebration of what we love but can't control. We are maddening human beings bumping up against each other and really the only thing that saves us is love. A.D. Players gives a successful production that lifts us up out of the January doldrums. Get your tickets soon.

For tickets: http://adplayers.org/blog5/786-2/barefoot-in-the-park/

Showtimes: January 13th - February 14th. Performances are Thursdays (Talk Back) at 7:30 PM, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM and Sundays at 2:30 PM. There will be a Saturday matinee on January 30th and February 6th with a Captioned/Audio Described performance on Sunday, February 7th.

Tickets: Available online at adplayers.org or by calling the Box Office at 713-526-2721. Ticket prices range from $20-$40 for single tickets. Group, student, senior, and military discounts are available.

Talkback Performances: Following each Thursday performance the audience is invited to stay and visit with the cast and creative team of the production.

Photo Credits: Jeff McMorrough

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