Review: NEIL SIMON'S ROSE AND WALSH at Hampton Theatre Company

The Hampton Theater Company does it again with their wonderful production of Neil Simon's Rose and Walsh. Kicking off their incredible 39th season, the adorable Quogue, Long Island, venue has assembled a stellar company strongly directed by George Loizides. The four-person cast works well together with great chemistry. Indeed, based on the very enthusiastic reception of the audience opening weekend, you may want to get your tickets quickly.

Running through November 5th, the emotional play is truly gripping with plot twists galore. This is Mr. Simon's final play, initially entitled Rose's Dilemma. It is set on the eastern Long Island (okay, so maybe the excited audience was a little biased) following a literary giant named Rose Steiner, portrayed superbly by Rosemary Cline. In hopes of improving her current financial situation, Rose gets advice from her partner, Walsh McLaren, portrayed wonderfully by Andrew Botsford. We see a plan develop to help Rose with the additional assistance of Arlene Moss, portrayed excellently by Alaina Manzo, and Gavin Clancy, an up-and-coming writer portrayed strongly by Alexander Massaad.

Frankly, telling you more, I feel, would take away from the mystique and mystery of this fantastic show with these great actors. So, as a fellow audience member I'll say this: Being the many twists and turns the story takes, I urge you to focus your full attention when you see this show.

On the clever creative team, Mr. Loizides' set with Ricky Bottenus and Meg Sexton is well done. The tale takes place solely in the living room of Rose's Hampton's beach house in the mid-1980s. A gorgeous, lush couch sits center stage, the white walls are adorned with beautiful photos, and a bar is off to the side. This is heightened by Sebastian Paczynski's atmospheric lighting and kudos to Teresa LeBrun for the wonder costumes. It is a visually stunning production.

And so, Hampton Theatre Company's incarnation of Rose And Walsh is certainly a must-see this Fall. Get to your local theatres, folks. A great cast, an intriguing tale, and a beautiful, crisp Hampton night make for a fun time at the theatre.

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