Barefoot in the Park at City Theatre of Independence

The original Broadway production of this romantic comedy, written by Neil Simon and directed by Mike Nichols, opened October 23, 1963, with the four lead roles taken by actors Elizabeth Ashley (Corie), Robert Redford (Paul), Mildred Natwick (Mrs. Banks), and Kurt Kasznar (Victor Velasco). The play was nominated for three 1964 Tony Awards, and Mike Nichols won the trophy for Best Director (Dramatic). The show ran for 1530 performances, closing on June 25, 1967, making it Neil Simon’s longest-running hit, and the tenth longest-running non-musical play in Broadway history. Int. Paul and Corie Bratter are newlyweds in every sense of the word. He’s a straight-as-an-arrow lawyer and she’s a free spirit always looking for the latest kick. Their new apartment is her most recent find-too expensive with bad plumbing and in need of a paint job. After a six day honeymoon, they get a surprise visit from Corie’s loopy mother and decide to play matchmaker during a dinner with their neighbor-in-the-attic Velasco, where everything that can go wrong, does. Paul just doesn’t understand Corie, as she sees it. He’s too staid, too boring and she just wants him to be a little more spontaneous, running “barefoot in the park” would be a start… “A bubbling, rib-tickling comedy.” – The New York Times “Critic weeps joyfully…I don’t think anybody stopped laughing while the curtain was up last evening.” – New York Daily News

Authors

• Neil Simon