From left: Brittany Rhoads, AJ Gagliardi,

Edward Thurman, Noel Porter, and Lynn Dumais.

                                        photo by Sarah Lamb

Neil Simon’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs” opened to a small but enthusiastic audience at Dibden Center for the Arts on Thursday, Feb. 14, following the cancellation of the Feb. 13 matinee because of bad weather.

Directed by JSC Professor of Performing Arts Russ Longtin, the cast of seven played against and with each other beautifully, remaining faithful to the spirit of Simon’s play.

“Brighton Beach Memoirs,” set in 1937 New York, is centered on Eugene, a 15-year-old Jewish boy growing up in Brooklyn (played by AJ Gagliardi). His widowed aunt, Blanche, and her two daughters, Laurie and Nora (Marcy Edelstein, Alexandria Ticehurst, and Brittany Rhoads, respectively), live with his family, and Eugene is at an age where he is “noticing girls that weren’t bad to look at,” including his cousin Nora.

The play is chock-full of references to world events of the period: the beginning of World War II, the economy of the era, and the way in which what are now considered fairly minor health woes affected everyday life.

The family is poor, but surviving, until one of Jack’s (Noel Porter) two employers goes bankrupt and Stanley’s (Edward Thurman) “principles” get him fired. Nora has been offered a spot in a Broadway show and the family must decide whether school or dreams are more important. All the while, Eugene’s mother Kate, played by Lynn Dumais, must serve as the family’s backbone.

There is an abundance of moral options during just short two hours: whether Stanley should apologize to his boss and return to his job, whether killing Nora’s dreams will prove better in the long run, and why lusting after a first cousin is just not right.
By the end of Act I, it seems like everything just might be okay.

 

That is, until Act II begins.

 

The second half of the production begins just after Jack’s heart attack, a week having elapsed since the first Act. He is laid up in bed and cannot work, making Stanley the main bread winner for the clan. So when Stanley comes home having gambled away his weekly salary of $17, more stress is added to the pile.

Feeling extremely guilty, Stanley decides to leave home and join the Army. Blanche has a date with the neighborhood drunk, Mr. Murphy. Nora is as bitter as can be over her Broadway bummer. Kate has to deal with the family’s problems. And Eugene is beginning to realize what it means to grow up. His crush on Nora has disappeared, and the reality of the family’s problems is hitting hard.

There are many fights and reconciliations, and in the end the family seems as if it will continue making due, and happily at that.
The JSC cast did a wonderful job of bringing Simon’s characters to life. Gagliardi made for a very believable Eugene: he was upbeat and happy-go-lucky, but could switch moods and be convincingly serious when appropriate. His asides really made the show; both by introducing the other characters and explaining contexts to the audience. Both he and Thurman interacted with Dumais sarcastically, but still managed to remain respectful, effectively pulling their punches.

Rhoads and Ticehurst acted as any sisters do; snapping at each other, but in a loving fashion. Their chemistry was obvious and effective. The same was true for Dumais and Edelstein; Kate was the big sister willing to help in any way. Porter’s portrayal of Jack was authoritative and kind at the same time.

One especially well-executed scene featured the family seated around the dinner table, watching Porter’s character anxiously, waiting for the right moment to seek help for their individual problems. The facial expressions and close proximity in which they were sitting gave an almost cartoonish feel to the moment. It was times like this when Simon’s subtle humor emerged from within a serious situation.

Under Longtin’s deft direction, dialogue flowed seamlessly, the rapid-fire exchanges sounding like realistic conversation rather than recitation of a script. Blocking and body language seemed natural as well.

In addition to the acting, the set was outstanding, reaching off the stage to the first row of seating. This made for a more intimate, inclusive feel for the audience. It looked like a family home in the 1930s, with shared bedrooms, warm, inviting décor, and a kitchen table serving as a family meeting area, not to mention the plush couch that every family has had at one point.

The wardrobe further brought the 1930s feel to the production: dresses for the girls, nice work clothes for the father, and even breeches for Eugene.

Credit for production of the play goes to Olivia Trotman (stage manager), Lauren Bushway (assistant stage manager and hair and makeup), Racha Simard (props), Lauren Chapman (costumes), Russ Longtin (scene design), AJ Gagliardi (light design), Scott Grella (light board operator), Chris Coffey (sound design), Colleen Twomey (soundboard operator), Adam Bagdon (master carpenter), and a crew of Zachary Boykins, Nick Cooper, Keriann Clinton, Nicole Franzen, Nancy Galante, Maddy Gibbons, Cass Johndrow, and Anne Schneider.

It was very evident after watching this production of “Brighton Beach Memoirs” that a lot of time and love was put into staging this play. If there were any issues at all, they weren’t visible on the actors’ faces, and the audience was thoroughly entertained – the roaring laughter proved that.

Excepting a few minor line flubs and one incident in which a night table was knocked over in an altercation between Gagliardi and Thurman – when remarkably, the cast members managed to remain straight faced – the show was impeccable.