In 1983, Neil Simon, one of America’s most prolific and funniest playwrights/screenwriters debuted his semi-biographical play about his childhood in “Brighton Beach Memoirs.”
What made this production stand-out, beyond the obvious of art imitating life, was the various devices Simon used to break down the theatrical fourth wall with the character speaking at times to the audience as if to let them in on the various secret backstories and thoughts of Eugene Morris Jerome, the main character.
Circle Theatre's second production of their 2017 season is set in the the early 1930s depression and features Eugene, a budding young male dreaming of baseball and girls. But this comedy about coming of age in an age of uncertainty is also a story about a family trying to navigate the hardships of their time with a steady mother, a much-overworked father, and Eugene’s very worldly older brother Stanley.
Add to the mix a widowed Aunt Blanche, her two young (but rapidly aging) daughters, and you have all the ingredients for a wild ride of a comic play with a big heart. (Bring your tissues.)
Simon as a playwright in the 1970s and beyond always had a knack for banter and with “Brighton Beach Memoirs” he is at the top of his craft. “Brighton Beach Memoirs” would go on to win numerous awards as well as spawn a trilogy that includes “Biloxi Blues” about Eugene’s time spent in the World War II and “Broadway Bound,” where the family begins to fall apart right as his career is poised to take off.
Good theatre like “Brighton Beach Memoirs” reminds all of us of the powerful life lessons that can be seamlessly delivered via the witty dialogue and fine acting that is sure to be a part of your experience and every show at Circle Theatre’s summer season.