Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs, directed by Marcie Ulin '02 in the Loeb Ex this past weekend, tells the story of Eugene Morris Jerome (David Parker '03) during a rather eventful week of his youth in 1937. Surrounded by his family, Eugene steps outside of the action to offer a running narrative commentary on his thoughts and opinions. An average Brooklyn family, Jack (David Huyssen '02), Kate (Dana Scardigli '00) and their two children, Stanley (Eric Chesin '02) and Eugene, struggle to confront the economic and logistical hardships associated with taking in three more people: Kate's widowed sister Blanche (Debbie Rin '01) and her two children, Broadway-bound Nora (Sandra Seru '01) and sickly Laurie (Shaylyl Romney '02). With the constant backdrop of the pending war in Europe, each member of the family must come to terms with the demands he or she places upon the others; in so doing, they risk the disintegration of the bonds which hold them together, only to realize how much love they share.

Oh, it's funny, too. Much of Act One builds toward a nice, relaxing evening meal for Jack, who lost his job as a part-time party favor salesman. As Kate prepares supper, Blanche struggles with her asthma and tries not to be dependent upon the family which took her in, Laurie exploits her questionable medical condition to avoid helping, Nora dreams of her audition for the new musical extravaganza Abracadabra!, Stanley tries to conceal losing his own job that day and Eugene fantasizes about Nora and her recent "developments." The pressure explodes in an absurd yet well-orchestrated dinner scene over boiled liver and mashed potatoes.

Though Brighton Beach is definitely an ensemble show, Eugene's asides are clearly the linchpin holding the plot and the characters together. The cast of seven break into smaller groups for intimate conversations, permutating themselves into complex arrangements so that, by the end of the show, every character has shared something private with every other character. Though certain combinations of actors take longer than others to hit their stride, the relationships created are generally believable. The most central, and most engaging, relationship exists between the two sisters/mothers, played to a wonderful balance of kitsch and sincerity by Scardigli and Rin. The difficulties they have with each other, one the provider and the other the dependent, are further complicated by the shared history with their parents and the individual need to raise their own children. As money becomes even more scarce, the long-repressed tension between them threatens to splinter the family.

Other notable performances include David Huyssen's haggard, care-laden Jack. Supporting a family of seven on his small salary, he must also assume the role of father figure for Blanche's girls and keep his own sons aware of the necessary moderation between practicality and principles. Huyssen, more so than the other cast members, creates a palpable sense of his age through body language and speech pattern. David Parker's Eugene, who seems to float through the action going on around him, doesn't really begin to develop as a character until halfway through the first act, when he begins to learn about girls from his older brother, Stanley. From that moment on, Eugene becomes increasingly more interesting and, despite his numerous internal commentaries in the form of his memoirs, increasingly more real to the audience.

With so many character dynamics, the wonderful set design of Mat Williams wonderful set design allows the action to flow smoothly to keep up the pace. Williams' set, a sprawling pastel representation of the Jerome household in Brighton Beach, Borough of Brooklyn, City of New York, simultaneously creates five realistic (and believable) rooms on stage-a rare accomplishment in the Ex. The lighting of Ali Davis '00 subtlety focuses the audience's attention on specific conversations and moments without sacrificing the naturalism of the production.

Though the script is not terribly interesting in and of itself, both performers and designers execute their tasks as well as could be asked for. A delightful surprise for a show that, at first, seemed so wrong for the Ex (i.e., so non-experimental), this production is as good as Brighton Beach is likely to get.

BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS

written by

Neil Simon

directed by

Marcie Ulin '02

April 27-29

Loeb Experimental Theater