“Make him feel important. If you do that, you’ll have a happy and wonderful marriage.” — Mother to daughter in “Barefoot in the Park”
That kind of advice is dated. Just as “Barefoot in the Park” is. The Neil Simon comedy is currently on Arizona Theatre Company’s stage.
Regional theaters across the country have had a hard time recovering from the pandemic. Maybe that is why ATC decided to launch its 56th season with a 1964 play that doesn’t offer much more than one-liners and is better suited to dinner theaters.
This was Simon’s second play, and it has little of the nuance or depth found in his later pieces, such as “Lost in Yonkers” and “Brighton Beach Memoirs.” But those one-liners still have us chuckling.
The story centers on newlyweds Corie (Kyra Kennedy) and Paul (Tyler Lansing Weaks). They are back from their honeymoon and ready to settle into married life. But Corie wants that to be all hugs and kisses and running barefoot in the park. Paul is more level-headed and just wants to get ahead in the law firm. Throw into this mix Corie’s meddling mother (Gayton Scott) and an eccentric neighbor (Harry Bouvy), and you’ve got the makings for a Simon play.
When the curtain rose, so did the applause — for the impressive set by Tim Mackabee. The fifth-floor walkup with one large room, no heat and a massive skylight with one broken pane that allows the cold, snowy New York City weather to settle in the apartment was recreated beautifully. It deserved the applause.
The production, directed by Michael Berresse, is a mixed-bag. Berresse chose to have actors deliver most of their lines to the audience. That’s tough when the story is about relationships. The presentational style meant we rarely saw the connection between the newlyweds. In addition, Weaks and Kennedy rushed through much of their dialogue, so as the audience laughed at one line the actors were off to the next. We wish it was allowed to breathe a bit more.
Some of the best lines were delivered by Scott, who played the mother, and Bouvy, the over-the-top neighbor. Both had exquisite timing and took their time. They gave full life to the delicious characters.
And then there were the bit players: Matthew Zimmerer was a hoot as the telephone repairman; and Marshall F. Glass made a brief appearance as a delivery man. He had no lines but his physical presence would have made Buster Keaton proud.
For years, ATC has presented new works along with classics. It paid attention to fresh playwrights and, especially during Sean Daniels’ too-brief tenure as artistic director, diversity on stage and off.
This season, the first picked by the new Artistic Director Matt August, does not seem to be interested in fresh works. Coming up is “Scrooge The Musical,” a 1992 piece that boasts a massive cast and music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, who wrote the music for “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” We suspect that, if it works, it will be a regular on the ATC stage during the holidays.
In the new year, the company will stage the 1995 Terrance McNally play “Masterclass,” which ATC last presented in 1999, and “True West,” Sam Shepard’s 1980 play that reeks of toxic masculinity. The only piece by a person of color is “Intimate Apparel” by the in-demand playwright Lynn Nottage. That hits the stage in January.
We have loved ATC over the last decades for its innovation and courage. Sometimes plays didn’t work, but the company knew that experimentation and fresh ideas were essential if theater is to remain relevant and have a real impact. ATC’s 2023-24 season seems to have lost sight of that. We hope for greater catholicity in future seasons.
“Barefoot in the Park” continues through Oct. 13 at the Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave. Tickets are $25-$90 at atc.org or 1-833-282-7328.
