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The Boys Next Door
By Tom Griffin
Directed by Lou Contey
Produced by Provision Theatre Company
At The Theatre Building Chicago
1225 W. Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL
Call 773-327-5252, tickets $25
Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 PM
Sunday at 2:30 PM
Running time is 2 hours with intermission
Through March 5, 2006
The Boys Next Door is a warm, comical look at mental illness
Provision Theatre, under Tim Gregory’s leadership, is quickly gaining a reputation for mounting entertaining Equity productions of shows with a social message. With The Boys Next Door, director Lou Contey gingerly offers a heart-warming, comical peek into chaotic world of the mentally challenged. His first-rate cast anchored by Tim Gregory who nicely narrates and supervisors the group home of the four challenged men.
The comedy comes as we laugh at the antics of the four as playwright Tom Griffin cleverly walks the fine line between caring humor and mockery. No sentimentality here, just a light tone that depicts these guys humanity. The humor comes from their frustration in dealing with basic wants, needs and desires of life.
We meet Arnold, the manic, fast-taking nerd whose insecurity and compulsive behavior has him threatening to go to Russia. Scott Aiello plays Arnold with verve and hyper energy.
Norman, the over weight donut maker, a tad slow, obsessed with his house keys, donuts and Clara. Brian McCartney is at the top of his craft in this hilarious yet warm characterization.
Lucien is the severely retarded man, played with amazing consistent detailed clarity in a tough role by Robert Cornelius that offers much humor and lots of empathy.
By far the most difficult and most wrenching character is Barry, the seemingly stable young man who is focused on teaching golf. Dennis Grimes was outstanding as he slowly came apart in anticipation of meeting his abusive father after nine years. Grimes’ gestures, facial expression and nervous twitching deftly pictured a paranoid schizophrenic. He was eerie as the withdrawn soul traumatized by his father’s visit.
The show moves swiftly in a series of short vignettes filled with humor and light hearted incidents that aptly show the struggle these four mentally handicapped folks face on a daily basis from the weekly dance to the house cleaning to the golf lessons, these four turn mundane events into hysterical disasters. This show is an actor’s showcase for Aiello, Cornelius, McCartney and Grimes.
The lesson of tolerance, understanding and acceptance is marvelously presented without any preaching or moralizing. This show offers lessons for all of us.
This moving glimpse into zany world of the mentally handicapped needs to be seen by teens because tolerance should never be taken too lightly.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago Radio show
This show is eligible for a C.S.T. Equity Theatre Award
January 28, 2006
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