'Brigton Beach Memoirs' a success
Justin Bivens
Issue date: 3/27/09 Section: News
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Staff Writer
If you're looking for entertainment in the form of a creative mixture of comedy and drama, the theatre arts department of Florida Southern College may just have what you need.
With their rendition of Neil Simon's, "Brighton Beach Memoirs," which opened March 31, the theatre arts department once again pleased the audiences of Buckner Theatre.
Led by director Paul Bawek, technical director James Beck and costume designer Mary T. Albright, the theatre department retells the story of the Jerome's - a Jewish family living in Brighton Beach, New York in 1937. Though the Jerome's have more than enough love in their home, lately it seems they may have more than enough people, too.
Under the Director's Note, Bawek says he was drawn to "Brighton Beach Memoirs" for, "its classic Simon-like humor¬ - but even more so for how the play addresses the themes of respect, duty, and family."
The main character, Eugene, played by sophomore Carlos Leon, is the 15 year-old son of Jack and Kate Jerome. With an aunt and two cousins now also living in the Jerome household, the family has nearly reached its breaking point. In his memoirs, Eugene documents the drama-filled episodes taking place at home. Often speaking directly to the audience, Eugene develops a quite personal relationship with the spectators. With his blunt, immature and sarcastic humor, the die-hard Yankees fan is also able to keep audience members laughing throughout the duration of the show.
The quality of the theatre department's performance is a direct result of a job well-done on behalf of everyone involved in making the show happen. From the convincing actors, to the intricately designed, student-built set, FSC's theatre department indeed did justice to Simon's, "Brighton Beach Memoirs."
Final performances of the production will be taking place April 9-11, starting at 7:30 p.m. A Sunday matinee beginning at 2:30 p.m. will end the shows run on April 12.
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Tampa Movers
posted 5/21/09 @ 10:45 AM EST
It really takes a lot of work to put on a production such as this one. There is a great deal of effort behind the scenes to make it a success. It's great to see that the people involved were able to come together and achieve this great performance. (Continued…)
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