Newlywed Corie Bratter (Katelyn E. Long) is ecstatic. The bride of six days has her first apartment on the top floor of a brownstone in New York. The fact that there is no heat, no tub in the bathroom, no room for a double bed in her closet sized boudoir, a broken pane in the skylight, and no furniture doesn’t dampen her enthusiasm one bit. It’s the most exciting time of her life as seen in the Neil Simon favorite “Barefoot in the Park” at the Sondheim Theatre at the IceHouse in Mount Dora.
Husband Paul (Ryan Smith) is not too thrilled with the apartment. However, when Corie pounces on Paul, covering him with kisses, apartment issues fade for the newlyweds.
Paul is preoccupied with preparing for his first case as an attorney. The attic occupant of the brownstone is Victor Velasco (Duncan Bahr) a raconteur with dubious credentials. Corie, however, sees this man-of-the-world as a godsend that can put some life back into her staid widowed mother, Ethel (Darlin Barry). She arranges a blind date dinner party for the four of them at the apartment.
At the first act intermission, the stage crew transforms the bleak stage into a newly decorated New York apartment with all the correct accoutrements.
The meeting between Victor and Ethel comes off different than planned, much to Corie’s dismay. The newlyweds have their first argument and you see some Simon’s best work. Leave it to the Bard of Broadway Comedy to straighten everything out, however, before the final curtain.
Long is effervescent as Corrie. Her energy and enthusiasm puts her in a class by herself. The chemistry between Long and Smith is a director’s dream.
Bahr gives a polished performance in key supporting role of Velasco. His accent is consistent and believable. The telephone man, one of the most sought after of Simon’s minor roles, is played by Buddy Falea.
This show is so good, that even Artistic Director Darlin Barry could not resist the temptation of filling out the role of Ethel, Corrie’s mother. The same is for Director David Clevinger as he takes on the role of the Delivery Man. His performance is speechless.
Blocking by Clevinger is inspirational and uses the full scope of the stage. The IceHouse audio system ensures that you will not miss a word.
“Barefoot in the Park” is flawless and wins an unqualified Must-See rating. This is comedic acting at its finest. Don’t miss this one!
“Barefoot…” runs at the IceHouse through June 7. Check out their new Saturday matinee performances at www.icehousetheatre.com.
Villager Jack Petro reviews films for Villages-News.com