54 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • NOVEMBER 28, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
buzz
‘Barefoot in the Park’ shines at Queens Theatre
Th e more things change, the more they stay the
same.
Consider young newlyweds Corie and Paul. It’s
the early 1960s and they’ve just moved into a tiny
fi xer-upper in New York. She’s a free spirit. He’s
very, very conservative. Will their marriage withstand
the strain?
Prolifi c, popular playwright Neil Simon’s classic
comedy “Barefoot in the Park” is still a timely tribute
to New Yorker’s eccentricities. It is not a series
of rapid fi re jokes and pratfalls. Th is version is an
easygoing, easy to watch glimpse of slightly confused
adults. Th ey eventually conquer their greatest
enemy — self-infl icted misunderstandings!
Director Brant Russell’s selections for performers
and staging have worked out well. Th e sets (by
Akiko Rotch) are realistic, with a second hand
refrigerator, patched walls and a broken windowpane.
On the other hand, the skyline “fl ats” that
are far “upstage” are clearly stylized, not realistic.
Aft er all, this charming story is all in good fun.
Th e characters’ costumes (by EB Brooks) correctly
refl ect the era.
Likable newlywed Corie is well played by Carey
Cox. Th e entire story pivots around her view of
the world. Her own website states, “I am an actor
with a disability called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
… I bring bravery, empathy, discovery, and laughter
to everything I do. Th ank you for taking a look
around …”
Spencer Lackey plays Paul with the right amount
of frustration. He’s an ambitious attorney who is
much too diligent for his starry-eyed wife. Th ere
are still more off beat denizens including Jon J.
Peterson. He plays Mr. Velasco, the delightful freeloader
who lives in their attic. Equally eccentric is
Corie’s mom, Mrs. Banks (Mhari Sandoval). She
proves to be more fl ighty than her daughter!
Th e telephone man (Rahoul Roy) is great comic
relief. He huff s and puff s aft er mounting fi ve
fl ights of stairs. He’s installing the newlywed’s fi rst
phone! Delivery guy Ryan Vergara rounds out
these overstressed, innocent bystanders.
Well-earned bows to the entire creative and
production staff including Taylor Alyssa Marun,
Jessica McIlquham, Steve Wolf, Stehen Deangelis,
Tyler Learned, Marcus Watson, Rebecca Kaplan,
Analiese Puzon and Th e Haberdashers.
More shows are just around the corner for late
fall and early winter. Call 718-760-0064, visit www.
queenstheatre.org or “like” them on Facebook.
As always, save me a seat on the aisle.
Photos Courtesy of Queens Theatre
Mhari Sandoval and Spencer Lackey in "Barefoot in the Park."
A VIEW FROM
THE CLIFF
BY CLIFF KASDEN
Carey Cox and Spencer Lackey in "Barefoot in the Park."
/WWW.QNS.COM
/www.queenstheatre.org
/www.queenstheatre.org
/queenstheatre.org
