BWW Reviews: Georgetown Palace Stages Wonderful Romantic Comedy with SAME TIME NEXT YEAR

It's tough to make a romantic comedy work. The genre so easily gives way to unrealistic scenarios and corniness. The odds of someone standing on your front lawn with a boom box blasting "In Your Eyes" a la Say Anything or a wealthy businessman climbing your fire escape with a bouquet of flowers courtesy of Pretty Woman are slim to none. While Same Time Next Year has a somewhat unrealistic premise involving two married people who meet at a California resort for a romantic tryst once every year for almost 25 years, the play by Bernard Slade is surprisingly believable, in part due to his brilliant script but largely due to the incredible performances on display in Georgetown Palace's current production of the piece.

The delicate two-person play must be well-cast to succeed, and the cast at Georgetown Palace is thrilling. Virginia Keeley and Bill Barry bring a wittiness, charm, and vulnerability to the roles of Doris and George. These are two deeply conflicted and layered people who feel paradoxically guilty and unashamed by their affair and strangely connected and isolated from one another. Both excel at their comedic moments, such as Doris's pregnancy episode and George's boyish nervousness in the first scene, but are also quite capable in the dramatic moments, such as Doris's Act II tirade against the man George has become and George's breakdown when he reveals a personal family tragedy. Keeley and Barry prove to be a winning duo with incredible chemistry, and under the skillful direction of Meredith Connely who understands every moment and beat of every scene, they are completely engaging.

As the characters age and change, the costumes by Ismael Soto III easily keep up with them. Each outfit quickly shows us who these characters have become over the years and also clue us into when we are, an important detail considering the 24 year time span from 1951 to 1975. Rich Simms' video projections are a clever and well-executed way of filling time during costume changes while showing the audience all that has changed in America during the five year gaps between scenes, and the hotel room set by Barb Jernigan is subdued and rustic, just as a Northern California resort would undoubtedly be.

Same Time Next Year may occasionally fall into the same problems and traps that plague far lesser romantic comedies, but more often than not it soars above others in its genre. The writing is exceptional, the performances are captivating, and the overall effect is unforgettable. While Doris and George May see each other every year, we see plays of this quality far less frequently.

NOTE: Same Time Next Year is recommended for mature audiences only.

SAME TIME NEXT YEAR plays the Georgetown Palace Theater at 810 South Austin Ave, Georgetown 78626 now thru April 28^th. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm. Tickets are $24 general, $22 seniors, $14 students/active military, $10 children 12 or younger.

For tickets and information, please visit www.georgetownpalace.com