Review: Norm Foster's LAKEFRONT U.S. Premiere Engagement at Theatre 40

Lakefront is a romantic comedy by Norm Foster about Christina and Robert, two seniors who meet at a wedding and - in an intoxicated moment - make a pact to rent a lakefront cabin together to test their intimacy and rediscover their mojo. Hilarity ensues as they navigate the awkwardness of following through on their plan while dealing with Duane, a buoyant but intrusive property manager who rented the cabin to them for the weekend, believing the two strangers are newlyweds.

The story is a heartwarming and witty look at late-life romance, played to the absolute comedic hilt by Mouchette Van Helsdingen as Christina, a lonely 68-year-old widow who gave up her work as a CPA to spend years nursing her late husband, and Daniel Leslie as Robert, the insecure foot massager extraordinaire who, at age 70, is adjusting to life after a 30-year marriage ended due to his ex-wife’s ongoing infidelity.

The humor and emotional depth come from their vulnerability, their believable and often uncomfortable banter, and the hilarious interruptions by Duane (Michael Gabiano, decked out as a true Canadian woodsman), who always bursts into the cabin without knocking at the most inopportune times. Much of the situational comedy comes from the characters' internal panic about whether they have done the right thing to get away for the weekend with a total stranger, and if they will even be able to consummate their physical union.

The entire first act derives humor from two practical, sober seniors realizing they actually have to go through with the sex act, but have no idea how to go about it. Their self-conscious hesitation results in highly relatable, friction-filled banter about aging, physical anxieties, and changing expectations.  Complicating matters is the cabin’s lack of actual lakefront footage, explained by Duane due to global warming causing the lake to recede “somewhere through the pines in the distance,” while offering Robert his high-powered binoculars to try and locate it. But Robert is more concerned about how the blood thinners he must take will affect his ability to perform in the bedroom – or anywhere else for that matter!

To ease the rising tension between them, Robert offers Christina a foot massage, boasting about how it will be the most extraordinary experience for her. After some hesitation and calculation of the risks, she takes him up on the offer. And then the hopeful duo heads for the bedroom together as Act 1 ends. But how will things go between them?

Act 2 begins with Christina sauntering into the living room, still in her nightgown and robe, with dishelmed hair and a big smile on her face. But when Robert comes in, his squeaky slippers change her mood into one of annoyance rather than romance. And to complicate matters, Duane shows up unannounced with a complaint from Robert and Christina’s elderly German neighbor in the adjacent cabin that she was concerned a woman was being strangled due to all the screaming and moaning during the previous night. Of course, Christina is immediately embarrassed with Robert gaining new confidence in his abilities, while Duane lets Christina know in no uncertain terms that her carrying on had the opposite effect on him!

So what happens when Duane decides to take their elderly neighbor into town for a few hours, leaving the two “newlyweds” alone without any prying neighbors? I bet you can guess!  But that’s not the end of this comedic tale of love-in-later-life, beautifully directed by Larry Eisenberg to heighten the perfectly timed acting chops of his three stand-out actors.

However, the script is a bit repetitive, making the play longer than it needs to be. After all, how long do Christina and Robert really need to take before actually getting together and realizing they are perfect for one another? And why the need for the subplot involving Robert leaving Christina overnight just when things are starting to go their way, leaving her alone in the woods with Duane, now more-than-casually interested in her? Will Robert return in the morning to find the two in bed together, given Christina’s new-found confidence in her bedroom ability?

I’d like to think a good revision would be to cut much of the repetitive scenes and situations, especially so many interruptions by Duane and Christina being so bogged down with trying to organize all the details before acting upon what’s in her heart to shorten the run time to 90 minutes without an intermission, ending the story when Daniel and Christina, the now aligned and happy couple, head for the bedroom to seal the deal.

Technical credits are solid with Jeff G. Rack’s authentic set design for the rustic deluxe honeymoon suite at Lakefront cabins, perfectly matched-to-character indoor and outdoor costumes designed by Michael Mullen, lighting design by Derrick McDaniel, and sound design by Nick Foran which includes songs performed by Canadian artists.

All in all, Lakefront offers a very enjoyable two-hour romantic journey guaranteed to keep you laughing and rooting for these lost and lonely souls looking for their soulmate.

The U.S. Premiere of Lakefront by Norm Foster, directed by Larry Eisenberg and produced for Theatre 40 by David Hunt Stafford, continues in the Mary Levin Cutler Theatre, 241 S. Moreno Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212. This is on the campus of Beverly Hills High School, with ample free parking adjacent to the theatre available via a driveway at the intersection of Durant and Moreno Drives. 

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