Review: PLAZA SUITE Delightfully Kicks Off the 94th Season at The Village Players of Birmingham!

The Village Players of Birmingham start their 94th season by checking into the Plaza Suite by Neil Simon directed by Eileen Sinclair White. The delightful comedy takes place in one suite over three acts although the individual characters are unrelated to one another. It is a charming show and a wonderful way for The Village Players to kick off their season!

Simon is one of the great playwrights of our time and while this play may not be one of his more widely known plays, it is no less filled with his typical bits of comedy and observations of life. The lovely aspect about Plaza Suite that makes it quite different is that it is three short one act plays in one and all of them take place in the same spot, room 719 of the Plaza Hotel, yet each act gives is a brand new story in the room. White does a wonderful job directing the production because she made sure to recognize that room 719 is a character in itself and fully utilizes it in every act.

White also made lovely choices with her casting of the production. Each grouping for every act was well thought out and worked very well together. The females definitely lead the cast, but overall the entire group was very strong. In act one, Lisa Rich played the role of Karen Nash. Rich did a really good job of making the expected unexpected. Just when it seemed she would do one thing, she did something else taking the audience by surprise. In act two, Sarah Zimmerman played the role of Muriel Tate and was absolutely outstanding. From talking to just sitting quietly on stage, it was hard to not to watch her as she just had a stage presence about her from the moment she entered the suite. Finally, in act three, Sally Savoie played Norma Hubley and was magnificent with her quick change of emotions. She really was phenomenal in how fast she could switch from one moment to the next. Stephen Sussman who played Roy Hubley should be mentioned as well because he was outstanding in act three. Savoie and Sussman worked flawlessly together, the best of all the groupings, and really made act three a true joy to watch. A quick note about Hoggie Amare in the role of Borden Eisler needs to mention because he delivered Simon's comedic genius with grandeur. The rest of the cast include Ben Hetes, Ross Grossman, Katherine Diehl, and Greg Ruvolo.

Plaza Suite is a true Neil Simon play in every way. It gives a glimpse in to the observation of what real life would be for a few different people, yet delivered with comedy. The Village Players of Birmingham bring to life a wonderful of production of this Simon play and it is an enjoyable time to begin their 94th season!

Plaza Suite is currently running now through September 18th at The Village Players in Birmingham. For more information or tickets, visit www.birminghamvillageplayers.com.

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