BWW Reviews: Effervescent BAREFOOT IN THE PARK Delights at Trinity Rep

With a winning presentation of A Christmas Carol already running in its upstairs theater space, Trinity Repertory Company opens the second show of its 2014 holiday season - Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park - in the downstairs Dowling Theatre. This production is just plain fun and a surefire hit for TRC, boasting a truly marvelous cast and outstanding stagecraft.

Trinity establishes Barefoot's 1960s vibe the moment theatergoers enter the Dowling by playing some of the era's biggest songs over the speaker system as ushers scan tickets. On press night, several patrons and TRC supporters also dressed the part, their colorful, vintage-inspired outfits and teased hairdos making the audience itself seem an extension of the show.

Barefoot in the Park stars real-life couple Rebecca Gibel and Charlie Thurston as newlyweds Paul and Corie Bratter. The Bratters, only six days into their marriage, are settling into their first apartment, a cramped fifth-floor walkup with a battery of quirks (and stairs - a gag that only gets funnier as the performance goes on) to navigate. Corie is undauntedly delighted with her new home, despite Paul's less-than-enthusiastic reaction to the non-functioning heater and postage-stamp-sized bedroom. The story - and the laughter - unfolds as Paul and Corie encounter a building full of eccentric neighbors, manage their flat's more interesting peccadillos, and ultimately, learn that lasting love requires compromise and understanding.

Gibel and Thurston are terrific in their roles. Not only do they flawlessly deliver Simon's most rapid-fire witticisms, but they also convey moments of despair, desperation, and tenderness in the midst of outright hilarity. Gibel perfectly captures Corie's impulsive free spirit with both vivaciousness and sincerity. Corie can be flighty, but Gibel's portrayal never tips over into caricature; instead, she genuinely exudes youth, optimism, and enthusiasm for life. The petty marital spat that takes up the bulk of the second and third acts lets Gibel show off her sparkling talents as a comedienne, but also provides her the space to let Corie grow and mature while remaining true to her key character traits.

In contrast to the lighter-than-air Corie - and proving that opposites attract - Paul is a firmly-grounded, business-minded young lawyer. Though organized and sensible, new bridegroom Paul is besotted enough to go along with some of Corie's more madcap schemes. This repeatedly places Paul in the role of straight man to the zaniness unfolding all around him, and as the eye of the storm, Thurston enjoys some of the funniest and most memorable moments in the entire production. His dumbfounded facial expressions and dry delivery are priceless, and Thurston wins unrestrained, side-splitting laughter as he demonstrates an exceptional gift for physical comedy.

Phyllis Kay and Stephen Berenson play the young couple's counterparts, Kay as Corie's good-natured if uptight mother, Mrs. Banks, and Berenson as the flamboyant, exuberant attic neighbor, Victor Velasco. Mrs. Banks is more alike in temperament to her son-in-law than her daughter, and Kay's deadpan performance and impeccable timing make her character's one-liners all-the-more hilarious. Berenson brings Velasco to life in a whirlwind of eccentricities and flourishes, but with a self-awareness that makes Velasco's rather poignant final scenes ring true. Uche Elueze, a third-year Brown/Trinity student, rounds out the cast with an entertaining turn as the flabbergasted-but-fascinated telephone repair man who arrives at the Bratter apartment at the most inopportune times.

Daniel Zimmerman's set design for Barefoot in the Park is practically a character in its own right. When the audience first enters the theater, the brick-fronted façade of Paul and Corie's apartment building takes up the entire stage. The effect is so seamless that murmurs of "How is this going to work?" were heard throughout the Dowling before the press night showing began. Zimmerman's innovative approach also ensures that the production's two intermissions add to the overall experience. With the fourth wall being a literal fourth wall, theatergoers can peer through the windows to see the Bratter apartment taking shape as furnishings and personal effects are added to the set dressing. There are some great 1960s-inspired touches in these smaller pieces as well, including cutout pendant lighting and macramé owls decorating the apartment's doors.

Toni Spadafora likewise takes great care to make the costume design authentic to the period, from Corie's sweet pink cocktail dress to Mrs. Banks' rubber shoe covers and plastic rain bonnet. Elisheba Ittoop clearly enjoyed working on sound design, especially when presenting the muffled conversations echoing up and down the multiple flights of stairs leading to Paul and Corie's apartment.

Barefoot in the Park plays Trinity Repertory Company's Dowling Theater through December 21, 2014. Tickets are available online at www.trinityrep.com, by phone (401) 351-4242, or by visiting the box office at 201 Washington Street, Providence, RI. Ticket prices range from $30-$71. Contact the box office for group rate information.

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Photo by Mark Turek

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