Barefoot in the Park presents heartwarming comedy that allows viewers to explore the complications of two newlyweds, Corie and Paul Bratter. Written by Neil Simon and directed by Megan Gilmore, Clovis High School opened their doors to guests, Oct. 13.
The play begins in a small beat up apartment on the fifth floor of a busy penthouse. Corie Bratter (Rebekah Martinez) and Paul Bratter (Randy Kohlruss) have just moved into an unfurnished condo to start their new life.
While living in their new home, the couple encounters strange characters living in their apartment complex, including a high-class chef, Victor Vilasco (Ryan Torres).
Victor convinces Paul, Corie and her mother to join him for a dinner date. When Corie returns home drunk and angry at her husband, problems arise, including the worst of all: her mother has gone missing.
The cast does a great job with keeping a comical aura throughout events which we would normally consider tragic. At some points, the play does seem to slow down a bit, but quickly picks up with jokes and laughing again.
Throughout the entire play, the set remains the same, however I really liked how it was set up for a few reasons. One, the theater is very small. From an estimate, it probably seats about 75-100 people.
The set is literally in the center of the audience, so every viewer gets the play from a different perspective. To get good seats, you?ll have to arrive at the performance a little early, due to the lack of space.
The costumes were entirely accurate to the plot and time period. Most of the characters go through at least one outfit change during the play. The most exciting character, costume wise, was Corie Bratter, who wore a vintage sailor dress in one scene, and a thick fur coat in the next.
A few negative points from a spiritual standpoint of Barefoot in the Park are a few repetitive alcohol references. This play is almost entirely based on the effects and mistakes of getting drunk. Alcohol and beer cannot be avoided in this play for that particular reason.
I would recommend that audience should be at least over thirteen because of the alcoholic references.
Besides the negative points, I highly suggest that students see this play as soon as you can. As mentioned before, the theater is small and seating is limited, so be sure to arrive early for good seats.
Tickets start at $8 for students and $10 for adults. Barefoot in the Park runs Oct. 19 through Oct. 22 in the Dan Pessano Black Box Theatre. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m.
For more drama reviews, read the Oct. 12 article, FCC production evokes audience emotion.
