Penncrest High School presents Simon Suite

Theater: Penncrest High School
Show: Simon Suite
Seen: January 27, 2008
Reviewer: Kevin Minehan

This past weekend, Penncrest High School put on its production of Simon Suite, a medley of stories from Neil Simon. The show consisted of four different comedies, each taking place in a different suite in New York, California or London.

The show started out with Visitors from Forest Hills a storyline about a mother and father desperately trying to get their bride-to-be daughter out of the hotel bathroom and downstairs to her wedding. Riley Duffie and Mike Kazanjian were quite good as the materialistic mother and tempestuous father. Their chemistry was great, and together they carried the scene very well, even if at times their performances seemed a bit safe.

The second story, Visitors from Chicago, was about two couples vacationing together and absolutely sick of each other. Injuries are added to insults added to injuries, and the two men end up in an all-out brawl. Matt Bussy and Nick George both created increasingly ridiculous characters that were hysterical. Corinne Donnelly's deadpan humor was a very good offset to this, and Gert Franklyn's ditzy character added a nice relaxed comedy to the turbid scene.

Settling Accounts started the second act with an alcoholic writer, (Zo Goslin) holding her accountant (John Cardone) hostage because she believes that he has stolen her lifes savings. Goslin was incredible in her performance. She created various levels for her character and had near-perfect comedic timing all with an unfailing English accent.

The final show, The Man on the Floor, involved two American sisters who, upon arriving in London, can no longer find their Wimbledon tickets. Things go from bad to worse when Mary throws her back out and can hardly move, and Kevin Costner wants the room in which the women are staying. Katie Nolen was very good as Mary, whose straight-faced, self-deprecating humor was offset by the ridiculous antics of Dr. McMerlin, played very well by Samantha Hatfield.

Before each show, a hotel staff came in to clean each room while four members of the cast performed a song with piano, guitar and vocals. Though each transition seemed a bit lengthier than necessary, it gave the audience time to digest each scene. The antics of the hotel staff also supplied an underlying subplot to the otherwise disconnected scenes.

Altogether, each scene was very good, as was the play as a whole. Penncrest put on a high-quality performance. Simon Suite was done incredibly well, and it was well received by its audience.

by Kevin Minehan of Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School