THE BOYS NEXT DOOR
Here is the program blurb:
CHRIS GATES, DIRECTOR (Our daughter, Olivia's husband)
Chris Gates is a professor in the Communications Department.
He graduated from Central Christian College with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Communication in the spring of '05. He then attended Kansas State University where he graduated with a Master's of Arts degree in theatre in the spring of '07. "I became interested in theatre in high school when a friend convinced me to take a class with him. He promised that I would not have to get on stage or be in any productions. Ten years later, here I am!" Chris has been in numerous productions as an actor and, while a student at Central Christian, he learned the joy of directing while in charge of three productions. In the spring of '08, Chris directed his master's thesis. Faces From War, a collection of stories from World War II veterans.
Norman Bulansky (Chris Gates) and Barry Klemper (Daniel Kipp)
Chris (Norman), Shannon Brake (Jackie Palmer), Matthew Shaw (Lucien P. Smith), Troy Barnt (Arnold Wiggins)
More program blurb:
"The Boys Next Door" is a "very funny and thoroughly touching off-Broadway hit that focuses on the unusual lives of four mentally challenged men, where 'little things' sometimes become momentous. Arnold (their ringleader) is a hyperactive chatterer. Norman (Chris) successfully works at a doughnut shop and takes great pride in the large ring of keys which dangles from his belt. Lucien P. Smith has the mind of a five year old with a heart of gold, and Barry is a brilliant schizophrenic who fantasizes that he is a golf pro. Their New England group home is supervised by a caring but burnt out social worker who is occasionally overwhelmed by the responsibility for the group. The story is told through a series of vignettes and scenes, with some of the characters speaking directly to the audience. The Boys Next Door moves the audience to an awareness of how we take many things in everyday life for granted."
Bravo! for an excellent production!
Comments
"Announcing straight off that "I'm a nervous person", Arnold fears one ailment after another. They all start with the letter 'A', but he has not the vaguest idea of what any of them really means, be it angina or arthritis."
From the play:
Arnold : "This is an angina party. That's what this is. An angina party." (The doorbell rings. They all freeze for a moment then hide.)
"Angina (angina pectoris - Latin for squeezing of the chest) is chest discomfort that occurs when there is a decreased blood oxygen supply to an area of the heart muscle. In most cases, the lack of blood supply is due to a narrowing of the coronary arteries as a result of arteriosclerosis."
I used to say that I would never take a job that required me to take work home with me...and then I became a teacher:-)