It is a generally agreed upon fact that Neil "Doc" Simon is America's finest comedic playwright. Local theatergoers acknowledge Harriett Trangucci as one of New Jersey's finest comedic actresses. Put the two together and you hit the comedic jackpot.
Don't believe me? Well, go on over to the Bickford Theatre where Barbara Krajkowski has directed Trangucci and Duncan M. Rogers in a very funny production of Simon's Plaza Suite. Minus the over-the-top performances of the film, this lower-key version manages to present ordinary people caught in extraordinary—for them—circumstances, revealing their vulnerabilities while, at the same time, tickling our funny bones.
Plaza Suite features three playlets set in suite 719 at New York City’s swanky Plaza Hotel, on Fifth Avenue overlooking Central Park. “Visitor from Mamaroneck” features a wife who, to celebrate their anniversary, has reserved the suite in which she and her husband spent their wedding night. But there’s trouble in Paradise: he’s a philandering workaholic, and she can’t even remember the date or the number of years they’ve been married. In “Visitor from Hollywood," big-shot movie producer Jesse Kiplinger attempts to seduce his high school squeeze Muriel Tate, now a housewife and mother from Tenafly, New Jersey. In the funniest playlet, “Visitor from Forest Hills,” Mimsey Hubley has locked herself in the bathroom on the eve of her wedding in the Green Room, much to the consternation of her parents Norma and Roy.
Aided and abetted in this mayhem by the versatile Rogers, Trangucci sashays her way through Simon's comedic minefield with dramatic aplomb. Just watching her melt down as events devolve around her is worth the price of a ticket. And Krajkowski's deft directorial touch is evident in that the events unfold at a steady pace so necessary for great comedy. With the actors’ not missing a comedic beat, the action is natural and very funny.
As Karen Nash in the first episode, Trangucci's starry-eyed romanticism slowly turns into cold fury upon discovering her husband Sam is having an affair with the "thin Miss McIntosh," his blonde assistant; her reaction, counter to the one he wants from her, is manipulative yet brilliant. Karen's non-stop chattering reveals a woman hungry for company, for a meaningful conversation, for a chance to relive what she remembers as a significant moment in the couple's married life. As the narcissistic, selfish Sam Nash, Rogers is appropriately smarmy and clueless about his wife's needs. He's more interested in the amount of fat on the roast beef he's ordered from room service (he works hard at controlling his weight) than in his wife's desires—which makes Karen's response to his revelation all the more delicious! (Above, Louis Vetter, Duncan M. Rogers and Harriett Trangucci)
Rogers is superb as Hollywood producer Jesse Kiplinger who has come to the city to sign an important director for his new film, but who has made time to reconnect with his high school sweetheart, perhaps as an antidote to the three "bitches" he's been married to in the past. Just watching him go about seducing star-struck Muriel reveals a pro (actor and seducer) at work. Of course, it's not really hard for Jesse to win her over. While Muriel is uncomfortable just being in his hotel room, she seems to have followed Jesse's career startling diligence. Trangucci's large brown eyes convey Muriel's innocence, just as her stiff carriage telegraphs the woman's anxiety. Trangucci gets great comedic mileage out of Muriel's familiarity with Jesse's fame; she can rattle off names of stars he's been photographed with at various functions (I can imagine a stack of movie magazines by the side of her bed), and her eagerness to know about some of them is endearing. After all, the play is set in 1968 when fans didn't know every detail about film stars' private lives.
The final chapter involves Roy and Norma, who find themselves on the wrong side of the door to the bathroom which their daughter has locked , refusing to appear for her wedding. Rogers is hilarious as Roy, a man who sees the money he's laid out for an expensive wedding going down the toilet. He blusters, rants and raves as he attempts to get his daughter to come out and assigns blame to anyone but himself. Trangucci's Norma is his main target, but she spunkily refuses to accept full responsibility for the debacle. She aptly conveys her character's self-absorption as she obsesses about a run in her stocking, and gives Roy as good as she gets. As the clock ticks away, the couple is forced to reassess their own marriage. Trangucci and Rogers convincingly expose the characters' vulnerabilities .
In minor roles, Brenda Todd and Louis Vetter provide good support. Todd is fine as Miss McCormick, rail-thin, confident and accomplished—all the things Karen thinks she lacks!
Audiences of 2013 will find the references to 1968 (especially those involving money) especially droll, which adds to the fun. Jim Basewicz has designed a posh hotel suite, and Fran Harrison has provided costumes appropriate to the character and relevant to the time period. Especially fetching are Karen's Chanel suit, Muriel's sheath dress (get a load of the shoes) and Norma's mother-of-the-bride attire. The various wigs Trangucci wears further the effect.
The three playlets of Plaza Suite revolve around marriages of rather lengthy duration, all in a precarious state of being taken for granted (even though we never meet Muriel's husband Larry, her susceptibility to Jesse's wiles signal that all is not well in Tenafly). We may laugh at these couples' antics, but the endings remind us that marriage is not for sissies.
Neil Simon has written plays that are both funny and touching. Performing them well takes talent and sharp comic timing, both of which Plaza Suite at the Bickford has in spades. There, Harriett Trangucci, Duncan M. Rogers and Barbara Krajkowski have the chops to pull it off. For an entertaining, yet thought-provoking, theatrical experience, I suggest you call the box office and get tickets to Plaza Suite!
Plaza Suite will be performed at the Bickford Theatre in the Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, through May 5. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM. There is ample parking. For information and tickets, call the box office at 973.973.3106 or visit www.morrismuseum.org.
Photos by Tom Kelcec.
