Wednesday, March 27, 2002
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Wednesday, March 27, 2002 |
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Fayette Players and Community Theatre Inc. introduces 'The Boys Next Door' By MICHAEL
BOYLAN Chances are you are familiar with Tom Griffin's play "The Boys Next Door." Perhaps you saw the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie with Nathan Lane or you saw McIntosh High School's drama department perform it in 2001. There is even a chance that you saw Southside Theatre Guild's production over five years ago. "The Boys Next Door" returns to the southside this week with Fayette Players and Community Theatre Inc.'s production at McIntosh High School's Black Box Theatre. The show is directed by Michael McClendon, who directed it once before at Southside Theatre Guild. "The Boys Next Door" focuses on the lives of four emotionally and mentally challenged men who live in a communal residence under the watchful eye of a sincere, but increasingly despairing, social worker. "I usually don't direct the same show twice," said McClendon. "However, this play has such an impact on audiences that I knew it was special and jumped at the chance to do it again." The audience is witness to scenes from the daily lives of these four men, where "little things" sometimes become momentous. They are often very funny, yet they also have great poignancy. "I would see people come back night after night to watch this show," McClendon stated about his first experience with the play. "It gave them everything they wanted. It made them laugh, it made them think and it left them feeling hopeful. The audience experiences everything. It is a lifetime in two hours." McClendon credits Griffin's script as one of the key ingredients to the show's popularity. "He brings the audience to the edge and back continually. It is built into the play and is very special." Though McClendon has his past experience with the show to fall back on, he has an entirely new cast. Though many of the actors have worked with McClendon before, there are several newcomers. The show is challenging for even the most talented actors but McClendon feels his cast has risen to the challenge. "My advice to the actors was to be specific," said McClendon. "The characters are all very different. Two of the characters are mentally retarded, one is schizophrenic and the other has a grab bag of problems. The cast did their research and made their characters their own. They watched documentaries on their subjects and not other actor's interpretations. It has been wonderful to watch their strides and to see to cast move ahead of the director." There are some interesting connections for the cast to the show. One cast member has a child with autism and works with several organizations that deal with developmental challenges. Members of these organizations will be coming to the show. Another connection is Stephen Buckner's performance as Jack, which he has said is his dream role. Buckner directed the show for McIntosh High School in the fall and often feels the same struggles as Jack as he deals with his students, his family and his soccer team and is often being pulled in many directions at once. "He really grounds the show," said McClendon. "He is the center of the production." Of course, while the actors are dealing with the challenges of portraying challenged individuals, the director must deal with each actor differently. Another element to contend with is the way that normal theater conventions are broken in the show. There are times when the actors will speak directly to the audience, there are fantasy sequences and the play takes place at dozens of locations. "The main setting for the play is their apartment," McClendon said. "However, the rest of the action takes place in the space between the seats and the audience. That's why I think this is such a great space for this play. The audience is very close to the action and they get involved in the story and the characters." McClendon feels that this is an entirely different show from the one he directed five years ago. "It's turned up a bit more and really vivid," McClendon said. "I feel like we have everything in this show but an elephant and a nude scene and who knows what will be in there by opening night." "The Boys Next Door" will be presented in the Black Box Theater at McIntosh High School in Peachtree City, Thursdays-Saturdays, March 28- 30, April 4-6 and April 19 and 20 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children and students. There will be ticket specials the first weekend. Audience members get a 50% discount off one ticket when they purchase two or more tickets and students who present ID will get tickets for $5. For more information on the show or to reserve tickets, call 770-631-8568.
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