No matter the era or setting, some themes in plays, books or movies are timeless. In Haddonfield Plays and Players’ performance of “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” the play may be set in Brooklyn, N.Y., during the Great Depression, but it is a coming-of-age story that people can understand, even today.
Neil Simon’s semi-autobiographical, award-winning play is running at Haddonfield Plays and Players Sept. 16 through Oct. 1, beginning with a preview on Sept. 15. HPP is putting a different spin on the play, but at its core, the theme stays the same that most audiences will love and understand.
“When the audience leaves the theater, I hope the audience feels a greater bond or connection to the person sitting next to them, whether that be family or a complete stranger. ‘Brighton Beach Memoirs’ is nostalgia — a gentle reminder that there is far more bringing us together than there is driving us apart,” director Matthew Weil said.
In “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” as if the Great Depression isn’t enough to worry about, Eugene Jerome, a 15 year old Polish-Jewish American teenager from Brooklyn, is searching for his identity as he deals with puberty, girls, family and the impending war. Eugene’s witty life observations are a hilarious delight as he tries to figure out relationships and his quirky Polish-Jewish relatives. The resulting coming-of-age story is an affectionate, thoroughly entertaining lesson in overcoming hard times with warmth and humor.
“There are several moments of the piece that are very emotionally complex. One of the things I truly enjoy about ‘Brighton Beach Memoirs’ is its ability to emotionally sneak up on the audience,” Weil said.
Normally, “Brighton Beach Memoirs” is performed on stage in a two-story house as a set. However, Weil wanted to do something different and made the HPP space into a traverse stage, where audiences will be on both sides of the stage. According to Weil, this is something not often seen in South Jersey theater, but has an important purpose.
“This exciting formation, though seldom seen in South Jersey theater, allows the entire audience to be closer to the action of the play — inviting them to be a part of the Jerome household,” Weil said. “The most challenging aspect of directing this production was ironing out the details of our unique staging. Any time you strip a piece of theater from its most iconic element, you run the risk of failure. It’s my hope that our greatest risk becomes the show’s greatest strength.”
Weil feels “Brighton Beach Memoirs” is relevant today due to its coming-of-age aspect. He said people have found the core fears and challenges of becoming a young adult remain largely unchanged, and these growing up stories, such as “Great Expectations” and “The Catcher in the Rye,” are still taught in schools today for this very reason.
“These stories contain an underlying truth about the human experience: we’re not so different from one another. Neil Simon touches upon many of those same themes, which makes ‘Brighton Beach Memoirs’ a timeless piece of theater,” Weil said.
Scheduled performance dates are a preview on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m., opening night on Friday, Sept. 16 at 8 p.m. and shows continuing Sept. 17, 23, 24, 28, 30 and Oct. 1 at 8 p.m. and Sept. 18 and 25 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are between $10 and $25 depending on the night and can be purchased online at the HPP website, www.haddonfieldplayers.com.
Haddonfield Plays and Players is located at 957 E. Atlantic Ave. in Haddonfield.
